Regular flossing removes bacteria and food from hard-to-reach areas between the teeth, minimizing the risk of bacterial buildup and infection. Next to brushing, flossing is a highly effective method for removing plaque on tooth surfaces your brush can’t reach very well. Another benefit of flossing is increasing blood circulation in your gums. Gum stimulation is a necessary means of keeping your gum tissues healthy; strong gums are the foundation of your teeth.

ADA recommends to clean between the teeth with floss or interdental cleaners once each day to remove plaque from all tooth surfaces.

The important thing is that you leave plenty of floss in between to allow you to maneuver inside your mouth. One effective way is to break off about a foot of floss. Wrap one end of the floss a few times around the middle finger of each hand. You can use your forefinger and thumbs to maneuver the floss inside your mouth.

Press the floss in between two teeth and gently press downward (or upward if doing an upper set of teeth). Next, glide the floss up and down a few times against the surfaces of both teeth, carefully doing so at and below the gum line as well. Repeat this procedure for each tooth, taking up the slack when floss becomes worn or frayed.