Many parents know that flossing is an important part of having good dental habits.  Therefore it is equally important to know how to floss correctly.  Here are the steps of flossing.

Step 1: Floss before brushing your teeth.

Step 2: Take the floss and measure an arms length of floss or approximately 18 inches, wind each end of the floss around your middle fingers. Grasp 1 to 2 inches of the floss with your index finger and thumb

Step 3: Gently glide the floss in between the teeth in a sawing motion, being careful not to snap the floss between the teeth as this may cause trauma to gum tissue.

Step 4: Angle the floss so it hugs the tooth in a “c” shape. Gently slide the floss up and down the surface of the tooth making sure it goes slightly below the gum line. When complete, angle the floss to hug the tooth in the opposite direction, and repeat this step and continue flossing all of the upper and lower teeth

Step 5: Try working in a clockwise direction, beginning with your upper molars on your left side and then ending with your lower molars on your left side. As you move on to each set teeth, unwind the floss from your fingers, and rewind it so there is a clean section of floss to use.

Step 6: When you have finished flossing your teeth, follow with brushing and rinse with either water or mouthwash.