Why Are Teeth Sore After Flossing?

Flossing is important to your oral health, as it helps to remove the smallest particles of food that can get caught between your teeth.

But why are teeth sore after flossing? This has a fairly simple explanation – and luckily it’s quite easy to fix! Read on…

Why Are Teeth Sore After Flossing?

Flossing teeth is part of a good oral hygiene regime – but why does it sometimes make our teeth sore?

Well, the good news is that it doesn’t have to, and as long as you do it properly you should be able to get through it painlessly.

• You may not be doing it often enough. It is fairly common to feel discomfort if you don’t floss very often, or if it is your first time.

Get used to including flossing into your daily brushing routine, and you should soon start to notice the benefits – without the pain.

• If you are flossing regularly and still feeling pain, it is worth checking your technique. Not doing it correctly can damage the soft tissue between your teeth.

You can always ask your dentist about the right way to floss – or, check out this video which will guide you through the best way to do it:

• Using the wrong thing to floss your teeth can cause pain. If you have a piece of food stuck and you can’t find your floss, you may be tempted to use other things which are not made for the job!

Stick to dentist-approved floss, water flossers, or interdental sticks, to ensure that you are using the right equipment.

• Gum disease can cause pain when flossing, as well as gums bleeding. Keep an eye out for these signs when you are flossing.

Scheduling an appointment with your dentist will help you to deal with the early stages of gum disease so that it doesn’t progress.

Once you have incorporated flossing into your daily tooth cleaning routine, you should experience no discomfort whatsoever.

How Long Does It Take For Gums To Get Used To Flossing?

Luckily, it doesn’t take too long for any pain, bleeding or discomfort to disappear when you are flossing, provided you are doing it properly.

Most dental professionals will tell you that it takes about a week for any discomfort to fade, as long as you are using the correct technique.

If, after a couple of weeks, you are still experiencing pain, you should talk to your dentist as they will be able to help you with any problems you have flossing.

Another good reason to make an appointment if your teeth STILL hurt after flossing is that it can be the first signs of gum disease.

Catching gum disease early is key to treating it so that it doesn’t get worse, so always speak to your dentist if you are struggling with flossing.

Why Do My Teeth Feel Wobbly After Flossing?

Don’t panic – teeth feeling loose after you start flossing is normal, and there is a good explanation.

Over time, food particles can build up between the teeth, and removing this debris will allow the teeth more space.

Gum disease is caused by a build up of tartar and bacteria, that can build up around the tooth, wearing away at the gum and the bone.

Removing this build up will help in the long run, but in the interim period can make your teeth feel a little loose.

If your teeth are wobbly, it is important to up your oral hygiene game – wobbly teeth is a sign that they might need a little more TLC!

Should You Floss Or Brush First?

Making sure that you are flossing, brushing and rinsing is the best way to take care of your oral hygiene – but is there a correct order to it?

The truth is, as long as you are doing all three, it doesn’t REALLY matter in what order you do it – but it is generally considered more effective to floss first.

Flossing the teeth helps to get rid of food particles stuck between the teeth, while brushing covers the whole of the mouth.

By flossing first and then brushing, you will be removing the stuck bits before cleaning the whole surface of the tooth, which may be more effective.

It’s actually more comfortable to do it this way, and by flossing, then brushing, then rinsing, you know you are following the most effective cleaning method.

Here’s a useful article explaining the proper order, with a few helpful flossing tips.

How Do You Know If You’re Flossing Correctly?

Flossing is an essential part of taking care of your teeth, but if you have never done it before then how do you know you are doing it right?

A good rule of thumb is to check the floss when you have used it – if it is soaked with blood then you may have an issue.

A little blood on the floss is completely normal, if you have never done it or if it’s been a while. But you shouldn’t see blood for more than a week of doing it regularly.

It should take a little time to floss correctly – about 5 minutes, to ensure that you are focusing on each tooth.

You will need a fresh section of floss for each tooth, to avoid spreading plaque and potential infection around your mouth.

Try to avoid sawing the floss up into the gumline – it is designed to clean the edges of the teeth, not cut into your soft tissue!

If you are concerned about whether you are flossing correctly, have a chat with your dentist who will be happy to point you in the right direction.

Final Words

As you can see, it’s normal for flossing to hurt a bit if you are not used to it – but it shouldn’t hurt every time.

Now you have some ideas about how to floss well so your mouth is sparkling clean and you don’t feel pain, go forth and floss!