1. Wash your hands before and after flossing.

2. Brush your teeth and the top of your tongue.

3. Floss correctly by following the 5 each steps.

4. Gently see-saw the floss between your teeth.

5. Do not snap the floss between your teeth. Snapping will cut your gums and could allow bacteria to enter your blood stream (bacteremia).

6. If flossing is painful, you are not doing it correctly.

7. After flossing between a few teeth, advance the floss to a clean place by taking an additional wrap around your left index finger and letting up about an inch of new floss from your right index finger.

8. After brushing and flossing, use a Dental Wash Bottle to flush away loosened debris between your teeth. If your gums bleed, use a saline solution in the wash bottle. Make the solution by dissolving about one teaspoon of ordinary table salt in about one cup of warm water.

9. If you have places between your teeth where floss tears, ask your dentist to smooth those places.