Jul. 28, 2025
No, this article isn’t about the flossing dance move. It’s about oral hygiene! So rather than swaying your hips and swinging your arms back and forth (though please do so if you feel inspired), grab that piece of string and let’s dive in.
A frequently cited Harris Poll survey conducted in found that more than one-quarter of Americans lie to their dentists about flossing — and 36% said they’d rather clean a toilet, do their taxes or do other unpleasant chores than floss daily. ,
We totally get it. But hear us out: Regularly flossing can help lower the occurrence of gum disease, which can lead to pain — sometimes severe — and psychological issues, such as anxiety, embarrassment and reduced participation in social activities.
Read on for more benefits of flossing and tips for how to floss properly.
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If you’re regularly brushing your teeth, flossing may seem redundant. But it can actually reach debris and plaque that your toothbrush can’t. Because of this, it is recommended that you floss once per day as a part of your regular oral care routine.
“Every time we eat, bacteria and food gets stuck between our teeth, and the only way to remove it is to floss,” says Irina Kessler, DDS, a cosmetic dentist at New York Family Dental Arts in New York City. “Simply brushing could leave behind food, cause bad breath and, if untreated, lead to periodontitis, which is a serious gum infection that damages the soft tissue around teeth.”
More than 40% of adults report having felt pain in their mouth within the last year, and more than 80% of people will have had at least one cavity by age 34. And it not only affects your teeth but may also lead to other health issues, including heart disease, certain types of cancer and even the progression of Alzheimer’s. , As such, gum disease has been recognized as a public health concern — and if simply adding flossing to your at-home routine could help lessen your chances of developing it, why not start now?
Even if you’re already a dedicated flosser, meeting with your dentist is always a good idea to help assess your current gum health. They can also advise how often you should be in their chair (likely once or twice a year) and what you can do in between visits to keep your teeth and gums healthy. Some of their recommendations may include specific types of toothpaste, floss and oral rinses.
Before you can floss, you’ll need to choose the right kind of floss to ensure your routine is as successful as possible.
There are multiple dental floss products available, including floss picks, threaded floss and water flossers. Threaded floss is a long string wound up in a small container with a metal cutter to help break the floss into pieces when you want to use it. Floss picks, on the other hand, contain a small piece of taut string between two plastic prongs with a small handle. Unlike a roll of thread floss, you use these once and then throw them away.
Floss picks may be more convenient in certain situations, but Dr. Kessler notes they can be limiting in their motion compared to threaded floss.
“Threaded floss can hug and glide along your tooth structure, causing the best results,” she says. “I recommend Cocofloss because of its fiber consistency. The floss is also typically coated with a thin layer of microcrystalline wax, which makes using it more comfortable.”
Lastly, water flossers generally have a thin tip attached to a battery-powered base and — as you may have guessed — shoot a jet of water at your teeth and gums to target plaque and debris. To use it, just aim at the gaps between your teeth and push the “on” button.
Now that you know all about the proper tools, it’s time to floss. But first, wash your hands and ensure you’re using a new, clean piece of floss: Both will help limit the introduction into and/or the spread of bacteria in your mouth.
When you first begin flossing — especially if your dentist has discovered gingivitis — you may notice some bleeding. This could either be a sign you are flossing too hard or that you have bacteria present. If your gums bleed regularly, you should see your dentist to evaluate the cause and get advice for flossing properly. If all is well, you may just need to use a gentler rubbing motion and make sure you aren’t too rough on your gum line.
“Proper flossing will eliminate the bacteria that cause bleeding, which is why we emphasize it in our office,” adds Dr. Kessler.
Another vital part of flossing is knowing when to floss. The jury is still out on whether you should floss before or after you brush your teeth, but many experts agree that it doesn’t really matter as long as you do it at least once within 24 hours.
However, Dr. Kessler explains that flossing before brushing “will remove the food or bacteria that’s stuck, and then brushing can coat the clean area and aid in the protection of your teeth.”
She recommends doing this routine before bed to remove bacteria that is more likely to grow, as your saliva decreases while you sleep. Of course, you can also floss any time of the day if you see large pieces of food stuck between your teeth.
Here’s how to know if you’re a kid that’s on trend or just a clueless parent like me. When you think of flossing do you think about dental hygiene or does your mind go directly to a dance move all your friends are doing? If you’re a parent and you don’t already know, this is what your kids are doing when you’re not around.
They’re dancing!
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You might be wondering what a social media fad, or viral cultural phenomenon, has to do with teeth. The truth is, it doesn’t really have anything to do with teeth or with dental hygiene, that is, except that it’s called “the floss” dance.
And just like the internet dance phenomenon, actual flossing is all about technique and making the right moves. Now if only we adults could figure out a way to get our kids or even some of our fellow adults and colleagues to get equally as excited about flossing their teeth.
Flossing, like dancing, is all about establishing the right technique, followed by proper practice until it looks easy.
According to the American Dental Association, this is how you should teach your kids to floss and how you should be flossing your teeth.
Flossing, like dancing, is all about establishing the right technique, followed by proper practice until it looks easy.
According to the American Dental Association, this is how you should teach your kids to floss and how you should be flossing your teeth.
Studies have shown that there isn’t a significant difference in plaque-removing ability between many of the leading flossing products on the market. What’s important is finding a product that works for you and encourages you to floss regularly. Whether you prefer to use waxed string floss, or flavored floss, or a water flosser, what matters is that you floss every day at least once a day and that you do so correctly.
Not all string floss is created equal. There are a few different types that have their unique strengths and weaknesses. One of the most common is multifilament woven string floss. These are essentially tiny ropes made from woven strands of nylon fiber.
Multifilament woven floss is incredibly economical. A typical roll will cost well under a dollar. However, woven strings have certain drawbacks. After a few rubs, woven strings can fray or break leading to discomfort and inadequate plaque removal.
Monofilament string floss is string floss that is composed of a single, monolithic, strand of material. This dramatically reduces the likelihood of fraying or breakage during flossing.
Some dental string flosses are coated with a layer of wax. This reduced friction in between teeth leads to improved comfort without compromising plaque removal effectiveness.
Dental tape is another type of string floss. It is essentially a wide, flat ribbon of nylon that comes either waxed or unwaxed. Some people find this type to be grippier, stronger, and easier to slide in between teeth.
Water flossers, such as Waterpik, utilize pressurized water to aid in cleaning around and in between teeth. Much like pressure washing the siding of a house, water flossers shoot a jet of water to remove dental plaque.
There are some other electric-powered flossing alternatives to water flossers. Some, such as the Phillips Sonicare AirFloss, directs a steady stream of pressurized air mixed with water vapor to produce the same plaque-removing effects of a water flosser but using much less liquid. Air flossers are also generally much more compact and less unwieldy compared to conventional water flossers.
Flossing with traditional string floss can be somewhat difficult for many. As we all know, proper technique is crucial for common string floss to be effective. It can be quite awkward at times getting to the back teeth with regular string floss. However, with a floss pick, flossing is much easier. A floss pick is simply a small piece of string floss held in place by a plastic prong, like a slingshot. On one end of a floss pick is the string and prong, and on the other side is usually a sharp point, or pick, that can be used like a toothpick.
Remember, no matter what flossing aid or flosser you choose, the important thing is to floss and teach your family how to floss. It is one of three foundational oral hygiene habits that also include twice a day brushing and routine visits to Willow Pass Dental Care for dental checkups and teeth cleaning.
While certainly less trendy than the floss dance, dental flossing is a skill that will be far more useful and beneficial to oral health over a lifetime. So teach your kids how to floss correctly and help them build real, useful life skills.
DDS. Prosthodontist
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