Flossing

As soon as your adult teeth have come through, you should start to floss your teeth as part of your regular dental hygiene routine. Children have normally developed most of their adult teeth by aged 12, but children with crowded teeth should start to floss earlier.

Why should I floss?

It can be hard to reach the areas between your teeth, or under your gum line, with a toothbrush and it's here that sticky layers of plaque can accumulate. If you don't remove this plaque by flossing, it can cause tooth decay and gum disease.

How often should I floss?

Flossing once a day, before you go to bed, is enough for most people but it's best to take advice from your dentist about how often you should floss and about which areas of your mouth need the most attention.

How do I floss?

Before you start, ask your dentist how to floss correctly - but as a general guide, follow these steps:

1. Use a length of floss approximately 18 inches long
2. Wrap the ends of the floss around the middle fingers of both hands, until you have a length of about 2-3 inches to floss with
3. Hold the floss between your forefingers and thumbs and slide into the space between two teeth
4. Try not to force the floss between your teeth - if the contact area is tight gently slide the floss forward and back until it eases through
5. Curve the floss around your tooth keeping your fingers as close to the tooth as possible
6. Move the floss up and down and gently stroke the plaque away
7. Continue the process, unwinding fresh floss from your middle finger as you go, until you've flossed all your teeth
8. Rinse your mouth

What type of floss should I use?

Use the floss that feels most comfortable and that you find easiest to use. If flossing is difficult your dentist or hygienist may suggest other options for cleaning between your teeth, such as special brushes, dental sticks or floss in a holding device.

Can flossing damage gums?