Should You Floss Before or After You Brush Your Teeth?
Key takeaways:
Using dental floss between your teeth helps to remove harmful bacteria that may lead to tooth decay, gum disease, and bad breath.
For the cleanest mouth, floss before you brush.
The type of floss you use doesn’t usually make a difference. The technique you use makes the biggest difference.
When you go to a dental appointment, your dental provider will likely ask if you regularly floss. While you may think that flossing is a tiny part of your day, it’s a huge part of your oral (mouth) health.
Maybe you already follow the recommendation to floss once a day and brush twice a day. But one important question remains: Should you floss before or after you brush?
Let’s dive into the science behind the best time to floss.
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What are the benefits of flossing?
Flossing between your teeth is a very important part of keeping your mouth clean. When you eat, small parts of food get stuck in spaces between your teeth and even smaller spaces between your gums. These areas are perfect spots for bacteria to grow.
Food in these tiny spaces causes the bacteria in your mouth to thrive and grow. This leftover debris creates plaque — a sticky substance that gets stuck to the surface of your teeth. Plaque buildup can break down your tooth structure and lead to gum disease.
While brushing alone can remove some of the plaque, brushing does not get to all the surfaces of your teeth. Combining flossing and brushing will help you have a cleaner mouth.
Why is it important to floss before brushing your teeth?
The best order for your mouth care routine is to floss before you brush your teeth. Here are a few reasons it’s important to floss first.
Loosen debris
Flossing can reach deeper areas than brushing alone can reach.The use of floss between your teeth breaks apart stubborn food debris and bad bacteria. If left alone, these can harden and damage your teeth and gums.
Experts recommend brushing your teeth for at least 2 minutes to fully remove the debris that was loosened up while flossing. Using your toothbrush alone will not reach all areas of your teeth. And this can leave behind harmful bacteria that may cause bad breath, tooth decay, and gum disease.
Help your toothpaste work better
Flossing can improve the effectiveness of your toothpaste. Most dental products, including toothpaste, are partially made up of the mineral fluoride. The main job of fluoride is to strengthen your tooth structure and decrease the risk of tooth decay.
For fluoride to fully work, it needs as much access to your teeth as possible. By using floss to remove plaque and bacteria from your teeth, you help fluoride gain the access that it needs.
Reduce bleeding
Flossing helps to reduce bleeding and gum disease. While flossing, you may notice that your floss turns red. This is from bleeding gums, and it’s a key sign of the beginning stages of gum disease.
Food and bacteria left between the teeth and gums can lead to inflammation and bleeding gums. Flossing before brushing will help loosen up food particles and bacteria. Then brushing will finish the job. This will help reduce bleeding and prevent the likelihood of gum disease.
What is the best type of floss?
The type of floss you use doesn’t usually make much difference in oral health. Some flosses may contain flavoring or a wax coating. These features won’t necessarily improve your oral health. In fact, studies show sensitivities to the wax coating may increase the risk of gum disease.
The technique you use while flossing has a greater impact. Here are the best techniques to use while flossing:
Slide the floss gently between your teeth.
Apply pressure to the tooth with the floss by using your fingers.
Let the floss curve around the side of the tooth, forming the letter “C.”
Slide the floss up and down the tooth surface. Floss each side separately.
If you’re still struggling with flossing your teeth, ask your dental provider for tips.
The bottom line
There is a correct order for flossing and brushing. Flossing before brushing allows for the best dental health benefits. If you’re used to brushing and then flossing, this simple switch in your routine will make you shine at your next dental visit. If you’re concerned about your oral hygiene routine, talk to your dental provider for tips and guidance.
Why trust our experts?
References
American Dental Association. (2021). Floss/interdental cleaners.
Graves, R. C., et al. (1989). Comparative effectiveness of flossing and brushing in reducing interproximal bleeding. Journal of Periodontology.
Kelekis-Cholakis, A., et al. (2016). Successful treatment of generalized refractory chronic periodontitis through discontinuation of waxed or coated dental floss use: A report of 4 cases. Journal of the American Dental Association.
Mazhari, F., et al. (2018). The effect of toothbrushing and flossing sequence on interdental plaque reduction and fluoride retention: A randomized controlled clinical trial. Journal of Periodontology.
Sambunjak, D., et al. (2019). Flossing for the management of periodontal diseases and dental caries in adults. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
