When does flossing stop hurting

This is a vital question occasionally asked by patients at Century City Aesthetic Dentistry. The answer, however, is “No!” Bleeding is probably a sign that you need to clean your teeth and gums more thoroughly – not leave them alone. It is impossible to clean effectively between teeth without using floss or an interdental brush.

If you have never flossed before, your gums might bleed the first few times you use floss. The bleeding may be due to harmful gum inflammation, the beginnings of gum disease. Keep flossing gently and the bleeding typically stops within a week or two.

Gingivitis (gum disease) and the more advanced periodontal disease is extremely common in California and around the country. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that half of American adults aged 30 and over have periodontal disease. https://www.perio.org/consumer/cdc-study.htm

If you don’t make flossing a habit, and your gums become sore, swollen, and tender, it could bring about gum disease. The good news is that, unlike dental caries, gum disease can be reversed with improved oral hygiene.

It is vital to correctly use dental floss to remove plaque and food particles from between the teeth:

1. Cut a length of floss about 18 inches long.
2. Securely wind each end around your middle fingers.
3. Take hold of the floss with your forefinger and thumb leaving about two inches to work with.
4. Thread the floss between two teeth.
5. Hold the floss tightly against the side of the tooth and move it up and away from the gumline. You want to clean the space between the tooth and gum without pulling more gum tissue away, so it’s important to scrape up and out of the pocket.
6. Move the floss around the tooth to clean every surface – especially those that your brush can’t reach. As you use a section of floss, unwind from one hand to access a clean piece. With 18 inches, you should have enough to provide a clean section for every tooth. If you run out, that’s okay. Just toss the used piece and cut a new one.

Some people find it easier to start on one end on the upper teeth and clean each gap one by one until they reach the end on the opposite side. Then repeat for the bottom row. Whatever process you opt for, make sure you clean around every tooth, including the back surfaces of the last molars.

What if you continue flossing for a few weeks and still notice bleeding? Call Century City Aesthetic Dentistry at 310-277-5678 to schedule a consultation. Bill Dorfman, DDS, will perform an extensive examination to determine the cause of the bleeding.

At Century City Aesthetic Dentistry, our goal is to help patients preserve healthy teeth and gums. Our dental hygienists not only carry out the most thorough dental cleanings, they also educate patients on proper brushing and flossing. If you have a child who needs extra help learning how to brush and floss correctly, schedule an appointment with our Century City Aesthetic Dentistry child-friendly team.

Some patients have perfectly healthy teeth and gums but are not pleased with their smile due to cosmetic problems. If you want to explore possibilities for improving your smile, communicate with us today at 310-277-5678.

We offer technologically-advanced cosmetic dental services including teeth whitening, porcelain veneers, dental crowns, inlays/onlays, and tooth-colored filling replacement. Ask us about oral sedation options if you need help relaxing during dental treatment. You can depend on us to maintain the highest standard of safety and sterility at Century City Aesthetic Dentistry.

Questions About Your Gum Health? Schedule a Consultation with Dr. Dorfman Today!

It’s important to brush and floss your teeth every day to maintain good oral health. But what does it mean when your gums hurt afterward? Is it normal for gums to be sore or even bleed while flossing or shortly after flossing? Let’s check in with your dentist in Danville to see just what may be causing your gum pain.

Don’t Blame The Floss

While it’s true that flossing can cause gum pain, it’s usually not the action of flossing itself that results in soreness. The only reason why flossing alone will cause pain is if you’re flossing too hard or too often — once a day is the typical recommendation. If your gums bleed or become inflamed and sore while flossing gently, or you notice the pain shortly after flossing, it’s usually a sign that there’s something else going on in your mouth. Some of those possibilities aren’t very serious, while others are cause for concern.

Canker Sores

One of the not-so-serious causes of gum pain is a canker sore. These non-contagious sores can affect anywhere in your mouth, including your gums. They’re usually a small red bump but can also be covered by a white coating. Canker sores can be painful, but they’re usually short-lived. There’s typically no reason to worry about canker sores as they’ll go away on their own, however, if you have one that doesn’t disappear within two weeks, schedule a visit with your Danville dentist.

Minor Burns

Another potential reason behind gum pain that shouldn’t worry you is a minor burn. These painful and pesky burns can happen from eating hot food or drinking a hot beverage too quickly before it has a chance to cool. The result can be a minor, yet painful, burn that can affect your gums, roof of the mouth, or really any of the mouth’s soft tissues. There’s no treatment for these incredible common minor burns and the pain will resolve on its own. Just try to avoid biting into a hot slice of pizza too quickly.

Hormonal Changes

This cause of gum pain only applies to women, but it’s still worth talking about. Women’s hormone levels fluctuate often, especially prior to and during menstruation as well as with pregnancy. These changes in hormones can affect a lot of areas of the body, and surprisingly, the gums are one of those areas. Gum tissue can become swollen, red, and tender, but these symptoms are typically temporary and should resolve on their own.

Oral Cancer

One of the more serious potential causes of gum pain is oral cancer. Similarly to canker sores, oral cancer can first show signs as a sore, sometimes with pain and sometimes without. While the sore or the pain doesn’t need to occur on the gums, it certainly can. In fact, oral cancer can affect any area of the mouth including the gums, tongue, cheeks, and throat. Oral cancer can be treated successfully, but it’s important to catch it in the early stages. That’s why seeing your dentist in Danville every six months is so important. Any abnormalities or changes that have occurred can be thoroughly examined, and any problems can be caught and treated before they have a chance to develop into more serious, harder to treat problems.

Gum Disease

The other serious cause of gum pain that we’ll be discussing in this blog is gum disease. As we mentioned earlier, bleeding when flossing isn’t normal, and there’s usually another explanation. Oftentimes, gum disease is to blame. Gum disease usually shows the following signs and symptoms in addition to bleeding:

• Tender, swollen gums
• Bad breath that doesn’t go away
• Receding gums
• Loose teeth

If gum disease isn’t diagnosed and treated, it can lead to tooth loss as well as other problems related to overall health such as heart disease, kidney disease, certain cancers, and Alzheimer’s.

Any type of gum pain that doesn’t resolve itself or lasts a few weeks is usually a sign that you should schedule an appointment with your dentist in Danville sooner rather than later. Your dental team will help determine the root cause of your gum pain and talk with you about the best treatment for your specific situation.

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What if taking care of your teeth actually caused more pain?

Whenever you visit the dentist, they’ll encourage you to floss every day. Unfortunately, you may discover that your teeth hurt after flossing. But this doesn’t mean you should stop doing it.

Instead, it means you must find what’s really causing the pain. Wondering why your own teeth hurt after you put the floss away? Keep reading to discover the answers!

1. New At This

In life, sometimes the best explanations are also the simplest. And if your teeth hurt after flossing, there may be a very simple reason for this: you’re new at all of this!

Flossing, like brushing, requires an actual technique. And mastering that technique takes a lot of practice. If you are new at this, you might floss too hard and cause your gums to ache and bleed.

If you are new at flossing, we recommend slowing down and taking your time. Don’t be afraid to ask your dentist about proper flossing techniques or even pull up some “how-to” videos on Youtube.

However, if you’ve been flossing for a while and are still experiencing pain, you’re likely experiencing another issue. Keep reading to discover what it might be and how you can fix it.

2. Sensitive Teeth

When it comes to tooth pain, everything is relative. For example, the pain you are experiencing may not be that extreme. But it may feel that way because you suffer from sensitive teeth.

Tooth sensitivity (also known as dentin hypersensitivity) can be caused by a number of factors. Some people are more genetically predisposed to it than others. And other people experience sensitivity simply because they have been brushing and/or flossing too hard.

You may discover tooth sensitivity while flossing, or even when you consume hot or cold beverages or foods. Regardless of how you discover the sensitivity, it occurs because too much of your tooth enamel has worn off and left your nerves exposed.

A good dentist can help you fix this issue. In the meantime, you may want to use toothpaste and mouthwash specially formulated for sensitive teeth.

3. Tooth Decay and You

Have you ever thought about the real “goal” of dental care? Your primary objective is to remove the harmful bacteria from your mouth. And things like cavities and infections are a result of that bacteria building up.

This can lead to tooth decay in particular areas of your mouth. And flossing in those areas is likely to cause intense pain. To make matters worse, tooth decay often occurs in the exact spaces you floss (between the teeth), so flossing with tooth decay is almost certain to cause this pain.

If you suspect tooth decay, we recommend visiting your dentist right away. They may be able to conduct deep cleaning and other measures that help deal with the decay and ultimately remove the pain that comes from flossing.

4. Gum Disease

When you have tooth pain from flossing, you’re probably asking a simple question: “what’s the worst thing that could happen here?” In this case, the worst thing that can happen is that you have gum disease.

Gum disease is also known as gingivitis. If you have regular issues with your dental care and oral hygiene, it can lead to gum disease. Some of the symptoms of this include bad breath, swollen gums, and bleeding gums.

The bad news is that flossing when you have gum disease is likely to cause pain. The good news is that flossing is one of the best things you can do to remove plaque and tartar so that your teeth can heal. However, they won’t be fully healed until you get proper treatment from a qualified dentist.

5. Loose Dental Restorations

Have you had a lot of dental work over your life? In that case, pain from flossing may be caused by things like loose dental restorations.

“Restorations” refers to things like crowns over your teeth. All crowns eventually need to be replaced because when they loosen, it exposes many different nerves. And flossing when you have such nerves exposed can lead to intense pain.

You may not have a crown, but even simple fillings will crack over time. Flossing when such fillings are cracked can be similarly painful.

The only way to really fix these issues is to visit the dentist. By the time you leave the session, you’ll feel like you have a brand new mouth!

6. Issues With Braces and Retainers

Do you have braces or a retainer? In that case, flossing may cause pain under certain conditions.

For example, if you have recently had an adjustment to your braces, pain after flossing is natural. In that case, your teeth likely hurt because of the adjustment and not because of the way you are flossing.

However, flossing technique is usually to blame if you have a permanent retainer. The simple truth is that flossing with a retainer is more difficult than flossing without one. With patience and practice, you can master the right techniques and make the pain go away entirely.

7. Rough Toothbrush

If you’re reading this, you’re probably wondering what is wrong with how you floss. But did you know that the main issue may actually be your toothbrush?

Generally speaking, a soft-bristled toothbrush will help clean your teeth better. If you’ve been using a hard-bristled toothbrush, it may lead to some of the issues we’ve already discussed.

For example, using an uncomfortable toothbrush for too long can make your teeth painfully sensitive. And if it isn’t cleaning your teeth that well, it can lead to tooth decay and even gum disease.

Long story short? Consider throwing out the old toothbrush and seeing if that helps with pain after flossing.

Teeth Hurt After Flossing? What To Do Next

Now you know why teeth hurt after flossing. But do you know who you can trust with all your dental needs?

Here at Westport Dental, we provide the service and care that you and your community deserve. To see how we can make your mouth feel brand new, contact us today!

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