Most people, thankfully, don't have too much trouble brushing their teeth every day. When it comes to flossing, however, some people can only manage to do so sporadically while others almost never do. This is very unfortunate, as flossing is even more important for your dental health than brushing is!
The problem is that flossing can be a very difficult habit to get in to. But, as with all habits, once you do get into it you will likely find it easy to floss every day. Here are 4 tips to help you start flossing:
1. Do it right before or after one of your other daily tasks
Sometimes it's not that you don't have the drive and motivation to floss your teeth, it's that you simply forget and only remember once you're all tucked in to bed. The best way to get around this is to commit to flossing right after something else that you do every day. The best and most convenient time for you will likely be right before or after you brush your teeth, or right before or after you take your evening shower.
2. Leave yourself a reminder or a visual cue
But what happens if you always forget to stick to the above commitment? You should try leaving some reminders for yourself for the first few days. Put a sticky note right on your bathroom mirror or even on your toothbrush holder. That way, as you reach for your toothbrush, you'll be reminded to floss first instead. Leave the floss out and in an obvious place as well.
3. Ease into it
All habits take a while to form, but for some reason people expect themselves to pick up flossing overnight, and are disappointed when they forget for the next several days. Instead of committing to daily flossing right off the bat, consider starting out with just one day a week. Then, over time, you can move it up to a few days a week, and eventually get to a point where you floss every day.
4. Ditch the regular floss and use a flossing stick
Finally, none of the first three tips are likely to be much help to you if forgetfulness isn’t your problem, but because you simply can't stand the process. Floss is a finicky thing, and finding ways to get it around all of your teeth can be an enormous hassle. You should definitely consider using a flossing stick instead of regular floss. This will make it much easier to reach all of your teeth with minimal effort.
Give these tips a try, and in no time it will seem like second nature to floss your teeth every day.
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