Why Your Teeth Hurt Or Bleed After You Floss
Dental care is a scary subject for many people because of all the things that can go wrong—especially when things go wrong when you're trying to prevent them from doing so. For example, if you decide to floss and your gums start to bleed or you feel pain, you might worry that there's something very wrong going on. However, this isn't always the case. In fact, it's likely you could simply be flossing wrong or have sensitive teeth.
Flossing Methods
Flossing involves more than just jamming a string between your teeth and moving it around; there are certain methods to doing it correctly, and if you floss incorrectly, you could cause yourself unnecessary pain.
When flossing, your goal is to clean the spaces between your teeth of food particles and plaque, which means you need to brush the insides of both teeth the string is touching. Instead of forcing the floss down towards your gums, rub it back and forth along one tooth and slowly move it downward. Rub it alongside both teeth, then gently rub it near your gums. Many flossers may pull the floss down hard, causing it to hit the gums hard and cause pain—apart from hurting, it's also ineffective.
By being gentler and more effective with your flossing, you can cut down on both pain and bleeding.
Teeth and Gums Sensitivity
If you have naturally sensitive teeth, flossing can sometimes hurt a little. This can also happen if you have teeth that are placed tightly together and you're attempting to use a floss that is too thick for your teeth.
Ask your dentist what kind of floss you should be using for your teeth. A different kind of floss could work much better and not irritate your gums.
You Don't Floss Enough
Flossing is something that should be done once or twice a day. If you only do it every so often, a little bleeding and pain is to be expected because it will irritate your gums, and they can get slightly inflamed. If you keep to a daily schedule of flossing, the pain and bleeding will go away after about a week as your mouth adapts.
Gum Disease
Of course, gum disease is always an unfortunate possibility, but it isn't necessarily serious. One cause for sensitivity to flossing is gingivitis, which is a common and mild form of gum disease that results in swelling and tender gums and bleeding during brushing and flossing. A more serious form of gum disease is periodontitis, in which your gums start to recede and your teeth loosen.
If you're at all worried you may have gum disease, see a dentist at a clinic like Mission Dental Center immediately. Many mild types of gum disease can be reversed simply with good hygiene. If you experience pain in the meantime, you can try a gentler form of flossing using a water-powered flossing device.
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