free shipping on your first order with code FREESHIP
+
free shipping $35+
+

Davids blog

why does flossing hurt? five common causes and their Davids-powered solutions

why does flossing hurt? five common causes and their Davids-powered solutions

Have you ever asked yourself, “Why does flossing hurt? How can people tolerate it every single day?” We hear you. Even when flossing doesn’t hurt, it’s not exactly fun. When it hurts, it’s so tempting to throw it out the window altogether. But we’re here to remind you that flossing is essential for your long-term oral health, and if it hurts every time you do it, your mouth is trying to tell you something. What message is it sending? Let’s do a little digging to find out. 1: you’re not flossing enough This one might sound contradictory. If flossing hurts, shouldn’t you stop doing it? Not always. When flossing hurts and causes your gums to bleed, it might be a sign that you’re not flossing often enough. How do you know if flossing is hurting because of infrequency vs. a true oral issue such as gum disease? Here are a couple of important questions to ask yourself. Is flossing a new habit for me? If so, it’s likely that your gums and teeth simply aren’t used to it yet. After about a week, it should stop causing bleeding and feel relatively painless. If you’re a long-time flosser, and your gums begin to bleed and feel sore out of nowhere, it’s likely a deeper issue that you’ll need to run by your dentist. When my gums bleed after flossing, does the bleeding stop quickly? If the answer is yes, then keep at it....your gums should get used to flossing in no time. If the bleeding persists, you might have some level of tartar buildup, gum disease, or both that require a professional exam. If the issue is gum disease or another oral issue, your dentist will be able to remove tartar buildup, give your teeth and gums a deep clean, and recommend treatment steps. 2: you haven’t mastered how to floss / you don’t have the best floss In our previous article, we cover exactly how to floss, revealing pro tips for a smooth flossing experience. One of our top tips involves forming a U-shape with the floss around each tooth. This allows you to hug the tooth’s surface without having to place all of your downward force on your gums. This way, you can remove as much plaque as possible (on the front, back, and sides of your tooth’s surface) without causing damage and bleeding on your gum line. If you feel like you’ve already nailed down your flossing technique, it might be time to ask yourself if you’re treating your mouth to the best floss or not. Many of the big-brand flosses out there are crafted with Teflon-based threads, which can sometimes feel too “hard” on your gums and also introduce PFAS (harmful chemicals) into your mouth. On the other hand, many plant-based flosses rip apart the moment you start using them. In our book, these options don’t win the award for best dental floss. In other words, if your dental floss is not carefully crafted for performance, it could be the reason you experience pain and bleeding (or frustration) after flossing. You can smile brighter knowing that the soon-to-launch Davids floss is meticulously designed for performance. It’s woven with hundreds of soft (yet gently scrubby) threads....and coated in smooth wax infused with cocoa butter and nano hydroxyapatite. As the wax allows the floss to glide smoothly between your teeth, the cocoa butter works to repel plaque and the nano hydroxyapatite particles help to remineralize your enamel (in those hard-to-reach crevices). Not to mention, our floss is free of harmful PFAS, making it a safe dental floss for your whole family. 3: you have tightly-spaced teeth Do you feel like flossing is so much harder for you compared to everyone around you? You might have tighter teeth! But don’t worry, with proper technique and the best floss, you can reach those tight spaces without having to jam the floss into your gums. Our high-performance floss is woven with numerous threads, so it can compress, adapt to your teeth, and squeeze into those tight crevices without ripping. Keep an eye out for our carefully crafted + safe dental floss. It’s made to adapt to all mouths, even those with tight teeth! 4: you might have gum disease If you floss and the bleeding, redness, and discomfort linger for a long time, gum disease might be the culprit. There are different stages of gum disease, and sometimes the beginning stages aren’t so obvious. You might notice lingering redness and inflammation on your gum line. You might also experience bad breath, feel a rough tartar coating on your teeth, or notice “pockets” forming around your teeth. With gum disease, you don’t want to just continue flossing and hope the pain subsides. It’s essential to get your gums checked out by a dentist, so you can start to follow a treatment plan to get back on track. Once resolved, it’s so important to diligently keep up with your oral care routine....making time for flossing with the best dental floss (Davids), brushing with premium toothpaste, tongue scraping, and even swishing with natural mouthwash to keep your gums healthy and strong. 5: you struggle with sensitive teeth Do you feel like the pain from flossing is originating from your teeth rather than your gums? Do you also feel tooth pain when you eat hot or cold foods? Sensitivity might be the cause. Experts estimate that 1 in 8 Americans experience tooth sensitivity, so just know you’re not alone if you experience an ache when brushing and flossing. If you feel mild sensitivity during your oral care routine, Davids hydroxyapatite toothpaste and hydroxyapatite floss can provide daily relief (which we’ll cover in the next section). However, if you’ve experienced severe sensitivity over a long period, we strongly encourage you to visit your dentist and explore different treatment plans. don’t worry, Davids can help There are multiple reasons why flossing might be painful, but with our recent launch of innovative floss, addressing this discomfort has never been easier. Our commitment to simple, natural, and accessible oral care solutions is evident in our product range, meticulously developed to enhance your dental regimen. remove plaque: our antiplaque formulas are packed with gentle, abrasive ingredients designed to 'exfoliate' persistent plaque and bacteria without damaging your enamel. By integrating the use of our toothpaste into your routine, you pave the way for a safer and healthier flossing experience while safeguarding against tooth decay and gum disease. soothe sensitivity: for those with sensitive teeth, our sensitive+whitening hydroxyapatite toothpaste is a game-changer. Lab tests confirm its ability to remineralize enamel and reduce sensitivity swiftly, making flossing a more comfortable endeavor. And now, our hydroxyapatite floss further extends these benefits, delivering revolutionary minerals into the hard-to-reach areas of your mouth, alleviating sensitivity from all angles. With the introduction of our high-performance floss, we at Davids are excited to support your journey towards a smoother and more comfortable flossing routine, alongside our celebrated premium toothpaste, bamboo toothbrush, and professional stainless steel tongue scraper. Buy Your Premium Toothpaste Now.
do you need to floss do you need to floss? don't brush over this crucial step of your oral care routine

do you need to floss? don't brush over this crucial step of your oral care routine

You’ve probably heard from your dentist that flossing is important for preventing plaque buildup, cavities, sensitivity, gum disease, and more. In other words, it’s pretty important for nurturing your holistic oral health! Whether you’re a flossing pro, a start-then-stop flosser, or an “I don’t need to floss” kind of person, it never hurts to brush up on the topic. Do you need to floss? Why is flossing important? What’s the best way to floss? What’s the best type of floss? Does the type of floss even matter? The answer is yes! All of these things matter. Don’t worry, we’re here to dive into all the specifics on flossing and explore all the ways that natural floss outperforms its conventional counterpart (hint hint, there might be a new Davids product launch on the horizon). At the end of the day, we only want what’s best for your oral and overall health, and a solid oral care routine with natural floss is the best. why flossing is important So, another dental professional has told you you need to start (or continue) flossing. You know it’s “important,” but do you know exactly why flossing is important? Many dentists estimate that brushing alone only cleans the front and back of your teeth, leaving roughly 35% of your teeth untouched. Not to mention, these untouched crevices are tight, making them the perfect place for bacteria to fester and gooey plaque to build up. If you’ve read more of our blog articles, you know that we believe in a holistic approach to oral (and overall) health. If your oral care routine neglects 35% of your teeth’s surfaces, is it truly a holistic oral care routine? Trust us, once you add a high-quality flossing routine into your life, your mouth will feel cleaner than ever before. What exactly do we mean when we say “high-quality flossing routine”? We mean one that uses top-notch techniques as well as non-toxic, natural floss. how to floss, the right way! Now, it might seem silly that we want to teach you how to floss. After all, it's pretty simple, right? Actually, flossing requires a lot of intentionality and practice! Even if you’re someone who’s been doing it for years, it’s always a good idea to brush up on your technique....because technique truly makes a difference when it comes to flossing. That being said, here are some tips to help you floss like an expert. We recommend flossing before you brush your teeth. This is because flossing dislodges stubborn particles and bacteria. Once those are loose in your mouth, we want to give your mouth a proper brushing to make sure we dispose of those dislodged pieces. Grab roughly a foot (yes, 12 whole inches) of floss, and wrap the ends around your middle fingers. You can use even more if that feels more secure and comfortable. Once it’s wrapped around your fingers, grip it between your thumb and index finger, and use your thumb to guide the floss between your teeth. Important: make a u-shape with the floss around each tooth, switching directions within each crevice to get both of the teeth that share that crevice. This u-shape is crucial, allowing you to remove as much of the plaque buildup as possible. Flossing isn’t solely about removing food from your teeth, it’s about breaking down that pesky plaque. Gently slide the floss up and down several times while maintaining the u-shape. Don’t press too hard on your gums when you slide downward....this can lead to pain and bleeding. While you’re in each crevice, try gliding the floss along the back of your tooth too, so you can target that pesky plaque buildup. A few additional pro tips: try changing the placement of the floss as much as you can, so you’re not reusing the same portion of the floss every time you enter a new crevice. Move up and down the strand to use a fresh piece for different teeth and avoid wearing one part down to the point where it nearly breaks. You can also rinse off the floss as you go to dispose of any particles. Also, you may want to try coating your floss with our premium toothpaste to increase its bacteria-fighting power! Last but certainly not least, one of the biggest tricks to flossing (and your oral care routine in general) is to slow down. We know it’s something you do every day, so it’s tempting to rush through the motions. But we really encourage you to slow down and take time to practice some mindfulness. It’s good for your oral health and mental health! why you should switch to natural floss It’s no surprise that we, a toothpaste brand, believe in natural floss over conventional floss. But we also recognize that many people may not feel passionate about (or even think about?) where their floss comes from or what it’s made of. But we’re here to change that. Here’s why. Unlike natural floss, many of the conventional floss options out there have a nylon or Teflon base coated in synthetic chemical wax. Right off the bat, this doesn’t sound like something you want to use in your daily oral care routine. You may have seen that non-toxic cookware is having a moment in the spotlight because traditional cookware has a Teflon coating. According to the EWG, Teflon is commonly called PFAS, a “forever chemical” that’s linked to many health issues. On top of the chemical issue, conventional floss is usually packaged in single-use plastic. So when you toss the floss, it’s likely to end up lingering for decades in a landfill and adding to the plastic pollution problem. If every single person in the US flossed according to ADA recommendations, roughly 2.5 billion plastic floss containers would end up in landfills each year. Sure, we know not everyone is flossing as recommended, but we think they should be! Sustainable natural floss, on the other hand, avoids toxins and utilizes sustainable packaging! A win-win for your body and the environment. If you’re wondering why we’re singing the praises of natural floss when we don’t have any on our website, all we can say right now is...STAY TUNED! For now, it never hurts to stock up on the best toothpaste. Buy Your Premium Toothpaste Now.

Learn more
Home Search Cart Products About