---
title: "What Is Flossing? Dental Glossary | Town Center Dental"
description: "Flossing is cleaning between your teeth with a thin strand of floss to remove plaque and food. The ADA recommends doing it once a day."
url: https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/flossing
publisher: Town Center Dental
phone: +1-636-273-5866
quote: https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/request-appointment
---

Prevention and Hygiene

# Flossing

Flossing is cleaning between your teeth with a thin strand of floss to remove plaque and food. The ADA recommends doing it once a day.

Brushing cannot fully clean the spaces between teeth. The ADA recommends you floss once a day to remove food particles and plaque. Plaque that is not cleaned away can harden into tartar, which only a dentist can remove, and it can lead to gum disease.

Any time of day works. The most important thing is to make it a daily habit. Slide the floss gently between teeth and curve it around each tooth. Cleaning between teeth should not cause pain. If it hurts, tell your dentist.

If string floss is hard to use, other tools may help, such as picks, an [interdental brush](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/interdental-brush), or a [water flosser](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/water-flosser). ADA data shows that interdental cleaning adds benefits when used with brushing. See [brushing technique](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/brushing-technique) and plaque.

[Town Center Dental can helpTeeth Cleaning](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/services/teeth-cleaning)

## Related terms

-   [Interdental brush](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/interdental-brush)
-   [Water flosser](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/water-flosser)
-   [Brushing technique](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/brushing-technique)
-   [Dental plaque](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/dental-plaque)
-   [Oral hygiene](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/glossary/oral-hygiene)

## Sources

1.  [ADA MouthHealthy: Floss](https://www.mouthhealthy.org/all-topics-a-z/flossing)
2.  [ADA MouthHealthy: Floss](https://www.mouthhealthy.org/all-topics-a-z/flossing)

## Ready when you are

[Request an appointment](https://towncenterdental.multisites.ai/request-appointment)[Call (636) 273-5866](tel:+1-636-273-5866)