Do Your Teeth Hurt After Flossing?
Around one-third of people do not floss or just floss a tooth when food is stuck. This leaves a daily buildup of food, plaque, and bacteria in between the teeth. Working with the toothbrush, flossing daily is a must for a healthy lasting smile. If you’re a random flosser, you may feel like your teeth hurt after flossing.
In this article, we break down all the reasons why your teeth may hurt after flossing. We will break down why flossing is so important to a healthy smile and tips for building the habit.
Table of Contents
Why Does My Teeth Hurt After Flossing?
There are a number of reasons why your teeth hurt after flossing. Flossing works with your toothbrush to remove daily food, plaque, and bacteria in the mouth. If you’re wondering, ‘why does my teeth hurt after flossing’, it could be a sign you may need to floss more.
Why Flossing Is Important
Bleeding gums when flossing is a sign that your gums need some extra help. The only way to stop your gums from bleeding is to floss more.
Flossing is key to neutralizing bacteria that build up on the teeth. Flossing is important for removing food, plaque, and bacteria daily. With cavities and gum disease on the rise, it’s a small habit to add to your routine that will dramatically improve your smile.
Daily flossing is important for your oral health because:
- Brushing with a toothbrush only cleans two-thirds of the tooth surface. No matter how often you brush, how hard you brush, or how long, there will still be one-third that has a fuzzy buildup of food, plaque, and bacteria.
- Stain from foods and beverages often starts to build up in between the teeth. Your toothbrush has a hard time reaching everywhere. Flossing will help keep your teeth white.
- Check out our Causes of Stain on Teeth to learn more.
- You cannot see cavities that start in between the teeth without dental x-rays. To prevent permanent enamel damage, flossing is needed daily.
- 74 million Americans do not have dental insurance. Dental treatment is expensive and can add up quickly. Preventative oral hygiene is the best way to curb high dental bills.
Why Your Teeth Hurt After Flossing
Do your teeth hurt after flossing? This is common for patients who do not floss regularly or for patients who are just starting to floss.
Your teeth are sore after flossing due to:
- Irritated gums that are inflamed and put pressure on the teeth.
- You’re using the wrong type of floss that fits your smile best.
- You may have cavities that are present between the teeth where you can’t see just by looking in the mouth.
- An old dental filling, crown, or other restoration is starting to break down or loosen.
- You’re flossing too hard and are sawing at the gums causing damage and irritation.
Teeth Are Sore After Flossing: Finding Relief
If your teeth hurt after flossing, then finding the best ways to stop it from happening is important to your oral health. Improving your daily dental homecare routine is important to improve the health of your gums and teeth to stop any tooth pain.
When your teeth are sore after flossing, your smile is not as strong as it can be. Ways to improve your daily dental homecare routine to find relief include our tips below.
Choosing The Right Floss For You
If your teeth hurt after flossing, you may be using the wrong type of floss for your teeth. Every smile is unique and choosing the right floss for you will make it easier to keep your mouth healthy.
- Traditional String Floss: The standard string floss fits most dental needs. Avoid the thin, ribbon floss. Floss that is too thing will glide right through the teeth without grabbing onto bacteria, plaque, and food.
- Expanding Floss: This string of floss expands when inserted into the pocket. It’s easy to insert but removes more debris. This floss is perfect around restorations or where food gets stuck easily.
- Floss with Handle: Having floss with a handle works well for patients with compromised dexterity.
- Floss Threader: Using a floss threader will guide the floss under bridges, braces, and fused teeth. You can buy the threader separately or already attached to the string.
- Water Flossers: Water flossers are a great resource for fighting bacteria and maintaining a healthy smile. They work great for cleaning braces, dentures, and dental restorations.
- Check out our Water Flosser Guide for more information.
There are many great tools to help improve your oral health. For additional information, check out our articles below.
- Floss Alternatives
- Floss vs Floss Picks
- Floss Dental Care Tips
Brushing to Stop Sore Teeth After Flossing
There are many different toothbrush brands and types that are designed to improve the health of your smile. If your teeth hurt after flossing, you may need to upgrade your toothbrush. Finding the right toothbrush to support your gums and teeth will if your teeth are sore after flossing.
When purchasing a toothbrush, always use a soft-bristled toothbrush. Medium and hard bristles will harm the gums and lead to recession and tooth sensitivity. It is recommended to change your toothbrush head around every 3 months. Once the bristles start to flare out, they aren’t cleaning effectively.
Upgrading to a powered toothbrush will clean your teeth better and more efficiently. A powered toothbrush will help reduce your risk of cavities and gum disease while keeping the teeth white. Check out our article Electric Toothbrush Benefits for more tips.
Other Healthy Smile Tips
Brushing and flossing aren’t enough to keep your teeth in the best shape possible. There are other lifestyle factors that will help keep your smile strong and stop why your teeth hurt after flossing.
- Eating for Dental Health: Diet plays a huge role in your healthy smile. Sugar increases your risk for cavities and acids can lead to erosion and weakened enamel. Alcohol and caffeine beverages will dry out the mouth. All these factors increase the activity of harmful bacteria leading to poor oral hygiene.
- Check out Dental Nutrition Guide to learn more.
- Hydration: Staying hydrated is very important to oral health. Dehydration will compromise your saliva flow and bacteria’s activity will increase. Frequent sips of water throughout the day will help support your smile and stay healthy.
- Routine Dental Cleanings: No matter how well you brush and floss, bacteria, stain, and plaque will still build up under the gums and in between the teeth. It’s important to see your dental hygienist for a cleaning and an exam by your dentist at least every 6 months.
- Check out our articles The Teeth Cleaning Benefits and Dental Cleaning Costs for additional information.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take for flossing to stop hurting?
If your teeth hurt after flossing, your gums and teeth may need time to heal. Depending on how healthy your gums and teeth are, it may take up to a week for your teeth to stop hurting after flossing.
Is it normal for gums to be sore after flossing?
Gums that are darker in color and bleed when brushing or flossing are very irritated. After flossing, the gums may be sore due to the inflammation caused by food, plaque, and bacteria. Daily flossing will help heal the gums and prevent any soreness. If your healthy gums hurt after flossing, then you may be flossing too hard.
Take Home Smile Store
Visit our Take Home Smile store for educational brochures and other fun printables to help with oral hygiene. All products can be customized to fit your dental needs.
