Dental floss isn’t just a tool to clean your teeth or a fun way to open a set, it’s also a good way to get a ring off a swollen finger in an emergency.

Swelling is the body’s way of protecting an injured area by rushing much needed blood to nurture the injury. More often than not though, it causes more harm than good.

These methods should only be used if professional medical attention is not an option and you have no lubricant or ice available. If you have lubricant such as hand lotion, cooking oil, baby oil, petroleum jelly, or “lube” try those first. Icing a hand for a minute can reduce swelling and aid in slipping off a ring, if ice is available. If you don’t have any of these things, but have some dental floss, it will work too. Here’s how:

Method One

Start by slipping dental floss under the ring and pull 12 inches through. Next, push the ring back against the hand gently and begin wrapping the finger with the floss just below the first knuckle. Continue wrapping, moving towards the tip of the finger. Ensure that the floss is snug against the finger and wrapped tightly together. Do not wrap floss tight enough to cut off or further restrict circulation, as this can exacerbate the issue. Stop wrapping just past the knuckle by ¼ of an inch. Slip the ring off and unwind the dental floss by pulling on the end.

If the finger is swollen to the point that you can not get the dental floss under the ring, try this method:

Method Two

First, start at the tip of the finger and wrap dental floss all the way to the offending ring. Second, ensure that the floss is wrapped tightly enough and close enough that the finger becomes smaller than the ring. Third, wrap back from the ring once again to get any areas of the finger that may be protruding through the floss wrap. Fourth, quickly slide off the ring. Finally, remove the floss.

If you don’t have dental floss, electrical tape or anything strong and flat can also work.

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