Flossing is an essential part of any healthy oral hygiene routine. But how many times should you be doing it, and does it need to be done every day?

Why do you need to floss?

For many people, flossing is a huge inconvenience – an uncomfortable chore even. A quarter of Britons don’t floss at all, citing pain-related reasons and admitting to being lax and too busy to floss.  

Flossing isn’t exactly fun, but it is essential. Plaque build up in-between teeth is one of the top reasons why people eventually develop gum disease. If you consider how little time flossing takes (a matter of minutes, if that), it’s a worthwhile use of your time if you want to avoid disease eating away at your gums and causing loose and failing teeth.

You should also floss in order to:

• Prevent bad breath: you wouldn’t use a dirty chopping board to cut up fresh ingredients. So why leave hours and days-old food particles in between your teeth? The longer food particles are left in between your teeth, the more likely bad breath will set in.

• Avoid decay: harmful bacteria in your mouth are drawn to food particles in between your teeth like a moth to a flame. Once the bacteria has finished consuming the residual food particles, the acidic bi-products formed will damage your tooth enamel, eventually causing decay.

• Compromising your smile: food lodged in between your teeth is never a good look. Once you’ve removed the food in between your teeth, you won’t have to worry about a discerning eye spotting that piece of bagel, caramel, meat or fruit lodged in between your teeth!

How many times should you floss a day?

You should floss at least once a day, though ideally you should be aiming to floss after each meal. Bacteria start consuming the food left behind after eating virtually right away, so it’s in the interests of your mouth to remove it quickly before this has a chance to occur.

With many people increasingly working from home, flossing is becoming much more accessible. If you are out and about a lot, try to remember to take a water flosser or flossing harps with you, so you can spend a quick 30 seconds removing any food particles from in between your teeth on the go.

What are the consequences of not flossing?

When you fail to floss, you miss out on cleaning a third of your tooth surfaces. Even with the world’s best brushing technique and sonic toothbrush, you cannot hope to clean all your tooth surfaces with brushing alone.

Failing to floss will lead to:

• Tooth decay

• Gum disease

• Enamel erosion

• Bad breath

• Lower self-esteem

Should I floss before or after brushing?

We recommend flossing before you brush your teeth, as this will effectively dislodge food particles, and allow your brushing to capture them, and for them to be rinsed away when you spit.

Studies have also shown that flossing before brushing allows for better fluoride retention when you brush. With the fluoride in your toothpaste able to linger in between your teeth for longer, your enamel will be better protected against erosion and decay.

Talk to a dentist online for free

Speak to our dentists about how to brush your teeth, and to find out which type of dental floss best suits your dental anatomy.

All you have to do is click here, and one of the Nova Smiles clinical team will respond to you within 24 hours.