---

You probably already know that flossing is important for your oral health. Unlike brushing, which cleans the outer surfaces of your teeth and gums, flossing cleans between them. Flossing removes the harmful bacteria stuck between teeth, which can turn into plaque and cause bigger problems like gum disease. These are places that a toothbrush simply can’t reach.

But there’s been much debate as to whether it’s better to floss before or after you brush. Even dentists can’t seem to agree on this matter. This can cause a lot of confusion for people wanting to improve their dental hygiene habits. So what’s the correct way to floss? Read on to find out.

Flossing before brushing

The benefit of flossing first is that you can dislodge the debris between your teeth before brushing. This allows the fluoride from toothpaste to better penetrate between your teeth since the debris has already been removed. This helps protect your teeth from cavities in those areas. However, some dentists say flossing after brushing makes more sense since you can better remove food that’s been left behind instead of possibly pushing it back between your teeth with a toothbrush.

Flossing after brushing

If you floss after you brush, there will be less plaque for you to get rid of since some of it would have been removed when you brushed. This makes flossing less time consuming and feel like less work for people. Some dentists also suggest brushing first since this is the way most of us have been taught. And since there’s no hard evidence as to which order is better, they say we should just continue what we’ve been doing before.

So, what’s the verdict?

Whether you floss before or after you brush doesn’t really make a difference. Many people have done it both ways and have gotten good results. If you’ve been flossing before brushing your teeth for 20 years and have healthy teeth and gums, there’s no need for you to change your ways now. The important thing to remember is to floss at least once a day. Flossing is critical to your oral health and should never be skipped.

When flossing, don’t just move the floss up and down between your teeth. You should gently curve the floss around each tooth, making sure you go beneath the gumline. This ensures the whole area around the tooth is clean. To learn more dental tips, feel free to visit us at the Earlsbridge Dental. You may be surprised what you learn!

---

Dentist Brampton