Here’s How Often You Should Floss Your Teeth

Flossing is an important part of your oral hygiene routine. It’s one of the best ways to remove food particles between your teeth. 

When you don’t floss, you’re more likely to develop plaque. Plaque is the sticky stuff on your teeth that promotes tooth decay and gum disease. 

Here we’ll look at how often you should floss, what to do and not do when you floss, and the reasons you should make flossing a daily habit.      

How often should you floss?

The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends flossing once a day and brushing your teeth twice a day. As you eat throughout the day, tiny food debris gets stuck between your teeth and gums. These small pockets of food make the perfect breeding ground for harmful bacteria and plaque buildup.

Brushing can remove some food particles, but not all. Flossing can reach places that your toothbrush can’t. It’s best to floss before brushing so you can dislodge food debris first and then brush and rinse it away.

As for what time of day you should floss, it doesn’t really matter. You can floss in the morning, after lunch, or before bedtime. But doing it at the same time every day can help you remember to floss daily.

Is it possible to floss too much?

There’s no reason to floss more than once a day. Over-flossing can irritate gum tissue and worsen your oral health. Unless you have something stuck between your teeth, once a day is enough.  

What’s the best way to floss your teeth?

If you’re not sure how to floss, talk with your dentist or watch this ADA video and follow the steps below:

1. Wind about 18 inches of floss around the middle fingers of your hands. 

2. Hold the floss between your thumbs and index fingers.

3. Gently slide the floss between two teeth.

4. When the floss reaches the gumline, pull the floss down if you’re working on upper teeth and up if you’re working on lower teeth.

5. Never force or snap the floss between teeth. 

6. Unwind clean sections of floss as you move from one tooth to the next.

7. Remember to floss the backs of your back teeth as well.

Common flossing mistakes

Flossing sounds like a simple activity, but you can actually do it wrong. These tips will help you floss correctly. 

Pulling floss the wrong way

You want to move debris away from your gums, not toward them. When you floss your upper teeth, pull the floss down. Conversely, when you floss your lower teeth, pull up. 

Reusing floss

Discard floss after each use. Used floss can fray, not clean as well, and deposit bacteria into your mouth. 

Snapping floss between teeth

Slide floss up or down, and back and forth rather than forcing it roughly between teeth. Otherwise, you risk damaging your gum tissue.

Using a small amount of floss

Break off at least 18 inches of floss, if not more. Use a different length of floss as you go from tooth to tooth. This will prevent you from using the same piece of floss between all your teeth. 

Not flossing when your gums bleed

Your gums may bleed because of excess plaque or gingivitis, an early stage of gum disease. This is a sign that you need to keep flossing consistently rather than letting up.  

What are the benefits of flossing?

Flossing does a better job of removing plaque and food debris than brushing alone. Flossing also:

• Cleans all sides of your teeth, especially areas your toothbrush can’t reach

• Reduces plaque buildup, which lowers the risk of gum disease and tooth decay

• Keeps plaque from hardening into tartar (calculus), which must be removed professionally

• Removes bacteria that can cause bad breath

• Lowers the risk of sore, puffy gums

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Written by:

Ana Gascon

Ana Gascon has over 15 years of writing and editing experience, with 8 years in health and medical content work. She is a versatile health and medical content creator who writes about acute conditions, chronic diseases, mental health challenges, and health equity.

Edited by:

Renée Fabian, MA

Renée Fabian is the senior pet health editor at GoodRx. She’s worked for nearly 10 years as a journalist and editor across a wide range of health and well-being topics.

Reviewed by:

Karen Hovav, MD, FAAP

Karen Hovav, MD, FAAP, has more than 15 years of experience as an attending pediatrician in a variety of clinical settings. She has worked in a large academic center in an urban city, a small community hospital, a private practice, and an urgent care clinic.

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