Oral Care Guide for Teens

Floss coating


		Waxed floss is coated with wax which makes it easier for the floss to slide into the tooth adjacent surface.
		Mint flavoured floss gives a feeling of freshness.
		Fluoride coated floss is intended to prevent dental caries from occurring on the adjacent tooth surfaces, but its effectiveness has not yet been proven.

Shape of floss


		Flattened floss is designed to increase the contact surface with the tooth.
		Ultra floss is spongy and soft.
		Round floss is relatively thinner.
		Superfloss contains segments of stiff-end threader, spongy floss and regular floss. Stiff-end threader can make it easier for us to slide the Superfloss through the gap between the teeth and fixed orthodontic appliances.Spongy floss cleans around the appliances and between wide spaces or to floss underneath the bridge. Regualr floss removes plaque from the adjacent tooth surfaces. Please refer to sections “Cleaning of fixed orthodontic appliance” and “Cleaning of fixed bridge” for method of using Superfloss.

Floss holder / Dental floss stick

Floss holder/dental floss stick is a supplementary tool for flossing. It is suitable for parents or caregivers in helping children or individuals with special needs to clean the adjacent surfaces of their teeth. There are many different types of floss holder/dental floss sticks in the market. Parents are advised to choose the appropriate type according to their durability, shape, and handle length.

Floss holder and dental floss sticks come in either a 'knife' shape or a 'Y' shape. They are similarly effective in cleaning teeth. A new thread of dental floss can be reattached to the floss holder every time after use. When cleaning the back teeth using a 'knife' shaped dental floss stick, one will need to stretch his lips to facilitate the access of the floss stick.Handles of floss holder/dental floss sticks differ in length. Those with shorter handles are more difficult to use. Therefore, parents and caregivers should choose the one with a longer handle to floss for their children.

"Y" shape floss holder

"Knife" shape floss holder

To effectively clean adjacent surfaces of teeth, the floss on the floss holder/dental floss stick must be taut. Therefore, we need to pay attention to the tautness of the floss when buying disposable dental floss sticks.

Disposable dental floss sticks