When Brushing Alone Just Isn’t Enough: Flossing Alternatives for Oral health

There is a common misconception that brushing alone is enough to keep teeth healthy and your smile glowing.¹ However, recent studies have suggested that is simply not the case for a variety of reasons.  Of course, keeping up with visits to your dental professional at LEAST twice a year is essential, but, since brushing alone only reaches 60% of tooth surfaces, what can be done at home to make sure to care for the remaining 40%?¹ The answer lies in flossing, a critical and effective component to maintaining total oral health

According to Dr. Yanira Owens and Dr. Meghan Crow of the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine, people who  brush their teeth regularly think that it is enough to maintain a healthy smile.¹  However, it is important to note that brushing misses nearly half of the tooth surfaces, as we often forget about one important area: between the teeth!¹   By ignoring this crucial area of the tooth surface, bacteria can find themselves settling along the gum line and between the teeth, leading not only to issues such as cavities and tooth decay, but advancing stages of periodontal disease as well.  Therefore, it is important to find another step to your oral health routine that can access these often out of reach areas.  Enter floss, or its many modern alternatives.

For years, traditional string dental floss has been the gold standard, with dentists recommending shaping an 18 inch strand of dental floss in to a “c” like shape, cleaning the sides of the tooth surface, and making sure to clean under the gumline as well to remove any buildup, plaque, or bacteria that may be hiding underneath.¹

Even with these recommendations, there is still resistance from some to using floss for a variety of reasons.  Whether it is simple discomfort, time, or dexterity issues, modern alternatives exist that can access the often missed 40% of the tooth surface without the need for traditional string floss.¹  These alternatives include soft picks (a rubber bristled thin tooth brush), and water flossers, both of which were found to be more effective than floss or toothpicks.^1,2 In fact, water flossers endorsed by the American Dental Association at 60 psi or greater can actually help reduce inflammation and have been shown to significantly improve gingival health and assist in controlling plaque when combined with brushing compared to brushing alone.^1,3.

Maintaining optimal oral health with your natural teeth is great, but how do these recommendations, tips, and flossing alternatives befit patients with a bridge or dental implants?  Maintaining good periodontal health is essential for patients with a dental implants to avoid the onset of infection around the implant, a condition known as periimplantitis.  Though they have a different shape than a normal tooth, cleaning around an implant is similar to a regular tooth regardless if you are using traditional floss or a water pick.¹ More importantly, if you practice good oral hygiene to all 100% of your tooth and gum surface instead of just 60%, you may be able to avoid tooth decay, tooth loss, and the need for dental implants all together!

Flossing and its modern alternatives are an essential part of maintaining optimal oral health to your entire mouth, not just half of it. Dr. Polyakov’s years of training and experience in placing dental implants and full arch restoration procedures has helped countless patients achieve and maintain their dream smile in Southern California and beyond. Contact us today to schedule your consultation or for a referral to our network of expert general dentists throughout Southern California.

1. Carrie Printz, “Brushing Only Cleans 60% of Your Teeth, Making Flossing Essential,” CU Anschutz News, June 3, 2025
2. Kotsakis GA, Lian Q, Ioannou AL, Michalowicz BS, John MT, Chu H. A network meta-analysis of interproximal oral hygiene methods in the reduction of clinical indices of inflammation. J Periodontol. 2018;89(5):558-570. doi:10.1002/JPER.17-0368
3. Ren X, He J, Cheng R, et al. The efficacy and safety of oral irrigator on the control of dental plaque and gingivitis: a randomized, single-blind, parallel-group clinical trial. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023;20(4):3726. doi:10.3390/ijerph20043726