Should you floss before or after brushing? Floss first. Cleaning between your teeth before you brush loosens food and plaque, and brushing then clears it away. Australian dental guidance is to clean between your teeth at least once a day. This guide covers when to floss, how often, how to do it properly, and what it means if your gums bleed.
Do you floss or brush first?
Floss first, then brush. Flossing breaks up the plaque and food packed between the teeth. When you brush afterwards with fluoride toothpaste, the bristles sweep the loosened debris away and the fluoride can reach more of each tooth.
If you already floss after brushing every day, do not worry. Cleaning between your teeth daily matters more than the order you do it in.
How often should you floss?
At least once a day. Most people find it easiest at night, before the final brush of the day, because that removes what has built up since the morning. Flossing more often than once a day is fine if you do it gently, but once a day done well is enough for most people.
The benefits of flossing
A toothbrush cleans the front, back and biting surface of each tooth. It cannot reach the surfaces where two teeth touch, and those surfaces are where a lot of decay and gum disease starts. Cleaning between your teeth:
- removes plaque from places a toothbrush cannot reach
- lowers the risk of decay between the teeth
- helps prevent gum inflammation and gum disease
- helps with bad breath caused by trapped food and plaque
- stops plaque hardening into tartar, which only a dental professional can remove
How to floss properly
- Break off about 30 to 45 cm of floss and wind most of it around your middle fingers.
- Hold a short section tight between your thumbs and index fingers.
- Slide the floss gently between two teeth. Do not snap it down onto the gum.
- Curve the floss around one tooth in a C shape and move it gently up and down, going just under the gum line.
- Do the same on the neighbouring tooth, then move to a clean section of floss for the next gap.
How do you floss your back teeth?
Back molars are the teeth most often missed. Use a slightly longer piece of floss, close your mouth a little so your cheek relaxes, and guide the floss back with one finger inside the cheek. Remember the far side of the very last tooth. If you cannot manage with string floss, a floss holder or an interdental brush is easier to control at the back of the mouth.
Floss, interdental brushes or a water flosser?
String floss suits teeth that sit close together. Interdental brushes are small brushes that push through the gap, and they work well for wider spaces, bridges, implants and braces. They come in several sizes and the right one fits snugly without being forced. Water flossers can help people who find floss or brushes hard to use. Ask us at your next visit which option suits your teeth.
Why do my gums bleed when I floss?
Bleeding when you floss is usually a sign that the gums are inflamed because plaque has been sitting along the gum line. Healthy gums do not bleed. Bleeding does not mean you should stop. Keep cleaning between your teeth gently every day, because the gums cannot settle while the plaque is still there.
If your gums still bleed after two weeks of careful daily cleaning, or they are swollen, sore or receding, book a dental check-up. Read more in why are my gums bleeding? and about gum disease treatment in Penrith.
Flossing FAQs
Is it bad to floss every day?
No. Daily cleaning between the teeth is what dental guidance recommends. Be gentle and do not saw the floss into the gum.
Should children floss?
Once two teeth touch, the surfaces between them need cleaning. An adult should do this for young children until they can manage it themselves.
Can flossing replace brushing?
No. Flossing cleans between the teeth and brushing cleans the other surfaces. You need both, along with fluoride toothpaste.
Does it matter what time of day I floss?
Not much. Choose a time you will keep to. Night-time works well for most people.
Book a check-up and clean in Penrith
If you would like someone to check your technique or recommend the right interdental brush size, we can go through it at your next visit. Read about our scale and clean and oral hygiene care, or book an appointment at Penrith Dental Care, 42 Castlereagh Street, Penrith.
Source: Healthdirect Australia, Dental care and teeth cleaning (last reviewed November 2024); Australian Dental Association, Flossing. This article is general information only and does not replace an assessment with a registered dental practitioner.
Looking for more dental health tips? Browse all articles on the Penrith Dental Care blog, or meet the Penrith Dental Care team. Have a question? See our dental FAQ.
Reviewed by Mina Gibryal, Penrith Dental Care, October 2026. This article is general information and does not replace advice from your own dental practitioner.