How to Make Flossing First Part of Your Routine
For many, a tooth-brushing session first thing in the morning and last thing before hopping into bed at night is second nature. However, adding flossing to a daily routine hasn’t caught on for a majority of Americans. In fact, a survey from the ADA found just 16% of respondents floss at least once a day, 20% said they floss only when they need to or if something is stuck in their teeth, and 8% said they never floss.5 Of those who don’t floss daily, more than half said their reasoning is because they find that the task is too time consuming.5
While it may add an extra step to your oral hygiene routine, when you brush and floss, you can keep your mouth cleaner and provide your teeth extra protection from decay.
To get in the habit of flossing, choose a time you’ll do it daily, whether that’s in the morning, after lunch, or at night. This is all about personal preference: You might prefer heading into the day with a freshly flossed mouth, keeping your teeth clean after lunch, or going to bed post-floss and brush.
Keep your floss right next to your toothpaste and toothbrush and make sure it is visible. Having it out can help serve as a reminder to not skip the step. Then, floss every day before you brush for at least one week. Once you’ve made it a week, set a goal to keep it up for one more. Soon enough, you won’t even have to think about it anymore.
