How do I get the dental floss around my teeth?

Here are some tips for how to floss your teeth:

• Break off about 18 inches of floss and wind most of it around your middle fingers. Wind the remaining floss around a finger of the opposite hand. This finger will take up the used floss.
• Hold the floss tightly between your thumbs and forefingers. Guide the floss between your teeth, using a gentle rubbing motion. To avoid injuring your gums, never snap the floss into gum tissue.
• When the floss reaches the gum line, curve it into a C-shaped against one tooth. Gently slide it into the space beween the gum line 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. As you move from tooth to tooth, unwind the clean floss with one finger and take up the used floss with the finger on the opposite hand. Do not forget the back side of the last tooth.

If you are uncertain if you are flossing correctly, talk to your dentist during your next dental checkup. He or she can help you get comfortable with this important daily habit!

Once you have enough dental floss between your fingers, gently pull the floss from your gum line to the top of your tooth using your thumb and forefinger. This up-and-down motion scrapes off plaque, so try to get all sides of the tooth, rolling out unused floss for the next tooth.