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How to Floss My Teeth

Flossing is a vital part of an effective oral health care routine, which is part of why you’ll always hear your dentist harping on it during your check-ups. While many of us strive to floss regularly, it can be something that gets passed over in a rush or just out of sheer laziness. Unfortunately, this allows plaque and debris to build up between our teeth that leads to decay and the beginnings of gum disease. Even for those who floss regularly, they may not be certain that they’re doing it correctly, which can mean that all their work is really going to waste. If you want to start working on your flossing habits and make sure you’re doing it correctly, read on!

Getting Ready To Flossing

The first step in flossing successfully requires you to have an idea of what you need to do. There are a broad variety of flosses you can buy down at the pharmacy, ranging from flavored and waxed flosses to completely plain ones. There are also tools that you can get to make the whole process easier, including floss that’s pre-strung to make it easier to clean between your teeth. Make sure whatever floss or tool you’re using is recognized by the American Dental Association to be safe!

Use The Right Amount Of Floss

One thing that isn’t clearly understood by many people is how much floss is the correct amount to use while cleaning between one’s teeth. The answer has a lot to do with comfort, but the default may be more than you expect. 18” of floss is generally a good place to start, with both ends wrapped around the same finger on opposite hands. This gives you enough floss to get between your teeth, and to use a clean piece of floss for every tooth. Just leave 1-2 inches free between your fingers for each tooth.

Start Flossing!

Alright, so we’ve gotten you all set up so now it’s time to start getting between those teeth! Using the 1-2” of floss strung between your fingers as mentioned above you’re going to move the floss back and forth over the gap in your teeth until it slips down inside. Use enough pressure to get it in there, but not so much that it snaps down and impacts your gum. Being too aggressive with flossing can result in bleeding gums, so take care!


Using All The Angles
Teeth aren’t straight with smooth surfaces, they have complex shapes that make them able to do their jobs. This means that they can be kind of difficult to clean, but that’s where angles come in. While you’re cleaning your teeth with floss make sure to angle the floss in a way that lets it wrap around the tooth and get the front and back, making a sort of C shape. This will ensure that you get rid of all the plaque that has built up on your teeth.


Congratulations! By following this guide you’ve established a healthy and effective habit of cleaning your teeth with floss. The next thing to do is make sure that you see your dentist on a regular basis for a more in-depth cleaning and care for other dental concerns. Pick up the phone and call Dr. Reynaldo Barbon for an appointment in Pasadena CA at Superb Dental Care to start your routine of regular dental check-ups.

DR. Reynaldo Barbon State of the art equipment combines with doctors and staff dedicated to providing an uplifting dental experience to create the reputation Superb Dental Care has in our community. With a focus on family our clinic provides a full range of dental care services, from preventative care to restoration and cosmetic dentistry solutions.
testi-1 "Dr. Barbon and staff continues to show excellent professionalism and comfort to any type of procedures needed."
testi-2 "Dr. Barbon’s office is new and fresh. He has modern equipments and you can even watch a movie while getting your teeth worked on."
testi-3 "The receptionist and the rest of the staff are really friendly and personable. I brought a book with me just in case I have to wait, but they called me in right away. I did not have to wait!"
testi-4 "He did my root canal and crown the same day and stayed late on Saturday also Connie the front desk manager is very nice and friendly!!!!!"