How to Start Flossing in the New Year

Flossing is one of the most important things you can do to protect your oral health, yet it’s one aspect of dental hygiene that tends to be neglected. With the new year right around the corner, now’s a good time to try and incorporate flossing into your daily routine.

Of course, that’s easier said than done. Any time you try and commit to something new, there are bound to be some bumps in the road. Here are a few ways that you can make a flossing habit stick.

Remember Why Flossing Is Important

It can be very easy to lose motivation when you start something new, so you should try and remember why you started in the first place. If you’re only brushing, bacteria can start to form into plaque deposits between your teeth. Excess plaque, in addition to not looking very good, can contribute to gum disease and bad breath. Flossing is the best way to directly target these plaque deposits, and once you start doing it regularly, you’ll be surprised at how big the difference is.

Make Flossing Easy

Flossing can be a little bit tricky, especially if you aren’t used to it. You might not be a fan of putting your fingers in your mouth, or you could find it a little difficult to reach the back molars. In any case, you might want to ask your dentist to recommend tools that can make the task easier. Floss threaders, interdental brushes, and oral irrigation tools can all are can all be used to help you break up plaque deposits.

You should also keep in mind that there’s no wrong time of day to floss. Some people start by flossing at the end of the day, and find that they have trouble doing it properly when they’re tired. Feel free to clean your teeth whenever you think that it would be easiest.

Set Reminders for Yourself

At the end of the day, people are busy—they may just forget to floss. Once you’ve made it a part of your routine it’ll be easy to remember, but until then you may have to set reminders for yourself.

There’s no shortage of apps and timers that can ping you every day to remind you to floss. If you’d prefer the low-tech method, sticky notes can also be helpful. Finally, you can always try leaving your floss out in the open, in a place where you’d be likely to notice it.

Once you start flossing regularly, “protecting oral health” won’t just feel like an abstraction. You’ll be able to run your tongue across your teeth and revel in how good you feel. That makes flossing a new year’s resolution worth keeping.

About the Author

Dr. J. Peter St. Clair has been a dentist since 1995, and in that time he’s learned that prevention is the best treatment. He’ll lend his patients his extensive knowledge of dental medicine, and is happy to help them take charge of their oral health. Dr. St. Clair received his Doctor of Dental Medicine from the Tufts University School of Dental Medicine. He was also a Faculty Club member at Spear Education, a prestigious post-graduate education facility, for over twenty years. If you have any questions about the benefits of flossing, he can be reached at his website or by phone at (978) 948-2030.