Though most kids don’t love flossing, it’s an essential part of a good dental care routine. Floss removes plaque and bacteria buildup from areas where a brush cannot reach—up to 40% of the tooth’s surface. However, you’ll need to teach your children how to floss correctly to keep their gums and teeth healthy. Learn how with the following tips.

How to Floss Properly

1. Use the Proper Amount

Flossing can be tricky when you use too little thread. The right length is about 18 inches, so each tooth surface can have a clean section of floss.

2. Technique

Wind a longer section of floss around the middle finger of your child’s non-dominant hand and a shorter section around the  middle finger of the other hand. Leave about two inches between with which to floss. Using the index fingers, guide the thread between the teeth with a gentle back and forth motion, then scrape each tooth with the floss in an up and down motion making sure to go under the gums. Use a clean section for each tooth, winding the used floss around the finger of the dominant hand. 

3. Clean the Whole Surface

Teach your child to clean up under the gum line with a gentle C-shaped motion. Gums may be tender or bleed if they haven’t flossed in a while, but this should go away in a few days. If it doesn’t, see a dentist.

4. Pick the Right Floss

There are several forms of floss: waxed, unwaxed, and tape. Waxed works better for tight spaces between teeth, whereas unwaxed or tape helps with gaps or larger spaces. Since kids often have wider spaces, a fun-flavored tape is a suitable dental care option. Super Floss™, which has a stiffer monofilament tip, followed by fuzzy floss then regular floss is beneficial for those with braces or bridges. Kids who have difficulty flossing may find flossing sticks easier.

The dentists at Pedodontic Associates can teach you and your child proper flossing techniques and recommend kid-friendly products. Their team has served Oahu and Maui with the best pediatric dental care for over 25 years. Their focus is on prevention, education, and early detection of dental disease or issues. Call (808) 735-1733 for appointments in Honolulu, (808) 487-7933 for Aiea, or (808) 877-0066 for Kahului. Visit their website for more dental care tips.