You probably know that brushing alone won’t take care of your oral hygiene – you hear it all the time from commercials, your dentist, probably even from your mother.

You probably know they’re all right, too.

Brushing alone won’t get rid of all the horrid food particles and plaque left in between your teeth and your gums that become bacteria’s haven. Soon, these deep dark places become a playground for all kinds of dental diseases including cavities and bad breath.

That’s what dental floss is good for, because it's a stringy material used to clean in between teeth and places that the brush can’t reach. It helps prevent this little playground you already have from becoming a bacteria theme park.

Floss can come waxed or unwaxed, flavored or unflavored, thin or wide. The kind of floss you want is entirely up to you, though you might want to consider that waxed floss slip in between teeth easier, and smooth and soft floss ensure the maximum comfort for your gums. Of course, flavor doesn’t hurt either.

It is recommended to floss before brushing at least once a day, or once every 24 hours.

Here’s how to floss properly:

- Break off just over an arm’s length of floss.

- Loosely wind about six inches of floss around your middle finger and use your thumb to hold it in place.

- Hold and straighten the floss with the thumb and pointer finger of your other hand.

- Use a gentle back and forth motion to guide the floss between your teeth.

- Make sure to never “snap” the floss into your gums.

- When the floss reaches the gum line, curve it against your tooth and gently slide it under your gums and then away from your gum line.

- Wind the used floss around your middle finger as you go.

If you can’t floss everyday, try to floss at least once a week. That’s better than not flossing at all, because when you start losing your teeth due to bad dental hygiene habits (like not flossing), you probably know people around you who will say, “I told you so.”

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