REGULAR FLOSS VS. FLOSS PICKS
Which Is More Effective?
Throughout your life, your parents, dentists, teachers, and even strangers have likely reminded you of the importance of flossing your teeth. In fact, flossing plays a crucial role in the health of your mouth — it removes leftover food particles and plaque from the areas that toothbrushes miss and helps prevent cavities and gum disease. There are many different types of floss, including the most commonly used spools of floss and floss picks. Between those two, what are the differences, and which is more effective? Regular Floss Pull about 18 inches of regular floss from the spool and wrap it around your fingers. From there, you should gently slide the floss between
your teeth in a C shape. Make sure to get under the gum line to remove food debris and bacteria.
Another concern with floss picks is that they are only made up of a short piece of floss. This means that while it collects bacteria, plaque, and other particles, it can only pick up so much, and you may just spread the bacteria around your mouth. Because floss picks only contain about an inch of floss, it quickly shreds and hangs onto even more harmful bacteria after a short period of use, which may do more harm than good in the long run. Ultimately, in a pinch, floss picks are an excellent way to remove a piece of broccoli or popcorn kernel that is wedged between your teeth, but for a thorough cleaning, traditional floss is a better option to ensure that you get all the nooks and crannies in your mouth!
Floss Picks Alternatively, floss picks hold a much shorter piece of floss on a D-shaped bow while you slide it up and down along each tooth to remove plaque and food that becomes wedged in your teeth. Regular Floss vs. Floss Picks Of course, using floss picks to clean between your teeth and all of the surfaces that brushing alone does not reach is better than not flossing at all, but floss pickers do not bend and stretch in various angles to clean your teeth and gums properly. While floss picks remove some plaque and debris, they also can leave a lot behind.
BRING ON THE BIRDS! THE DIY BIRDHOUSE THAT BLENDS INTO YOUR GARDEN
Step 2: Mount your pot. Take your flower pot and align its drainage hole to the hole you drilled in step 1. Then, slide one of the washers over
Springtime is filled with flowers, baby animals, and colorful birds flitting through the sky. And while many people love to watch our fine feathered friends, not everyone wants to put a colorful birdhouse in their yard that clashes with their decor or attracts unwanted visitors like squirrels. Luckily, there is a style of birdhouse that will blend into your yard, keep pests away, and is incredibly easy to make — it’s a flowerpot birdhouse!
the carriage bolt before pushing the bolt through the drainage hole and into the drilled hole. Slide a washer over the end of the bolt sticking through the other side of the fence or wall, and twist the nut onto the bolt to hold the pot in place. Step 3: Give the house a door. Use your 1 1/4-inch hole-boring drill bit to create a door in the round wooden plaque, about 1 1/2 inch from the bottom. Use the sandpaper to smooth out the edges of this hole for the birds’ safety, and use your outdoor acrylic paint to coat only the outside of the plaque and let it dry. Once the paint is dry, push the wooden plaque into the pot until it is firmly wedged inside, and you’re done! This birdhouse is an excellent way to attract birds to your yard without the obviousness of a stand-alone house. Also, its lack of a perch stops predators from gaining a foothold that can lead them inside. To make the pot more discreet, hang it in a corner where shrubs or trees block it from view.
To make a flowerpot birdhouse, you’ll need the following items from your local hardware store:
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Drill with a regular drill bit and a 1 1/4-inch hole-boring drill bit
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Two 1 1/4-inch fender washers 1/4 x 2 1/2-inch carriage bolt
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7-inch-diameter flowerpot (preferably terracotta)
1/4-inch nut
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6-inch-diameter round wooden plaque
Sandpaper
Outdoor acrylic paint
Sponge brush
Step 1: Choose your location and drill! Pick a vertical surface like a fence or wall to mount your birdhouse onto. Try to pick an area where people rarely walk. Then, determine how high you want the birdhouse to be, and use the regular drill bit to make a hole.
Laura with Kerry Bron and her son
2 • Newman Springs Dental Care • BestLincroftDentist.com • Call Us! 732-978-4522
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