Flossing is an essential part of dental care, cleaning the spaces between teeth to remove lingering food particles. Your toothbrush alone can't reach these areas, allowing plaque to form and cavities to develop. Review this guide to learn the proper flossing techniques that will keep your smile bright and beautiful.

How to Floss Properly

1. Control the Floss With Your Fingers

Every time you floss, you should use a strand about 20 inches long. Wrap the ends around the middle fingers, looping several times until you have a manageable length of floss between your hands. 

Use the thumb and index finger of each hand to hold the strand. As you clean each part of your mouth, move to a clean section of floss by unwrapping a little from one hand and wrapping the extra around the other middle finger.

2. Move the Floss Correctly

The purpose of floss is to remove plaque from the whole height of each tooth, including slightly below the gumline. To do this, move the floss up and down against the tooth rather than sawing it back and forth. 

Insert the floss between the teeth and pull it tight against one tooth to make a U shape. Move it up and down a few times, and then pull it the opposite way against the adjacent tooth to repeat the process.

3. Floss Every Tooth

For effective dental care, you need to floss both sides of every gap between two adjacent teeth. Also, floss the back sides of the rear molars and the exposed sides of teeth next to any gaps in your smile. It’s better to floss an area that your toothbrush has already cleaned than to miss a spot.

If you have more flossing questions, make an appointment with Carolyn B. Crowell, DMD, & Associates in Avon, OH. Serving Lorain County for over 20 years, this family-friendly practice will make dental care fun for your growing teenager. They pride themselves on incorporating new technology and techniques to offer you a broad selection of care options. Call (440) 934-0149 or visit their website to make an appointment with a dentist.