Brushing and Flossing: Which Should Come First?

You’ve probably heard that the health of your pearly whites and your overall health are connected. This is one reason that you should brush your teeth twice every day and floss daily. Still, while brushing and flossing are important for keeping your teeth clean, do you know which you should do first? Similarly, do you ever wonder if there’s anything you can do to make your teeth even cleaner?

When you brush your teeth, please use small circular motions rather than moving your brush up and down. If you use an electronic toothbrush, we recommend making sure the head rotates in a circular motion. It’s also important that you brush at a 45-degree angle. Holding your brush at this angle will let you remove more bacteria than you could otherwise. Finally, every time you brush, please remember to do so for two minutes.

Flossing properly is also very important to your oral health. You should use 18 inches of floss each time you floss so you don’t spread plaque between teeth. It’s also important that you move your floss up and down and that you form your floss into a “c” shape. Please remember that you shouldn’t pull your floss back and forth. It’s also important that you use your floss to clean below your gumline since your brush can’t reach that area.

Of course, you’ll need to choose whether you’ll brush or floss first. Some people argue that brushing first makes flossing more efficient. Others claim that flossing first will let you remove more food particles from your teeth. However, neither option is bad.

If you’d like to learn more about caring for your teeth in Mill Valley, California, please feel free to give Mill Valley Dental a call at 415-578-5879. Dr. Sohrab Saghezchi and our team will be happy to answer your questions. We’re excited to hear from you soon.