Should you brush or floss first?

By Team Pearlii2 min read
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As we grow up, we all develop little personal care habits that quickly become ingrained in our routine. How you tie your shoelaces, or how you get dressed, are personal preferences that don’t have a right or wrong answer.  

When it comes to your dental health, however, there is a particular order of doing things that is backed up by scientific research. The first step in your dental routine should be (drum roll) flossing.  

Want to know why?

Flossing loosens

Here’s a fun fact for you: that soft plaque between your teeth can turn into hardened tartar after just 24 hours. Yikes!  

This is why it’s important to use dental floss every day, and not just do a ‘panic floss’ before your next dentist appointment.

Dental flossing helps loosen the larger pieces of trapped food, which can then be swept away by your toothbrush bristles.

Flossing + Fluoride = Best friends forever

Did you know that each tooth has five surfaces? The three sides you can see, plus the two sides pressing up against neighbouring teeth.

This means that bamboo toothbrush of yours only cleans the surfaces you can see, while flossing wiggles into those hidden spots to clean the other two surfaces. When you clear out those spaces between your teeth, you create tiny grooves that allow your toothpaste to infiltrate.

Why does this matter? Because the fluoride in your toothpaste helps to strengthen your enamel, which prevents tooth decay.

Floss first to fight against forgetting

Our busy life means it is easy to get distracted, and rush through your dental health routine at the end of a long, hard day. 

But here’s the rub: if you floss your teeth after brushing, then you are more likely to forget. 

While we know it might be tempting to think ‘I’ll just do it tomorrow’, it’s essential to clear away that plaque before it hardens. Otherwise, it’ll take you a trip to the dentist to get your tartar build-up removed. 

Hopefully, we’ve convinced you to adopt the ‘floss first philosophy’.

Get your hands on some Biofloss Easy Picks to enhance your dental routine.

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