Most people believe that if they brush two or three times a day, it is more than enough to take care of their teeth. They feel that flossing is just an additional step, but they should understand that brushing alone can not take away food that gets clogged between your teeth. If you wish to prevent tooth loss, gingivitis, and other severe periodontal diseases, then flossing is a must.

Flossing once a day is good enough, but do you know if you’re doing it right? A trained eye can easily make out if you are not doing it correctly, as there are clear red flags. Some of the big signs of not flossing correctly are cavities developing between your teeth and tooth decay. Let us understand the right way of doing it as well as the correct steps involved in it.

How Do I Know If I am Flossing Correctly

Here are a few pointers to help you understand if you are flossing correctly or not:

• Floss first – To begin with, you must floss before you brush. This way, plaque is released from your teeth, and when you brush afterward, you can more efficiently remove the loosened plaque. If you do not follow it this way, there is a high chance of you leaving the debris inside your mouth before your next brushing.
• No bleeding gums – If you floss regularly and properly, your gums will not bleed while you floss. So if you see blood in your gums (unless you are flossing for the first time or after a long gap), you are using floss on your gums improperly. It needs to be gentle and should not irritate the gum line.
• Amount of floss used – You should ideally be using only 18 to 24 inches of floss per session. Also, you should use a new one every time and not reuse older ones. The amount of floss you are using determines if you are doing it properly. If you are using only a few inches then it will not have a positive impact on your teeth.
• Amount of time you spend in flossing – Flossing should take a good five minutes, so if you are finishing it in just one minute, you are not doing it right. It is imperative to spend five minutes flossing to ensure you are addressing every tooth.

Common Mistakes People Make While Flossing

• Flossing your gum rather than teeth – Flossing removes plaque from hard-to-reach crevices between our teeth. So you should be moving plaque away from gums instead of into it. You should be pulling the floss away from your gums always, so if you see your gums turn or feel pressure on them while flossing, you are causing more harm than good.
• Not moving floss around the entire tooth – To ensure you are flossing around an entire tooth, you must floss between it and each of its adjacent teeth. Else, bacteria can quickly accumulate and cause cavities on the unflossed side.
• Not using the appropriate floss type – Depending on the space between your teeth, you might need specific types of floss. For instance, if the spaces between your teeth are tight, you would need waxed floss; for permanent retainers, dentists recommend floss threaders or picks. If you have sensitive gums, you could opt for water flossers.
• Using the same section of floss across oral space – If you are moving the same section of floss between all your teeth, then you are actually spreading bacteria from one crevice to another. You should wind up the floss a bit as you work up the entire teeth line to reduce the risk of transporting bacteria.

The Right Steps for Flossing

• Take 18 to 24 inches of dental floss and wind most of the floss around the middle fingers of both your hands. You should leave only one to two inches of floss between your fingers for your teeth.
• You should hold the floss totally taut between your index fingers and thumb.
• Now place the floss between your teeth and gently glide it up and down as you rub against both sides of your teeth. Do not go to your gums, as it can bruise or scratch your gums.
• As you reach your gum with the floss, make a C with floss at the bottom of your tooth so that floss can enter the space between your teeth and gum.
• Repeat all the above steps as you keep moving from gum to gum.

Flossing is a great way of removing plaque from between your teeth and should be done once a day. It is not recommended to floss too frequently as it could damage your gum line.

Last but not the least, you should visit your dentist every six months for proper cleanup and regular checkups. Dental hygienists are experts in spotting an issue that can escape normal or untrained eyes.