How to Make Flossing Easy in the New Year

With the new year finally here, you’re probably getting started on your resolutions. A common one is to start flossing; this is an aspect of dental hygiene that many people neglect and are interested in taking a bit more seriously.

However, lots of times starting a new habit is harder than it looks. If you have struggled to commit to flossing in the past, it may be that you need to take a take a different approach to the problem.

Here are a few tips and tricks you can use to make flossing a consistent part of your dental hygiene routine.

Keep It Top of Mind

One of the hardest parts of adopting a new habit is just remembering day-to-day what you’re trying to do. If you plan to floss at night, for example, you might find it all-too-easy to just roll into bed without taking the time to clean your teeth.

For this reason, it’s often a good idea to leave your floss somewhere you’re likely to see it. If you plan to floss in the bathroom, for example, you might leave your dental floss on the bathroom counter as opposed to inside a drawer.

Pick Your Time

When people set out to start flossing, they usually decide to do it first thing in the morning or just before going to bed. However, this isn’t necessarily ideal for everyone.

If you have found in the past that flossing is hard to fit into your schedule, you might try taking another approach. You could start carrying floss with you and doing it when you find it convenient; this will give you a sense of when you have a little bit of time to think about dental hygiene. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter much when you floss so long as you’re consistent.

Find the Right Tools

Ultimately, some people just aren’t fans of dental floss. Wrapping a thin plastic thread around your fingers and sticking them deep into your mouth is difficult for some and can present resistance when trying to make flossing a habit.

If that sounds like you, you might want to think about some alternative methods of flossing. Interdental brushes, for example, are thin plastic picks that can effectively clean between the teeth without the need for dental floss.

About Our Practice

Welcome to the office of Laura Phillips, DMD! We pride ourselves on doing things differently than other dentists. Not only do we make use of our extensive expertise to treat our patients, but we also form strong relationships with them based on trust. We will get to know you as individuals and will take the time to make sure that any treatment that you receive from us will be custom-tailored to you specifically.

If you have any questions about how to best maintain your oral health, we can be reached at our website or by phone at (432) 570-4433.