Floss

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Floss
Dental floss with PTFE coating

Dental floss is used to the ( inter- dental ) interspaces of the teeth from plaque (plaque bacteria to clean) and food scraps. The dental profession recommends using it as a supplement to daily teeth cleaning : Its use prevents dental caries in particular , but also periodontitis . However, the effectiveness or the benefit-harm ratio of using dental floss is controversial.

Dental floss can be made of plastics ( nylon , polyethylene ) or silk and is available in an unwaxed and waxed version as well as with a PTFE coating ( Teflon , Gore-Tex ). There is also dental floss that is impregnated with fluoride or peppermint flavor. Waxed and coated dental floss glides more easily over the tooth surfaces, but in practice it also slips more easily through the fingers. However, the cleaning effect of waxed and unwaxed dental floss does not differ.

Threading the interdental spaces with dental floss is a complement to removing plaque with a toothbrush , as only about 70% of the tooth surfaces can be cleaned with this.

The use of dental floss is relatively little widespread in Germany: According to rough estimates, around 20% of the German population have dental floss in their household, but only about 5% use it regularly. The use of dental floss is more widespread in the United States, where around 28% of the population used it every day in 2011. One of the reasons for this is the widespread use of dental hygienists (dental prophylactic assistants ) in the USA.

Interdental brushes are another aid to care for the space between spaces .

history

Similar materials such as dental floss or toothpicks were already used by prehistoric people, as indicated by grooves on the teeth that were found.

The invention of the modern dental floss is ascribed to the dentist Levi Spear Parmly (1790-1859, New Orleans , USA). In 1815 he recommended cleaning teeth with silk thread (untwisted silk thread). The company Codman and Shurtleft began in 1882 with the production of unwaxed dental floss. The Johnson and Johnson company patented dental floss in 1898.

Before the Second World War , dental floss was not widely used in the United States either. Then the physician Charles C. Bass developed the dental floss made of nylon threads, which is still in use today. This was more elastic, did not wear through as quickly and did not tear as quickly.

After the Second World War, the use of dental floss was strongly promoted in the USA. The National Flossing Council , founded in 1996, awards, among other things, the “Floscar” (Floss Oscar , Dental Floss Oscar), publishes an online journal and conducts dental floss awareness campaigns.

Motivation for daily use

Caries under the contact point (approximal caries)

Bacterial deposits ( biofilms , formerly: plaque) lead on the one hand to the formation of caries via the formation of acids, on the other hand via the formation of certain toxins to inflammation of the gums (gingivitis), the preliminary stage of periodontitis. The interdental spaces are so-called predilection points for the development of both diseases, as they are often neglected in daily oral hygiene.

The aim is to remove the plaque between the teeth (lat. Interdental ). Cleaning with a toothbrush is only possible to a limited extent there. While she cleans the outer, inner and chewing surfaces of the teeth very effectively - the bristles hit the tooth surface perpendicularly (with some brushing techniques 45 degrees) - the bristles only partially reach the interdental spaces or just brush across the tooth parallel to the surface (tangential) . This mechanical force is not enough to remove the plaque.

In the interdental spaces, the neighboring teeth touch at the contact points. Directly below these contact points are the places where caries often occurs (approximal caries).

use

The dental floss is taut and C-shaped around the tooth.
  • The dental floss is wrapped around the tooth in a C-shape. The tooth is carefully cleaned with a few up and down movements to just below the gum line.
  • The use of dental floss can only be effectively practiced from the age of 10. In children, the use of dental floss between the fourth and fifth milk tooth by the parents makes a lot of sense, because this often creates caries between the teeth. The use of dental floss is recommended into old age, until the last interdental space has been lost.
  • Crowned teeth should also be cleaned with dental floss. The focus is then on the crown margins, which are often particularly susceptible to the formation of dental plaque.
  • Often bleeding gums occur when using dental floss. A common reason is inflammation of the gums ( gingivitis ). This inflammation disappears quickly with regular flossing.

Flossettes

Disposable dental violin with attached dental floss

There are small holders for clamping dental floss, called Flossetten (from the English floss , ... silk ), which are supposed to make it easier to use. They are usually offered as a single-use, ready -to-use product called a dental floss stick or a dental violin . The cleaning effect without a holder is much better for experienced people.

Tartar and floss

Dental floss can only be used to remove soft plaque. Tartar is too firm for it and must be removed by the dentist or dental staff. Regular use of dental floss removes plaque from the start, so that no tartar can develop as a further consequence.

In the animal kingdom

In March 2009, it was announced that scientists had observed around 50 macaques in a colony in Lop Buri , near the Thai capital Bangkok , who were using human hair to floss their interdental spaces. This ritual is also passed on to the young animals in that the mothers clean their teeth particularly thoroughly and vividly when the young animals are watching them.

Web links

Wiktionary: Dental floss  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations
Commons : Dental Floss  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ S. Sälzer, DE Slot u. a .: Efficacy of inter-dental mechanical plaque control in managing gingivitis - a meta-review. In: Journal of Clinical Periodontology . Volume 42 Suppl 16, April 2015, pp. S92-105, doi: 10.1111 / jcpe.12363 , PMID 25581718 (review).
  2. ↑ PP Hujoel, J. Cunha-Cruz, DW Banting, WJ Loesche: Dental Flossing and interproximal caries: a systematic review. In: Journal of Dental Research . 85, 2006, p. 298, doi: 10.1177 / 154405910608500404 .
  3. ↑ CE Berchier, DE Slot u. a .: The efficacy of dental floss in addition to a toothbrush on plaque and parameters of gingival inflammation: a systematic review. In: International Journal of Dental Hygiene. Volume 6, Number 4, November 2008, pp. 265-279, doi: 10.1111 / j.1601-5037.2008.00336.x , PMID 19138178 (review).
  4. ↑ D. Sambunjak, JW Nickerson et al. a .: Flossing for the management of periodontal diseases and dental caries in adults. In: The Cochrane database of systematic reviews. Number 12, 2011, S. CD008829, doi: 10.1002 / 14651858.CD008829.pub2 , PMID 22161438 (Review).
  5. ↑ Iain LC Chapple, Fridus Van der Weijden u. a .: Primary prevention of periodontitis: managing gingivitis. In: Journal of Clinical Periodontology. 42, 2015, p. S71, doi: 10.1111 / jcpe.12366 .
  6. ^ A b The History of Dental Hygiene - Floss. In: michigandentalhealth.com
  7. ↑ DGZMK, Scientific Statement, Mechanical and Chemical Plaque Reduction (PDF; 38 kB).
  8. ↑ Animal oral care: Monkeys use "floss". In: Spiegel TV , March 12, 2009.
  9. ↑ Dental care in monkeys. In: Welt Online , March 12, 2009.