Floss Your Way To A Healthier Mouth And A Healthier Body!

Medically Reviewed by Dr. Bryant Birch, DDS on July 29, 2026

If you brush twice a day but skip flossing, your smile is not the only thing that pays the price. Your toothbrush can reach the front, back, and top of each tooth, but it cannot get between them or below the gum line, where a sticky, bacteria filled film called dental plaque builds up every day. Flossing is the only way to physically break up that plaque before it hardens and starts to affect your gums, your teeth, and, over time, your overall health.

At Birch Family Dental, we bring up flossing with our patients at almost every visit, not because we enjoy repeating ourselves, but because the research behind this simple daily habit keeps getting stronger. Alongside the general dentistry and preventive care we provide in Green River, flossing is one of the most affordable, low effort steps you can take to protect your smile and support your whole body health for years to come.

What Flossing Actually Does for Your Teeth and Gums

Dental plaque is a soft, sticky biofilm made up of bacteria, food particles, and saliva. It forms on your teeth constantly, and if it is not removed, it can calcify into a harder deposit called tartar, or calculus, that can only be removed by our hygienists during a professional cleaning. Brushing alone cleans roughly three of the five surfaces on each tooth. Flossing reaches the two surfaces in between, where your toothbrush bristles cannot go.

Without daily flossing, plaque continues to accumulate along the gum line and between teeth, where it can irritate gum tissue and, over time, contribute to tooth decay. A minute or two of flossing each day helps interrupt that buildup before it becomes a bigger problem, which is why we consider it just as important as brushing, not a lesser, optional step.

From Gingivitis to Periodontitis: Understanding Gum Disease Progression

Gum disease develops in stages, and catching it early matters. Gingivitis is the earliest stage, and it can show up in as little as a day or two of missed oral hygiene. Gums may look red or puffy, and they may bleed when you brush or floss. The good news is that gingivitis is generally reversible with consistent brushing, flossing, and professional cleanings.

Left unaddressed, gingivitis can progress into periodontitis, a more serious inflammatory condition in which the gums begin to pull away from the teeth and the supporting bone and tissue can be affected. We cover the different stages and types of gum disease in more detail elsewhere on our site, and our periodontal care services are designed to treat gum disease at any stage, from a simple deep cleaning to more advanced periodontal therapy.

How Plaque and Bacteria Can Affect Your Whole Body

Your mouth is directly connected to the rest of your body through your bloodstream. When plaque bacteria are allowed to build up along the gums, they can enter the bloodstream through inflamed or bleeding tissue. Once there, this bacteria and the inflammation it causes are not necessarily contained to your mouth. We go into more depth on how plaque forms and builds up on your teeth in another post, but the short version is that consistent flossing is one of the simplest ways to keep that bacterial load in check.

Researchers have long studied associations between gum disease and conditions such as diabetes, kidney disease, and arthritis. People managing diabetes, in particular, may find that gum inflammation and blood sugar control can influence one another, which is one reason we encourage extra attention to flossing during diabetes awareness efforts and at every visit for patients managing the condition.

The Connection Between Gum Health and Heart Disease

Of all the systemic connections tied to oral health, the link between gum disease and cardiovascular health has received some of the most attention from researchers. According to a 2024 report from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, decades of federally funded research have found associations between periodontal disease and conditions including cardiovascular disease, stroke, and diabetes, with inflammation from gum disease potentially contributing to inflammation elsewhere in the body. We share more on this topic, including what the research shows and how heart healthy oral habits can help, in our post on the hidden heart connection in your mouth.

None of this means flossing alone can prevent heart disease or any other systemic condition, since these diseases have many contributing factors. It does mean that a consistent flossing habit is a low cost, low risk way to support both your oral health and your broader wellness routine.

How to Floss Correctly, Step by Step

Technique matters as much as consistency. Start by taking out about 18 to 24 inches of floss and winding most of it around your middle fingers, leaving one to two inches to work with between your thumbs and index fingers. Slide the floss gently between each tooth using a back and forth sawing motion rather than snapping it into place, which can irritate or damage your gum tissue.

Once the floss is between two teeth, curve it into a C shape against one tooth and slide it up and down below the gum line, then repeat against the neighboring tooth before moving on. Unwind a fresh section of floss as you move from tooth to tooth so you are always working with a clean segment rather than redistributing bacteria you just removed.

Flossing Options Beyond Traditional String Floss

If traditional string floss is not comfortable for you, you still have several effective alternatives to choose from:

• Interdental brushes: These tiny brushes clean between teeth and around dental bridges, and they can be easier to handle for people with joint or mobility issues.
• Rubber tips or wooden plaque removers: These tools slide back and forth to loosen debris in tight spaces.
• Water flossers: These devices use a thin, pressurized stream of water to clean between teeth and along the gum line.
• Pre-threaded flossing picks: These picks help you scrape away food particles and plaque without wrapping floss around your fingers.

Any of these tools can be effective when used daily, so the best option is the one you will actually use consistently.

Who Should Floss Every Day

Everyone benefits from daily flossing, but it is especially important if you have tight contacts between your teeth or dental restorations such as implants, bridges, crowns, dentures, or veneers. Patients undergoing orthodontic treatment, whether with braces or clear aligners, also need diligent flossing, since plaque can build up around brackets, wires, and aligner trays and lead to decay or gum irritation by the time treatment is complete.

Should You Floss Before or After Brushing?

Flossing before brushing can help loosen food particles and plaque so that brushing and rinsing can carry them away, rather than leaving them behind until your next brushing session. The American Dental Association recommends flossing at least once a day and brushing twice a day, and the order matters less than the consistency.

As a general habit, we recommend flossing before bed, when plaque and food particles have had all day to accumulate and your mouth will otherwise go hours without saliva to help rinse it away overnight.

Building Flossing into Your Long Term Oral Health Routine

Flossing takes about a minute of your day, and it can make a meaningful difference in how your next dental visit goes. To further reduce harmful bacteria at the gum line, we also start every hygiene appointment with laser bacterial reduction, a technology that targets bacteria before your cleaning even begins, working alongside the daily habits you build at home.

Good oral health is a partnership between what you do every day and the professional care we provide during your routine cleanings and exams. If it has been a while since your last checkup, or you have questions about the best flossing tools or technique for your smile, our team is glad to walk through it with you at your next visit. You can reach out anytime through our contact page to schedule an appointment.

Frequently Asked Questions About Flossing and Oral Health