Probably the single-most dreaded and forgotten oral health activity is flossing. Why? Well, it’s boring and time-consuming. However, it’s also one of the most important ways to prevent gum disease and gingivitis.

We will talk more about the dangers of gum disease and gingivitis in a later post. Just know for the purposes of this post that you don’t want either of them, and flossing can help with prevention.

So, we know we need to floss, but most people do it incorrectly. Here are some tips for proper flossing:

Flossing Tips

1. Start by winding approximately 18 inches of floss around your two middle fingers.

2. Gently glide the floss between your teeth (do this between all teeth) all the way up to the gum line. Be careful not to apply too much pressure to the gum line. Proceed to wrap the floss around the tooth in an attempt to clean as much of the surface as possible.

3. Gently move the floss up and down vertically along the tooth. Do this a number of times on each tooth.

4. As you move from tooth to tooth, slide your fingers down the floss to a fresh section.

See Flossing in Pictures

If your a visual person, you may find the American Dental Association’s flossing pictorial to be helpful.

Your Tips

Do you have any additional flossing tips not mentioned in this post that you’d like to share? Please leave them in a comment below. Thanks.

Cory Kemp is the founder and chief editor of DentalPlanCards.com. He's committed to providing consumers with helpful tips for saving money at the dentist. Follow me on Google +