Good oral hygiene requires more than brushing your teeth. Brushing is essential for healthy teeth because it removes dental plaque, preventing tooth decay. But brushing itself without any supporting oral care routine isn’t enough to keep your teeth healthy or prevent gum diseases.

Unfortunately, toothbrush bristles can’t reach tight places and under the gum line to remove plaque and food. But a floss can. Flossing supports good oral hygiene by removing plaque and food between your teeth and encouraging healthier teeth and gums.

Is flossing important?

People tend to overlook the importance of flossing in their oral hygiene routine. Flossing reduces bacteria and plaque in your mouth. Plaque is a sticky deposit that builds up and hoards on your teeth, later hardening into tartar. It can often lead to cavities and gum diseases combined with other factors.

Now that we know how important flossing is for your healthy smile, how can you do it the right way? Keep on reading to find out.

Top 7 benefits of flossing your teeth

Cleaner and brighter teeth and gums
Fresher breath
Fewer tooth decays
Gum disease prevention
Tartar prevention
Improved oral health
More effective than brushing alone

How often should I floss?

As already mentioned, flossing is crucial for keeping good oral health. To help prevent tooth decay and gum disease by removing any bacteria, plaque and food leftovers, you should floss at least once per day.

Some people prefer to floss in the evening before bedtime others prefer to floss after their midday meal or first thing in the morning. The best time to floss is the time that fits well with your schedule.

Should I floss before or after brushing?

Some recommend flossing before brushing your teeth. Either way is acceptable as long as you don’t leave it for later or worse – skip it.

Toothbrushing before flossing removes any food, plaque, and bacteria left between your teeth until the next brushing.

When you first floss and then brush, dislodged food particles and clumps of white plaque left get removed. As a result, dental plaque reduces so does the risk of developing gum disease.

Best flossing products to use

There’s a variety of flossing products available on the market. You may try a few ones and decide on one or two, but whichever you choose, make sure it’s dentist-approved.

Our top picks, recommended by dentists and hygienists:

Dental floss, also called standard or simple floss.
Unwaxed floss, a thin nylon floss made of about 35 strands twisted together, is preferred when aiming to get in between tight teeth spaces, but it may easily break or shred. It comes in a wide range of flavours to keep your breath fresh.
Waxed floss, a standard nylon floss with a thin layer of wax, is strong and not easy to break. The wax coating makes it thicker than the unwaxed floss and easier to get in between teeth. However, it may be harder to use with tight teeth.
Dental tape is flatter than standard floss. You’ll also find it waxed and unwaxed. If you have large fingers or spaces between teeth, you may opt for this option over regular dental floss as it provides more comfort.
Floss threaders come in handy when flossing around braces, dental bridges and retainers. The threader, looking like a needle, allows quick flossing of the tiny spaces between your teeth. You’ll find more nature-friendly floss threaders, reusable after rinsing with warm water.
Super flosses designed for patients with braces or dental bridges remove plaque formed under the gum line. Super flosses made from a yarn-like material have three components – a dental floss threader, а spongy waxed cotton/nylon floss and a regular wax-coated floss thread.
Dental floss sticks or picks often used as an alternative to wooden toothpicks are great at removing food particles stuck between teeth and along the gum line, especially back teeth. Dental floss sticks are an excellent choice for patients unable to work with standard floss, including children. Dental floss sticks are more hygienic as you aren’t touching the string while using them but ineffective when having braces, retainers or bridges. Another disadvantage is the decent amount of plastic they produce.
Biodegradable floss made of biodegradable silk or other natural material is a good option if you seek a more sustainable dental care routine. One drawback to eco-friendly floss is that sometimes, it may not feel as thin and smooth as the standard plastic options, especially if your teeth are curved or crowded. If you're ecologically conscious, these green alternatives are worth trying.
Interdental brushes help remove the plaque in between teeth quite effectively. With small bristled heads aimed to fit in and clean the area between teeth, these brushes come in different widths to suit the sizes of the gaps. Just like floss sticks, plastic is a downside to interdental brushes. But you can easily find bamboo interdental brushes in most shops now and online.
Water flossers, also called oral irrigators, look like electric toothbrushes, directing a stream of water that’s hard enough to clean between your teeth and gums while removing plaque and food particles. Some water flossers let you mix water and mouthwash for better results. Patients with braces or bridges may find water flossers time-saving and more effective in cleaning.

Nowadays, you’ll find cordless water flossers that you can take anywhere, even in the shower. On the other hand, this flossing option can be expensive and will need space for storage.

Studies show that water flossers are up to 50% more effective in reducing gum disease and up to 93% more effective in reducing gum bleeding than standard dental floss.

Another study compares the use of standard floss to water floss with dental implants, showing that the water flosser reduces bleeding around implants by 81% compared to 33% for flossing.

Which product you’ll pick matters, but not as much as flossing does. As long as you’re flossing your teeth daily, you’re taking good oral care. To put it simply, the one product that’s best for you is the one you use.

How to floss natural teeth?

Flossing is critical not only for your smile but also for your overall health. But are you doing it the right way? Let us walk you through a step-by-step flossing guide that will help you get the most out of this oral hygiene routine.

Take about 18 inches of dental floss.
Wrap most of the floss around your middle fingers and leave an inch or two to use for cleaning your teeth.
Using your thumbs and index fingers, hold the floss taut and glide it gently up and down between your teeth.
Curve the floss in a C-shape at the base of the tooth. Gently glide it up and down against both sides of the tooth. Don’t slide the floss into your gums to avoid scratching or bruising your gums.
Repeat the same step as you move from tooth to tooth while using new, clean floss sections.
Once ready, remove the floss, using the same rubbing motions to bring the floss up and away from the teeth.

How to floss with braces?

Flossing might be a tricky mission with braces. Braces generate more surfaces for bacteria and extra holes where food can get stuck, resulting in bad breath, stained teeth, cavities, gum disease or white patches.

To floss your teeth with braces, start by cutting 18 inches of waxed floss (unwaxed are more likely to get stuck or rip up).
String the floss between your teeth and the archwire – it’s easier if you stand in front of a mirror.
Twist the ends of the floss around your index fingers.
Hold the floss and slide it gently up and down along the sides of both teeth.
Curve the floss in a U-shape form when cleaning your top teeth and glide up the side of a tooth to the gum line, then slide down the side of the other tooth.
Remove the floss carefully while doing your best to keep the wire and all brackets in place. Avoid popping the floss abruptly out of your tooth as you risk dislodging a wire.

If you find dental floss challenging, you may try floss threaders, interdental brushes or water floss to remove plaque and food debris from your teeth and brackets.

How to floss with dental implants?

Good oral hygiene is the key to the success of dental implants, keeping them healthy and preventing them from infection or deterioration.

Although dental implants are not subject to cavities, the surrounding gums can develop inflammation, infection and even bone loss.

Daily flossing is essential, taking care of your implants just like your natural teeth. However, flossing with dental implants should be done with extreme caution. When flossing natural teeth, you’re able to push the floss into the gum pocket without affecting your gums, thanks to the gums attached to the tooth via a periodontal ligament. If you glide the floss into your gums, the nerves contained in the ligament will send you a signal in the form of pain.

Dental implants don’t attach to gums through a periodontal ligament but via a peri-implant seal. No nerves exist in the peri-implant seal, which prevents feeling pain when bruising your gums. As a result, bacteria can enter, spread into the gum pocket and get to the jawbone, causing a dental implant failure.

If you’re concerned about flossing around your dental implant, you may go for alternatives like the water flosser.

Tips for keeping a good oral care

Be sure to use enough floss.
Be kind to your teeth, and focus on the present moment – flossing.
Take one tooth at a time.
If you wear braces, double up the flossing time.
Brush your teeth at least twice a day for at least two minutes.
Brush your teeth after flossing to remove any food and plaque left.
Consider using an electric toothbrush for cleaner teeth with less effort. Note that an electric toothbrush may not be suitable in your case, so make sure you discuss that with your dentist first.
Avoid using whitening toothpaste when having braces. You may find off-white areas on your teeth after removing them.
Use floss rather than a toothpick, as toothpicks can easily harm gums.
Visit your dentist at least every six months for a scale and polish or just for a general check-up. You’ll be surprised how many problems regular visits to the dentist can save you in the future.