How to Floss Your Teeth

You should floss your teeth every day to reduce the incidence of tooth decay and gingivitis that leads to more serious gum disease. Here's one method that works well.

Step 1 Select floss

Research indicates that any style floss is equally beneficial for plaque removal and gingivitis prevention when properly used.

Choices include:
waxed - best for rough surfaces/restorations in the mouth that snag unwaxed floss
unwaxed - thinner, slips between teeth and under gum tissue easily, flattens out against the tooth, and makes a squeaking noise when tooth is clean
Kevlar - strong and slick, resists tearing on rough surfaces/restorations
braided - stretchy yarn-type floss especially good for large spaces between teeth

Try them and see what works best for you. The important thing is that you do floss.

Comments

[loopytk]

Great instructable. I feel dirty ..... I'm off to floss!

[marichkas]

oh.. my god

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[Phil B]

Thank you for this. I have been flossing for decades, but not very well. Only a couple years ago a dental hygienist explained about getting down under the gum line with a sawing action. After reading your Instructable I made a more serious attempt at doing that. Even though I floss daily, I was amazed how much bleeding there was the first day. It was significantly less the second day, and has disappeared after that. My teeth and gums "feel" cleaner when I finish, too.

[patricianorma]

Excellent tips! Thanks!

[pie popper]

don't you floss after you brush?

[Bob Canida]

This is another personal preference issue. I think that it is fine to do either first so long as one both brushes and flosses. My own preference is to floss, and potentially push out crud from between my teeth, then brush it away.

[Darren.]

You should make another 'ible on how to floss your teeth when you have braces.

[faere37]

Darren, use of the "floss threaders" are the most efficient type of flossing method, in my opinion, but yes time consuming. Remember though, these are your teeth-forever. Floss threaders may be purchased OTC, very inexpensive. Another product that may help is called a "Go-Between Cleaner", the very smallest brushes used on the facial parts near your brackets. There is a new product called a "Platypus Flosser", i believe you can get them on-line, same concept as the floss picks, but MADE for braces. All dental products are about efficiency, keep practicing! Also use a mouth rinse that has the keywords "kills bacteria that cause gingivitis", even if you have to get generic brands, that will help keep the bacterial load in the mouth down. Plaque forms within 20 minutes after we brush our teeth, and tartar (calculus) forms within 24 to 72 hours if we do not remove it from between or on the teeth. When you return to the orthodontist, be sure to have them SHOW you best methods for cleaning your teeth & braces, that is part of the experience. Always, Tree RDH

[Bob Canida]

Tree RDH, excellent response. Thanks. Bob

[Bob Canida]

Darren, good suggestion. I will try to work on that. I had assistance (a lot) on the first one from Christy. It would be a good solo test! Bob

[faere37]

Bob, EXCELLENT job! Tree RDH

[adidame]

I am a dentist. This style of flossing is called the Bass Sulcular Method. Great job!

[I_am_Canadian]

Someone needs to do this for braced teeth...

[ozanozb]

Instead of wrapping the floss around your fingers, I tie the two ends and make a circle of floss. Isn't it much easier?

[Bob Canida]

ozanozb, I wasn't too successful figuring out how to make that work, but the main thing is finding the best way to get the flossing done, and if you have found a successful easier way, that is great. Maybe you could add additional tips to the instructable and add some pictures. I could use some visuals. Bob

[ozanozb]

Sorry if you misunderstood. I just do it this way. I'm not saying that it is the best way. I tried to wrap it around my finger but it gets wet and slips after a while. I think it works. It isn't hard to figure out. You just tie two end together and the rest is same as this instructable. Here is some visual but excuse me, I'm alone and taking the pic and holding the floss at the same time:

[Bob Canida]

That is the wonderful aspect of pictures. I do understand now. The main thing is to come up with a technique that works and gets the job done easily and effectively. If this makes it better for you, then it is the way to go. Thanks for the clarification! Bob

[Doctor What]

Very.... ...Graphic.

[Bob Canida]

Doctor, the issue that turned me in to a daily flosser was the smell on the floss after skipping several days. I decided that I didn't want to carry that rotting material in my mouth between my teeth for an extended period of time.

[Doctor What]

(was talking about the pictures) I'm a daily flosser as well, but unfortunately, my hands are too big to fit into my mouth to get the back of my mouth. I switched to "plackers". They're really handy.

[NachoMahma]

. Excellent iBle! . I suspect nepotism on the Featured flag. heehee Not really. It fully deserves to be Featured. ;)

[Bob Canida]

NachoMahma, she's my little girl!

[NachoMahma]

. Hence the nepotism remark. But I'm sure that if she hadn't Featured it, someone else would have. 100% sure - I scrolled up to Feature it but Christy had beat me to it.

[spiffytessa]

Good job! I always have issues with controlling floss inside my mouth.. Maybe it's too small? ;)

[Marble of Doom]

I want your nice teeth!

[Bob Canida]

Marble, thanks! Low sugar, low soft drinks, and brush and floss, floss floss!

[alex-sharetskiy]

Is the kevlar floss that floss that 'feels' like plumbing tape?

[Bob Canida]

"Glide" is the floss that I know that has the Kevlar. It is good for tight contacts because it is slick, and also good when there are rough restorations because it doesn't tear as readily.

[EPL]

as the son of a hygentist i know that this is a great iBle. way to floss

[Bob Canida]

Thanks Hockey88! Hygienists are wonderful. Bob

[Lithium Rain]

Most excellent! Here, to celebrate let's all go out for pints! _{^{Of ice cream =D}}

[Bob Canida]

Lithium! Thanks. My favorite is Chocolate Chip with 7 or 8 Maraschino Cherries and juice on top---followed by flossing, of course. Bob

[brothkindle545]

(removed by author or community request)

[ChrysN]

Great instructable, flossing makes trips to the dentist much less painful (and expensive).