Flossing is an important part of taking care of your teeth. It takes away plaque and bacteria from in between the teeth and under the gums, where the toothbrush canʼt reach.
It is not always the easiest task, but there are options to help make it easier, such as floss threaders or floss aids. You should floss at least once a day.
Steps for Effective Flossing:
Take about 18” of floss and wrap it around your middle finger on each hand. Leave about 2” – 3” between your fingers and use each of your index fingers to guide the floss between your teeth. Gently guide the floss between
your teeth using an up and down, zig-zag motion. Itʼs important to avoid SNAPPING the floss between your teeth, as you can injure your gums if you do.
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Wrap the floss in a “C” shape around the tooth and guide it up and down against the surface of the tooth, and do this on both teeth that you are flossing. The floss should go under you gums a little, too. Every time you floss a new tooth, use a clean section of the floss. Make sure to floss behind the teeth that are the furthest back, even if there is no tooth behind it. This is a place your toothbrush may miss!
If you have a bridge or retainer, a floss threader will help to get under it. This is an important area to floss. If you have a hard time holding the floss with your hands, try a floss aid handle, seen in this photo. Wrap a new piece of
floss around it each time you use it.
