Dental Floss

Most of us don't floss daily, according to surveys. But dentists say we should. Flossing removes food particles and plaque from the crevices between teeth where decay and gum disease often first take root.

How to Choose Dental Floss

Choose a product that's easy to handle and glides between your teeth without shredding. Which floss works best for you will depend in large part on how closely packed together your teeth are. If you aren't sure about the right floss for you, ask your dentist for a recommendation.

Dental Floss Types

Standard dental floss is nothing more than a string of coated nylon fiber. Dental tape or ribbon is as thin as regular floss but is flatter to provide a broader cleaning surface. Flosses and tapes come in a variety of widths—from thin to thick.

Waxed floss might be best for people with tight spaces between their teeth. It moves more easily between teeth than unwaxed.

Some flosses are treated with flavors that range from mint to cinnamon and ingredients from baking soda to fluoride.

Woven floss is yarn-like and gentler on the gums than standard floss, making it a good choice for lapsed flossers. (You know who you are.)

How to Use Dental Floss

• 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 it between your teeth using a gentle rubbing motion. Never snap it into the gums.
• When the floss reaches the gumline, 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.
• If floss cuts into your fingers or you have difficulty holding onto it, use a specially made dental floss handle.
• Brush after you floss.