Without flossing, kids and adults are more prone to bad breath, gum disease, and cavities between the teeth. As parents and caregivers, understanding the right age to introduce flossing to kids can make a significant difference in their lifelong oral health.

But what age should you teach kids to floss? Here’s when to introduce flossing and how to get your kids to floss effectively.

Start Teaching Kids to Floss Around Age Six

Although you can start flossing your child’s teeth as soon as they have two teeth that touch, eventually, your child will begin to brush and floss on their own. You can start teaching your child to floss around age six, when most children have the dexterity to start flossing on their own.

By this time, your child should have a clear understanding of the flossing process and why it’s important. Parents can start to guide them on how to floss effectively, using age-appropriate flossers or traditional floss.

It’s essential to make sure children floss properly and don’t harm their gum tissue by going too far underneath the gumline. As such, most children will need supervision flossing until they are between eight and 10 years old [2].

How to Teach Kids to Floss

Teaching kids to floss can be a challenging but rewarding experience for both parents and kids. Here are a few tips to help you get started:

1. Show by example. Show them how to wrap the floss around their fingers, slide it between the teeth gently, and curve it around each tooth in a C-shape, scraping the sides of each tooth with a clean section of floss. You can demonstrate on your own teeth to show your child the proper technique and have them try on their own in the mirror.
2. Use fun tools. There are numerous child-friendly flossers available. Your child might benefit from using small brushes or other flossing tools to effectively clean between their teeth until they get the hang of using traditional floss [3].
3. Stick to a routine. Children tend to respond well to routines, so incorporate flossing into your child’s daily brushing routine to make the habit stick. Making flossing a habit can set the stage for lifelong oral health.

Set Your Child Up for a Lifetime of Healthy Smiles

While helping children adjust to handling their own dental care can be challenging, it’s a crucial part of their oral health and allows them to establish healthy habits for life. Teaching your child to floss is an important milestone that can make all the difference for their smile. Ask your child’s dentist for more flossing tips during their next checkup!

Sources:

1. https://www.mouthhealthy.org/all-topics-a-z/flossing
2. https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=flossing-and-children-90-P01852
3. https://jada.ada.org/article/S0002-8177(21)00657-7/fulltext 

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But is flossing really that important to your dental health? Here’s how much flossing can impact your oral health, as well as how often you should consider flossing to see the benefits!

Yes! Flossing Gets Where Your Toothbrush Can’t Reach

The fact is that, as great as your toothbrush is, it can’t get to those tight spaces between your teeth. However, plaque, bacteria, and food particles can quickly build up in these areas. Some experts estimate that you miss about 40 percent of your mouth when you brush but don’t floss [1].

Brushing only removes plaque and bacteria from the surfaces of your teeth, but where two teeth touch, your toothbrush can’t reach. This makes flossing absolutely necessary to clean plaque out of these areas where it can accumulate and cause oral health problems!

Flossing Can Help Prevent Tooth Decay, Gum Disease, and Bad Breath

Flossing goes a long way towards preventing cavities and even gum disease [2]. Your teeth are constantly exposed to bacteria and food particles that combine to make plaque, which can damage tooth enamel when not removed regularly. Plaque can also accumulate around the gumline, which can lead to gum disease.

By not removing plaque from between your teeth, you increase your risk for gum disease and tooth decay. One of the symptoms of gum disease is chronic bad breath that doesn’t go away even with brushing and using mouthwash. You need to floss to get a truly clean smile!

How Often Should You Floss for the Most Benefits?

Good news—you only need to floss once every day to see the benefits. Flossing more than once isn’t necessary unless you have food stuck in your teeth. Although it doesn’t matter what time of day you floss, there is some evidence that flossing before you brush may be better [3].

If you haven’t flossed in a while and begin a new flossing routine, keep in mind that your gums might experience some discomfort at first, including soreness and bleeding. However, these symptoms should go away as you settle into your routine, so follow up with your dentist if they continue to happen.

Remember to be gentle when you floss, as flossing too harshly can damage your gum tissue and even contribute to gum recession.

Don’t Ignore Flossing for Your Oral Health!

Flossing plays an essential role in keeping your smile clean to prevent many common oral health issues. Floss is relatively inexpensive, but if you prefer, you can invest in interdental cleaners to make flossing easier, particularly if you have mobility concerns. Don’t skip flossing for your smile!

Sources:
1. https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/features/still-not-flossing-more-reasons-why-
2. https://www.perio.org/consumer/AAP-recommends-flossing-as-essential
3. https://www.perio.org/consumer/brush-or-floss-first

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But what does an effective daily oral health routine look like? Is brushing and flossing all there is to it? The following pointers can help you compose the best oral health routine that’ll impress your dentist during your next checkup!

Brush Your Teeth Twice a Day

While brushing your teeth two times a day for two minutes isn’t news to anyone, the quality of your brushing should be adequate enough to prevent oral disease.

To do this, you’ll want to be sure to brush all surfaces of your teeth with a soft-bristled
toothbrush. Toothbrushes with stiff or hard bristles can damage gum tissue and tooth enamel, so go for soft and brush carefully, not aggressively.

Remember not to brush too soon after eating, as this can strip away tooth enamel. Tooth
enamel is porous and can become softer after eating, especially if you eat acidic foods such as sweets or citrus fruits. You should wait at least 30 minutes after eating to brush, although the American Dental Association advises a 60-minute wait [1].

Floss Once a Day

Flossing is often overlooked when it comes to oral care but so important. Since it’s impossible to reach all the surfaces of your teeth with a toothbrush, flossing helps to clean the surfaces in-between teeth to remove plaque and bacteria that can lead to tooth decay.

You should floss once every day, gently and carefully in-between every tooth. Being gentle can help minimize any injury to the gumline; you should never floss aggressively as this can hurt gum tissue and even contribute to gum recession.

Be sure to get in hard-to-reach places; just because you have trouble getting into an area with your floss isn’t an excuse to skip it!

Brush Your Tongue

Brushing your tongue is another component of oral care that many people neglect to do. Using a tongue scraper or your toothbrush can help remove bacteria from your tongue, especially those that cause bad breath [2].

You can purchase a separate tool for this practice such as a stiffer toothbrush or a tongue scraper. However, remember there’s no need to overdo it, a gentle scraping is all that’s needed to remove excess bacteria!

Eat Well

The role of diet in the health of your smile can’t be overstated. Be sure to eat nutrient-rich foods such as leafy greens and get enough vitamins and minerals to support healthy teeth, such as calcium.

It’s also important to minimize your intake of refined sugars. In particular, soft drinks have been shown to contribute significantly to tooth decay [3].

Schedule Those Checkups

Remember not to skip the dentist even if you do take good care of your teeth. Regular checkups can help prevent tooth decay and gum disease and professional cleanings can help complete your oral care routine by removing plaque from difficult places.

Do you have an effective daily oral health routine in place? By following the above guidelines, you can ensure your smile is strong and healthy for life!

Sources:
1. https://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/brushing-mistakes-slideshow
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3633265/
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2676420/

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Flossing helps remove plaque and bacteria from the spaces in between your teeth that are impossible to reach with your toothbrush. Flossing can help prevent decay, gum disease, and bad breath that can come when food particles and bacteria aren’t removed from the oral cavity.

Unfortunately, many people make mistakes when conducting their flossing routine. Do you make these top mistakes when flossing your teeth?

Not Flossing All the Teeth

You’re going to want to floss between every set of teeth that touch. Although some teeth create space that can be difficult to get into with floss, it’s important that you floss between all your teeth.

Some people neglect to floss between teeth that are difficult to access, such as teeth in the back of their mouth or teeth that are too close together. Don’t make this mistake when flossing your teeth!

Not Using Enough Floss

Another common mistake people make is not using enough floss. You shouldn’t be using the same section of floss to get between every set of teeth; it should be a clean section of floss every time.

The American Dental Association recommends using at least 18 inches of floss for each time you floss your teeth [1]. This may sound like a lot of floss, but using a clean new section for every set of teeth is going to get the job done properly!

Being Too Aggressive

Being too aggressive when flossing your teeth can be painful and cause your gums to bleed. If you haven’t flossed in a while, your gums may bleed or feel sore after that first flossing session, but don’t let this discourage you from continuing to floss.

However, if your gums continue to bleed as you floss every day, this could be a sign that you’re either flossing too harshly or have gum disease. If you’re flossing too aggressively, you can actually cause gum damage including gum recession, so be gentle.

Not Actually Flossing the Teeth

When some people floss, they pull the floss down between their teeth and don’t actually  floss the sides of their teeth. You need to actually floss both sides of your teeth, which is the whole point of flossing.

Don’t simply pull the floss in and out between your teeth and call it a day.

If you’re having trouble flossing or getting the floss in between your teeth to floss the sides, you may consider using interdental cleaners which can make flossing easier, especially for people who have oral appliances such as braces [2].

Not Flossing Often Enough

If you’re not flossing once a day, you’re not flossing often enough. It doesn’t matter if you floss before or after brushing, as long as you do it! It’s important that you don’t just floss when you have something stuck in your teeth, although this is a good time to floss too [3].

Floss once a day at whatever time is best for you. Spending a couple of minutes flossing your teeth every day can help prevent tooth decay and gum disease for a beautiful healthy smile.

The Importance of Flossing

Do you make any of the above mistakes when flossing? A good flossing routine can help keep your entire smile clean and healthy. Be sure to follow up with your dentist if you have any questions regarding your flossing routine during your checkup!

Sources:
1. https://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/f/flossing-steps
2. https://www.ada.org/en/member-center/oral-health-topics/floss
3. https://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/f/flossing

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Brushing simply can’t reach the tight spaces between teeth like floss can. It’s why the American Dental Association recommends flossing once per day for best results.

There are many products on the market today that can help you floss. People often find
themselves weighing the pros and cons of water floss compared to regular floss. Is there a verdict on which is better for your teeth?

Evaluating the Benefits of Water Floss

Water floss is a device that uses batteries or plugs into the wall in order to shoot a thin stream of water between your teeth to remove plaque and bacteria.

The obvious downside of water floss is that it does require batteries or access to a wall plug and can be difficult to take with you when traveling. It can also be difficult to thoroughly remove plaque whereas with regular floss you can actually “scrape” plaque away with the string.

However, some research has found water floss to be “significantly more effective” than using string floss when combined with manual brushing [2].

A pro of water floss is that it’s typically much easier to clean around braces. Some people enjoy using water floss, which in and of itself is a pro of the device since it could make them more likely to floss!

Regular Floss Is a Go-to Method

Also referred to as dental floss, this piece of string is thin yet strong. You can use traditional floss as a manual method to remove debris from between your teeth and maintain your oral hygiene.

Regular floss is simple, cheap, and effective at removing plaque. It’s easy to travel with and keep with you so you’ll never forget to floss at least once a day!

However, patients are more likely to injure their gum tissue with misuse or overuse of regular floss. This isn’t the case with water flossing, where it’s difficult to damage gums even with regular use of the device.

Which is the Best?

Flossing is essential so whatever type of floss will make you more likely to floss is the type of floss for you.

Some dentists suggest using alternative flossing aids if you have a hard time handling traditional floss but not to replace traditional flossing with water floss [3].

However, if the water flosser will make you more likely to floss, it can be a wise investment in your oral health. Keeping traditional floss on hand in the event that you’re traveling or aren’t able to use your water flossing is smart, however.

Flossing is key to keeping your smile free of gum disease and preventing tooth loss. By flossing just once a day, you can prevent serious problems with your smile later on. Although both water floss and regular floss have their pros and cons, whichever floss you prefer is going to be the right choice for your smile!

Sources:
1. https://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/f/flossing
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24282867
3. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/expert-answers/dental-floss/faq-20058112

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However, you can be too aggressive with your flossing to the point that you actually damage
your teeth and gums. When done incorrectly, harsh flossing can cause a host of problems.
Here’s how you can know if you’re hurting your smile by flossing too aggressively!

You Allow Floss to Damage Your Gumline

Many people forget that it’s your teeth you’re supposed to be flossing, not your gums. Some
people pull too hard on the floss to try and get it in between their teeth and end up pulling the
floss down hard on their gums.

Allowing floss to get underneath your gumline, especially if it’s in a harsh manner, actually
injures your gums. It can cause your gums to bleed in the short term and even worse, can cause
them to recede and accelerate gum disease in the long term.

Allowing floss to hurt your gumline doesn’t help remove plaque. Instead, it can open up spaces
for bacteria to enter your gums and tooth roots, leading to painful infections and even tooth
decay and gum disease.

You Floss Numerous Times a Day

Flossing numerous times a day increases the chances that you’re hurting your teeth and gums.
Flossing your teeth too much can hurt the gumline, which can expose your tooth’s root.

You only need to floss once per day for effective results, especially if you floss gently and
correctly to remove plaque from in between your teeth. If you need to floss again due to
something being stuck in your teeth, this is fine, just try not to make a regular practice out of
flossing numerous times every day!

You’re Too Enthusiastic When Flossing

Some people use floss too enthusiastically, which can hurt both the teeth and the gums.
Forcing floss against the gums or the teeth and using too much pressure can hurt the gums and
even wear away tooth enamel over time.

Digging underneath your gumline with floss isn’t necessary. Flossing should be done with some
pressure, but not excessive pressure. Just like brushing, it’s important to do this task gently for
best results.

If you’re confused about how to floss correctly, ask your dentist to demonstrate during your
next checkup. Many people experience receding gums, gum disease, and root cavities without
realizing that the main problem may actually be their harmful flossing habits!

Don’t skip flossing just because you aren’t sure how to do it correctly or you’re afraid that
you’re harming your teeth. Remember, gums usually bleed because you haven’t flossed in a
while. However, if they bleed regularly while flossing, you may need to floss more gently.
Schedule a checkup with your dentist to review your flossing techniques to protect and
enhance your smile instead of harming it!

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Aggressive Brushing

It doesn’t take much effort to remove plaque. This substance can easily be brushed off, making
hard or aggressive brushing not only unnecessarily, but damaging to teeth. If you use a medium
or hard-bristled toothbrush and exert force when brushing, you might just be damaging your
tooth enamel.

Aggressive brushing can wear away tooth enamel over time. It can even lead to receding gums,
which can create painful tooth sensitivity, especially when combined with enamel loss. Due to
this, cavities and gum disease may result. It’s not necessary to brush your teeth hard, so choose
a soft-bristled toothbrush and gently brush away the plaque!

Flossing Your Teeth Too Much

Flossing once per day is enough unless you have something that’s stuck in your teeth. You can
actually damage gum tissue by flossing too much or flossing too aggressively. When you floss
quickly or harshly, gums may bleed or become tender. Flossing too much can actually disrupt
the gumline, which can lead to receding gums and tooth sensitivity.

You only need to floss once each day. Remember that the quality, not the quantity, of your
flossing is important. Make sure you use enough floss to have a clean section between each set
of teeth. Floss gently, and take your time. The goal is to remove plaque and food particles that
could cause cavities, so apply gentle pressure and don’t hurt your gum tissue!

Frequent Daily Use of Mouthwash

Mouthwash is certainly beneficial for your oral health, but only when used appropriately. Since
many mouthwashes contain alcohol, this substance can be harsh on the tissues of the mouth if
overused. In fact, using mouthwash three times or more per day has been associated with an
increased risk of oral cancer.

You only need to use mouthwash one to two times per day in conjunction with your regular
oral care habits. It’s important to remember that mouthwash is by no means a replacement for
brushing and flossing, but rather a supplement. Your dentist can advise you more on when and
if you need to use mouthwash based on your unique smile!

So there you have it—while cleaning your teeth is absolutely beneficial for your oral health,
there are downsides to cleaning your teeth too much. These include stripping away enamel
from harsh brushing, irritating the gum tissue from flossing too much, and increasing your risk
for oral disease by using mouthwash too many times per day. Stay healthy and keep your teeth
clean!

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Primary teeth are essential to the healthy development of adult teeth, which will be present in your child’s mouth for life! So how can you best take care of your child’s baby teeth?

Infancy: Wipe Out the Mouth to Clean

When your child is an infant, mouth cleanings are still important. Since teeth won’t come in until your baby is about six months old, brushing won’t be necessary until this time. However, you should simply wipe out your child’s mouth after feedings with a clean cloth. Once their baby teeth begin to come in, you can gently brush them. As soon as they have two teeth that touch together, you can begin flossing. Remember, your child should see the dentist as soon as their first teeth begin to come in!

Toddler: Begin Teaching Brushing Habits

As your baby grows into a toddler, you can begin to teach them oral care habits. It’s essential that you still supervise your child’s care of their teeth, as they likely won’t be able to master this practice yet. You can get them into the habit of brushing their teeth every morning and every night, helping them along the way. Your child should be familiar with the dentist and go every six months or so to ensure their teeth are healthy and that tooth decay isn’t present.

Child: Supervise Brushing and Healthy Habits

Once your toddler has become a child, they should be able to brush their teeth on their own. At around age six, they’ll begin losing their primary teeth and adult teeth will make an
appearance. You should still check in to ensure they are brushing and flossing properly, and the dentist visits should be routine by this point. It’s important to encourage healthy snacking with limited juices, soda, and other sugar products. This will help your child develop healthy habits for life!

Teen: Emphasize the Importance of Care

Typically, around age 12, kids have their full set of adult teeth in. This means your child should be pretty well established to continue caring for their teeth and have a routine in place. Regular dentist visits can help remove any plaque that’s built up, helping to keep your child cavity-free. It’s important to continue emphasizing care of their teeth, especially if they have braces. Your child’s adult teeth will now last them for life thanks to your help!

Caring for your child’s baby teeth is important even though they’ll eventually lose these little teeth. Not only can you help your child establish healthy habits, but you also help encourage a strong full set of adult teeth for your child, setting them up for a great smile for life. Your dentist is your partner to ensuring your child has great teeth, so don’t skip those visits!

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When Traveling, Pack the Essentials

Of course, you want to ensure you have the right clothes, sunscreen, bug spray, and whatever else you need for your trip. However, it’s also important to not forget the essentials for your mouth—toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss! If visiting friends or relatives, don’t assume they’ll have these things for you. Going to the store when you first arrive somewhere isn’t going to be ideal. It’s better to make sure you pack these items and have them with you when you arrive. Better yet, keep them in plain sight so that you remember to use them every morning and evening as you’ll be off your normal routine!

Keep Hydrated

There are lots of different beverages that are popular to consume during the summer—from iced coffee to energy drinks to margaritas, you’re going to have options when it comes to what you want to drink. However, drinking water rather than sugary alternatives not only keeps you hydrated, but also helps cut down on dental plaque. Keep water with you during the day so you can sip and provide your mouth with the saliva it needs to properly nourish your teeth and stop plaque from sticking to your teeth. If plain water gets boring, try seltzer water with some crushed fruit in it!

Choose Healthy Summer Snacks

It’s the time of year when you hear the ice cream truck, buy the kids French fries at the beach, and snack on popcorn at the movies. This summer, you can protect your smile by being choosy about your snacks. Watermelon is an excellent choice because of its water content. Ice cream, although it contains calcium, is packed with sugar. Other swaps to make include fresh fruit as opposed to prepackaged foods, frozen yogurt instead of ice cream, and sweet potato fries or kale chips as opposed to potato chips or French fries. By enjoying sugary foods in moderation, you can help protect your smile from tooth decay.

Visit the Dentist

The kids might be on summer vacation, but tooth decay and gum disease never take a break. This is the perfect opportunity to get your kids to the dentist while they’re out of school. Schedule an appointment to see how your kids’ teeth are doing. Your dentist can also tell you where they need to improve with brushing and motivate them to brush and floss daily!

When it comes to your summer this year, don’t put your oral care at the bottom of the list just because you’re on vacation. You can maintain a healthy smile by packing your toothbrush, drinking plenty of water, choosing healthy snacks, and visiting your dentist. Enjoy your vacation!

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Use the Proper Amount of Floss

The American Dental Association recommends using about 18 inches of floss (http://www.ada.org/~/media/ADA/Science%20and%20Research/Files/watch_materials_floss.ashx). This way you have a clean section of floss to go in between every tooth in your mouth. Many people use much shorter floss amounts and end up cleaning their teeth with dirty sections of floss. Although less is usually more, this is not true for floss—use the proper amount so that you’re cleaning the food and plaque out of your teeth, not introducing it back in!

Go under the Gum Line

When flossing, you want to be sure to go gently under the gum line, which is where many hidden food particles tend to hide. The key here is being gentle. If you haven’t flossed in quite some time, your gums may bleed a little. This generally isn’t cause for concern, although you should discuss it during your next dental check up. Gently go underneath the gum line on each side of each tooth. This will take some time to do and to get used to, but soon the habit will stick and your gums will be healthy!

Move Floss Up and Down, not Side to Side

This is a common mistake that many people make while flossing. After you gently wedge the floss in between your teeth, your goal is to move the floss up and down on each side of each tooth, not just rock the floss back and forth at the base of your teeth. This task isn’t difficult but can take some time to develop a habit out of, especially if you’ve been flossing side to side for a long time. Remember to go up and down instead!

Use the Kind That’s Best for You

There are many different types of floss out there and many different flossing tools. The type you use may vary depending on your smile. You can always ask your oral health care professional what type would be best for you to use. If your teeth have more space in between, consider a wider floss such as dental tape. If your teeth fit very tight together, traditional floss will work better.

Be Gentle

No matter where, when, or how you floss, remember to be gentle. The same goes for brushing, but when it comes to your gums, sensitivity is even more important. Gently floss, gently brush, and enjoy clean teeth and impress your dentist during your next checkup!

By incorporating these simple flossing tips into your oral care routine, flossing will be more beneficial to you than ever. Go up and down, under the gum line, and use clean floss every time. Floss at least once a day to keep your teeth and gums healthy!

Image courtesy of stockimages at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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