Skip to content 
If you ask most Lagos adults whether they floss, the answers tend to fall into three camps. Those who do not floss at all. Those who floss occasionally, usually when something is stuck between their teeth. And those who floss regularly but have never actually been shown how to do it properly. That first group is long, no doubt, but the last group is bigger than you might think.
Flossing is not something most of us were properly taught. A dentist or parent said “floss your teeth” at some point, handed over a box, and left the rest to instinct. The result is that a large proportion of people who consider themselves regular flossers are either missing the areas that matter most or doing something that is actively irritating their gums.
Brushing is a good start, but it only cleans about 60% of your tooth surfaces. Flossing tackles the 40% brushing misses, especially between teeth and under the gum line. That is not a minor gap. The spaces between teeth and the shallow pocket between the tooth and gum are exactly where plaque accumulates, hardens into tartar, and starts the chain that leads to cavities and gum disease.
This article covers how to floss correctly, what type of floss to use, the mistakes most people make, and how to build the habit in a way that actually sticks.
Why Flossing Alone Cannot Replace Brushing
A toothbrush cleans the front, back, and chewing surfaces of your teeth. It does not clean the sides. Think of each tooth as having five surfaces. Two of those surfaces, the sides that face adjacent teeth, can only be properly cleaned by getting something between the teeth and below the gum line. No toothbrush, regardless of how expensive or advanced, can substitute for that.
Preliminary research presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2025 analyzed data from more than 6,200 participants in the ARIC study and found that flossing at least once a week was associated with a lower risk of ischemic stroke, cardioembolic stroke, and atrial fibrillation. Because the findings were presented as a conference abstract, they are considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.
What Type of Floss Should You Use?
Now that you’ve seen the tremendous advantages attached to flossing regularly, there is a need to answer another important question: what type? The right answer is the type you will actually use consistently. That said, understanding the differences helps you make a more informed choice.
Standard nylon (multifilament) floss
[image]
Nylon flosses are composed of many strands of nylon fibres that help remove plaque from your teeth. This product is available both waxed and unwaxed. Unwaxed is thinner and easier to grip. Waxed may help the floss slide through the tooth more easily and comes in different flavours like mint or cinnamon.
The main disadvantage of nylon floss is that it can shred when it catches on rough fillings or very tight contacts between teeth. If your floss frays regularly, waxed nylon or a different type altogether may suit you better.
Dental tape
Dental tape is a multistrand nylon that is thicker and flatter than regular floss. It comes waxed and unwaxed and in multiple flavours. Dental tape may be a good option for people with larger spaces between their teeth. It is less likely to break than regular floss.
For patients with wider interdental spaces, typically older adults or those who have had some gum recession, dental tape provides more surface contact and feels more comfortable.
Super floss
Super floss is a pre-cut floss that comes in individual pieces. It has three distinct segments: a stiff end that can be threaded under bridgework and around braces and implants, a regular floss segment for under the gums, and a puffy, spongy section for wide spaces and under dental appliances.
If you have a dental bridge, braces, or implants, super floss is one of the most practical options available.
Floss picks
Floss picks are small plastic handles with a short piece of floss stretched between two prongs. They are useful for travelling, for back teeth that are hard to reach, and as a starting point for children or patients who find the two-handed technique difficult.
Their limitation is that you are using the same short section of floss for every tooth, which means you are redistributing bacteria between contact points rather than using a fresh section for each one as you should with string floss.
Interdental brushes
These tiny finger-held brushes are shaped like little trees and can be used to clean between the teeth and under the gum line. They come in different sizes, which allows easy access to different sites within the mouth. These are also highly effective for people who have already been treated for periodontal disease, as they have more space between their teeth.
Studies show interdental brushes perform very well and can be better than floss at removing plaque from between the teeth. For patients with gum recession, larger gaps, or post-periodontal treatment, interdental brushes are worth trying.
Water flossers
A water flosser directs a pressurised stream of water between teeth and along the gum line. It is particularly useful for patients with braces, implants, bridges, or limited hand dexterity. Research shows water flossers are effective at reducing gum bleeding and inflammation, though dentists note that traditional string floss has a mechanical scraping action that water pressure alone does not fully replicate. For many patients, the best approach is a water flosser for daily convenience combined with string floss a few times per week. You can read our guide to know if a water flosser will be good for you.
How to Floss Correctly: Step by Step
This is the technique recommended by the American Dental Association, adapted here with the details that most guides gloss over.
Step 1: Start with the right length
Starting with about 18 inches of floss, wind most of the floss around each middle finger, leaving an inch or two of floss to work with. The reason for this seemingly generous length is that you want to advance to a fresh section of floss between each pair of teeth. Using the same short piece throughout means you are moving bacteria from one area to another, not removing it. If you are using the fgs floss, then you don’t have to worry about the length issue.
Step 2: Hold the floss correctly
Pinch the floss firmly between the thumb and index finger of each hand to guide it. Your thumbs and index fingers should be roughly an inch apart, giving you control over the section you are working with. The more floss you leave between your hands, the less control you have. Keep that working section short.
A common error here is tensing the cheeks and lips, which makes it impossible to manoeuvre the fingers inside the mouth properly. Relax your facial muscles before you begin.
Step 3: Ease it between the teeth; do not snap it
Place the dental floss between two teeth. Gently glide the floss up and down, rubbing it against both sides of each tooth. Do not glide the floss into your gums. This can scratch or bruise your gums.
A gentle back-and-forth motion allows the floss to ease through even tight contacts. Snapping the floss directly downward cuts into the gum triangle between teeth, which causes pain and inflammation rather than cleaning.
Step 4: Form the C-shape
This is the step that separates effective flossing from surface-level flossing, and it is the one most people skip entirely.
Ease the floss between the tooth and gums. Curve the floss into a C shape against the tooth as it reaches the gum line. Carefully rub the side of the tooth with an up-and-down motion, following the tooth’s shape.
This C-shape is what allows the floss to enter the shallow pocket between the tooth and gum, reaching the plaque that accumulates just below the visible gum margin. Sliding the floss straight up and down without curving it means you are cleaning the visible surfaces of the tooth but missing the most critical area.
Once you have cleaned one side, move the floss to curve against the tooth on the other side of the same gap, and repeat. Two sides to every space.
Step 5: Advance to a clean section for each tooth
As you move from tooth to tooth, unwind a small amount of fresh floss from one finger and wind the used section onto the other. By the end of your mouth, you should have used the full length of floss, with each gap having been cleaned with a fresh section. This is why 18 inches matters.
Step 6: Do not forget the back of the last molars
The back surface of your last molar on each side has no neighbouring tooth, but it still accumulates plaque and needs to be cleaned. Curve the floss against the back surface of each molar and clean it with the same up-and-down motion.
The Most Common Flossing Mistakes
- Use a fresh section for every gap instead of one to avoid the distribution of bacteria.
- Forcing the floss down sharply injures the delicate gum tissue between teeth.
- Using the C-shape is the entire point of the technique. Straight up-and-down motion against the tooth only cleans the crown surface.
- Flossing too fast is also wrong. The process should take about two minutes for a full adult mouth.
- The last mistake is forgetting back teeth. Make a deliberate effort to include them every time.
Flossing With Braces, Bridges, and Implants
Standard string flossing becomes significantly more complicated when there is hardware in the way.
For braces, the archwire blocks direct access between teeth. A floss threader, a small plastic loop that helps you pass floss under the wire, is the standard approach. Thread the floss under the wire between each bracket, then use the C-shape technique as normal. This takes longer, typically ten to fifteen minutes for a full clean, but it is necessary. Waxed floss is preferred over unwaxed for braces because it is less likely to shred around brackets and wires.
A water flosser is also highly practical for braces. It reaches around brackets and along the gum line without requiring threading, and research specifically in orthodontic patients shows it is effective at reducing plaque accumulation around hardware.
For bridges and implants, the area beneath the bridge pontic and around the implant post needs direct cleaning. A floss threader or super floss allows you to pass cleaning material under the bridge. Interdental brushes also work well for this. Do not skip these areas because they feel inaccessible.
Making Flossing a Habit
The clinical evidence on flossing is clear. The harder problem is behavioural. Most people know they should floss; getting them to do it daily is a different challenge.
A few things help. Keeping floss visible on the bathroom counter rather than inside a cabinet removes the friction of having to retrieve it. Pairing it with an existing habit, always flossing immediately before brushing at night, gives it a consistent anchor rather than leaving it as a standalone task that is easy to postpone.
Floss picks kept in a desk drawer or car glovebox make it accessible during the day. Starting with children as soon as two teeth touch creates a habit that is far easier to maintain than to form in adulthood.
Flossing should become part of your child’s dental care routine as soon as they have two teeth that touch. Kids usually take over around age 10 or 11, when their hands are ready to hold floss or other cleaning tools.
If you have been avoiding flossing because it causes bleeding or discomfort, the answer is almost always to floss more regularly with the correct technique, not to stop. Give it two consistent weeks. For the vast majority of patients, the bleeding resolves, the gums firm up, and what felt uncomfortable becomes routine.
