3 Flossing Tools For People With Arthritis
Arthritis is a painful condition characterized by inflammation in the joints. If arthritis affects the joints in your hands, your fingers may become sore, swollen or stiff. Arthritis in your hands can make it hard for you to do a lot your daily activities, including flossing your teeth. If flossing is painful for you, or if you're not able to grip the floss anymore, you still need to clean the spaces between your teeth to keep your mouth healthy. Here are three flossing tools that can help people with arthritis.
Floss Holders
Floss holders are products that can make it easier for you to clean between your teeth. These devices have a handle that you can grip and a curved end that holds the floss. To use these flossers, you thread floss through the curved end. Disposable floss threaders—that come pre-threaded with floss—are also available if you're not able to thread the floss yourself.
Floss holders are widely available from places like pharmacies or grocery stores. Many different styles of holders are available, but you may find one with a wider handle easier to grip. You can use a short-handled floss threader to clean your front teeth, while a long-handled floss threader makes it easy to clean around your molars.
Flossing with a floss holder is similar to traditional flossing. You'll still need to gently curve the floss around the base of your tooth to clean underneath your gum line and make vertical movements with the floss to clean between your teeth. However, since you'll be holding the plastic handle while you do this, not a thin piece of floss, it will be easier to maneuver the floss around your mouth.
Water Flossers
Water flossers are electric devices that use high-powered water to clean between your teeth and beneath your gum line. These devices are attached to a reservoir of water and need to be plugged in to work, so they aren't as portable as floss holders.
Water flossers are helpful for people with arthritis due to their wide handles. To use your water flosser, all you need to do is aim the powerful jet of water at the gap between each tooth and around your gum line. It's best to do this in front of your bathroom sink so that you can either spit out the water or let it simply run out of your mouth as you floss.
The downside of water flossers is that they can be messy. If you lose your grip on the flosser, you could spray yourself or your bathroom with water. If this happens to you, consider trying a water flosser that's designed for in-shower use.
Air Flossers
Air flossers are similar to water flossers, but instead of cleaning your teeth with a spray of water, they release compressed air and water droplets. They can be a good option for people who are worried that water flossers will be too messy; they're also ideal if you don't have room on your bathroom counter for a water flosser reservoir.
To use an air flosser, you need to fill the water reservoir in the handle with water. Only a small amount of water—about a teaspoon—is needed. You then hold the flosser by its wide handle and place the head of the flosser between your teeth; the head of the flosser will help you find the right spot. Then, you simply press the button on the device to release a jet of air. This process is repeated for every tooth.
The burst of cool air can be bothersome to people with sensitive teeth. If your teeth are sensitive to cold, you can fill the water reservoir with warm water so that warmer air comes out.
Having arthritis in your hands doesn't mean that you don't have to floss. If you need help choosing the right flossing alternative for your needs, ask a dentist at a clinic like TLC Dental Center for more information.