Flossing is extremely important if you want to avoid cavities and gum disease. But if teeth have wide spaces between them, is it still necessary to clean those areas with dental floss?
Open contacts (spaces) between teeth are known for harboring heavy buildup and food debris between meals. Even if it seems like these areas are getting clean when you brush your teeth, they are still statistically more likely to develop infections than properly aligned teeth.
Having extra space between teeth means that plaque or food particles will likely settle into those areas for a longer period of time, especially right along the edges of the gum tissues. Because it only takes about 24 hours for plaque to calcify into tartar (calculus) deposits, it’s essential to clean these spaces with floss, a proxy brush, and/or a water flosser each day.
When flossing around teeth with spaces between them, focus on cleaning the side of the tooth and just under the edges of the gums, as opposed to where they might touch. Curve the floss in a “C” shape and rub it up and down the side several times, allowing the floss to slip below the edges of the gingival tissue. Follow with a proxy brush to clean any concavities between the teeth that the floss skips over. And if you have periodontal pockets in these areas, be sure to use a water flosser to irrigate under the gumlines.
Your periodontal specialist may recommend clear orthodontic aligners or braces as part of a comprehensive care approach if you have active gum disease. Be sure to clean these spaces thoroughly each day and ask your dental specialist how tooth alignment may wind up affecting your overall oral health.