{"id":1983,"date":"2022-12-27T16:38:41","date_gmt":"2022-12-27T16:38:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/?p=1983"},"modified":"2022-12-27T16:38:41","modified_gmt":"2022-12-27T16:38:41","slug":"start-flossing-in-the-new-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/start-flossing-in-the-new-year\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Start Flossing in the New Year"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Close-up<\/a><\/p>\n

Flossing is one of the most important things you can do to protect<\/a> your oral health, yet it\u2019s one aspect of dental hygiene that tends to be neglected. With the new year right around the corner, now\u2019s a good time to try and incorporate flossing into your daily routine.<\/p>\n

Of course, that\u2019s easier said than done. Any time you try and commit to something new, there are bound to be some bumps in the road. Here are a few ways that you can make a flossing habit stick.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Remember Why Flossing Is Important<\/h2>\n

It can be very easy to lose motivation when you start something new, so you should try and remember why you started in the first place. If you\u2019re only brushing, bacteria can start to form into plaque deposits between your teeth. Excess plaque, in addition to not looking very good, can contribute to gum disease and bad breath. Flossing is the best way to directly target these plaque deposits, and once you start doing it regularly, you\u2019ll be surprised at how big the difference is.<\/p>\n

Make Flossing Easy<\/h2>\n

Flossing can be a little bit tricky, especially if you aren\u2019t used to it. You might not be a fan of putting your fingers in your mouth, or you could find it a little difficult to reach the back molars. In any case, you might want to ask your dentist to recommend tools that can make the task easier. Floss threaders, interdental brushes, and oral irrigation tools can all are can all be used to help you break up plaque deposits.<\/p>\n

You should also keep in mind that there\u2019s no wrong time of day to floss. Some people start by flossing at the end of the day, and find that they have trouble doing it properly when they\u2019re tired. Feel free to clean your teeth whenever you think that it would be easiest.<\/p>\n

Set Reminders for Yourself<\/h2>\n

At the end of the day, people are busy\u2014they may just forget to floss. Once you\u2019ve made it a part of your routine it\u2019ll be easy to remember, but until then you may have to set reminders for yourself.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s no shortage of apps and timers that can ping you every day to remind you to floss. If you\u2019d prefer the low-tech method, sticky notes can also be helpful. Finally, you can always try leaving your floss out in the open, in a place where you\u2019d be likely to notice it.<\/p>\n

Once you start flossing regularly, \u201cprotecting oral health\u201d won\u2019t just feel like an abstraction. You\u2019ll be able to run your tongue across your teeth and revel in how good you feel. That makes flossing a new year\u2019s resolution worth keeping.<\/p>\n

About the Author<\/h2>\n

Dr. J. Peter St. Clair has been a dentist since 1995, and in that time he\u2019s learned that prevention is the best treatment. He\u2019ll lend his patients his extensive knowledge of dental medicine, and is happy to help them take charge of their oral health. Dr. St. Clair received his Doctor of Dental Medicine from the Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. He was also a Faculty Club member at Spear Education, a prestigious post-graduate education facility, for over twenty years. If you have any questions about the benefits of flossing, he can be reached at his website<\/a> or by phone at (978) 948-2030<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Flossing is one of the most important things you can do to protect your oral health, yet it\u2019s one aspect of dental hygiene that tends to be neglected. With the new year right around the corner, now\u2019s a good time to try and incorporate flossing into your daily routine. Of course, that\u2019s easier said than done. Any time you try and commit to something new, there are bound to be some bumps in the road. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1983","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1983","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1983"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1983\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1985,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1983\/revisions\/1985"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1983"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1983"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jpeterstclairdentistry.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1983"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}