We have all heard how important it is to floss our teeth but have you ever been taught the “proper” way to floss your teeth?

According to The American Dental Association this is how you properly floss your teeth:

• Break off about 18 inches of floss and wind most of it around one of your middle fingers.
• Wind the remaining floss around the same finger of the opposite hand. This finger will take up the floss as it becomes dirty.
• Hold the floss tightly between your thumbs and forefingers.
• Guide the floss between your teeth using a gentle rubbing motion. Never snap the floss into the gums.
• When the floss reaches the gum line, curve it into a C shape against one tooth.
• Gently slide it into the space between the gum and the tooth.
• Hold the floss tightly against the tooth.
• Gently rub the side of the tooth, moving the floss away from the gum with up and down motions.
• Repeat this method on the rest of your teeth.
• Don’t forget the back side of your last tooth.

They also have wonderfully instructive animation that you might like to view (Watch the brushing and flossing animation to learn more.)

Don’t forget to floss your children’s teeth too. Even the littlest of teeth get food stuck between them that regular brushing won’t remove.

I have found that using dental picks to floss my children’s teeth is much easier than using dental floss. It is also handy to use the sharp point to clean around their gum lines. It is amazing to me just how much plaque and gunk (yes, that is the official term) builds up around their small young teeth.

My hope is that by making flossing part of their daily routine now they will continue with the routine throughout their adult lives.