Why It's Important To Rinse Your Mouth Out After You Floss
If you're making a point of flossing your teeth daily, you're ahead of the game when it comes to caring for your teeth and gums. Just as regular flossing is important, so too is taking just a few seconds to rinse your mouth out with water afterward. If you floss in the bathroom before bed, keep a glass on the counter so that you can take a quick swig of water and the rinse after you finish flossing. Here are some reasons that post-flossing mouth rinsing is a good habit to adopt.
It Prevents You From Swallowing Bacteria
One of the benefits of flossing is that it loosens bacteria-rich plaque from your teeth. By scraping it off — something that you might not be able to accomplish only by brushing — you'll avoid the risk of the plaque turning into tartar. You don't want this bacteria-laden plaque sitting in your mouth after you floss, but that's exactly where it will be if you don't rinse with water — and, pretty soon, you'll likely swallow the bacteria, which is a bad thing. Rising helps you to get the unwanted bacteria out of your body entirely.
It Helps To Wash Away Food Particles
When you floss, you may sometimes loosen food particles that were previously stuck between your teeth, but not actually remove them entirely. It's easy to move the particles around, but they can still remain between your teeth when you finish flossing. When you take a sip of water immediately after flossing, make sure to swish it around in your mouth — in particular, squeeze it through the gaps between your teeth. You'll often notice that the water washes away loosened food particles, which you can then spit down the drain.
It Makes Your Mouth Taste Better
Sometimes, you'll miss a small particle of food that is stuck between your teeth for a day or two. It doesn't take long for this particle to begin to rot, and this may cause an unpleasant odor inside of your mouth — something that can quickly become apparent when you finally remove the food with a piece of dental floss. Even after you get the food particle out of your mouth entirely, you might be aware of a sour taste that is highly undesirable. Taking just a few seconds to thoroughly rinse your mouth out with water can quickly improve the taste of your mouth, as well as your breath.
For more information on dental care, contact your dentist.
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