All You Need to Know About Dental Floss

Dental flossing is a vital part of a complete oral hygiene routine. Cleaning the tight spaces between teeth and just under the gum line is what flossing does best, and it covers all the spots that your toothbrush can’t reach.

Everyone’s heard this line a million times:

“Don’t forget to floss!”

It’s always relevant, though. It’s one of the most common lapses in a good oral hygiene routine, and it’s just as important as the rest of it.

How Often and When to Floss

It’s recommended that you floss at least once a day, but making sure you floss after you brush your teeth in the morning and at night is an effective way to keep clean.

If you only floss once a day, try flossing before bed to ensure all plague is removed before you’re asleep for the whole evening.

Choosing the right type of floss

The best flossing tool is the one you will use consistently and correctly. Keeping that in mind, here are a few options to check out and see which works best for you and your habits. \

Traditional String Floss

This type of floss is made from nylon filaments or plastic ribbons.
They can be waxed or unwaxed and are often flavored.

Floss Picks / Flossers

These are small plastic pieces that hold a piece of pre-strung floss between two prongs.
They’re easy to handle for people with dexterity issues and are also used by people who want to floss while performing other tasks.

Interdental Brushes / Proxabrushes

These small brush like devices are larger than traditional string flosses and are used for larger gaps between teeth, braces, bridges or in the spaces around implants.

Water Flossers / Oral Irrigators

This device shoots a steady stream of water, similar to what a dentist would use at the clinic. It’s a specialized cleaning tool that should not be used alone but instead a supplemental method of flossing to be used with the traditional flossing tools.

Bad Flossing Techniques and Habits to Avoid

Not Flossing at All

Snapping the floss
Forcing the floss into the tight spaces of teeth and snapping it hard into the gums, injuring the tissue and causing pain and bleeding.

Not Going Below the Gumline
The most harmful bacteria accumulates where the gums and your teeth meet. If you ignore this area you’re missing a critical part of flossing.

Only Flossing Straight Up and Down
Simply moving the floss up and down once or twice without hugging the tooth misses the plaque on the curved sides of the tooth surfaces.

Using the Same Section of Floss
Reusing the same short section of floss transfers bacteria and debris from one space to another.

Using a Toothpick
Rough or regular use of toothpicks can damage your gums and is generally not recommended as an effective plaque removal method.