Is It Better to Floss Before or After Brushing?

Brushing and flossing teeth is a daily ritual, but there's one thing we bet you still don't about this crucial oral hygiene routine: should you brush your teeth first, or floss them first? At Children's Dentistry of Amarillo, we strive to be a comprehensive pediatric dentistry resource for patients throughout the greater Amarillo, TX area. So today, we want to shed some light on this common question.

Brushing First vs. Flossing First

Most people brush their teeth first and floss afterwards – but is this really the best way to perform oral hygiene? As it turns out, it's mostly a matter of personal preference.

The truth is that there's little research to indicate that one order is better than another. Instead, what matters most is the act of brushing and flossing on a daily basis. That said, your Amarillo pediatric dentist does have a personal recommendation on which order to choose: floss first. There's no evidence to indicate that there's a dental health benefit to flossing before brushing, but chances are that you're much more likely to skip flossing than to skip brushing. If that's the case, flossing before your brush your teeth helps remove the temptation to skip flossing, safeguarding your oral hygiene and dental health.

Contact Your Amarillo Pediatric Dentist

In our opinion, it's better to floss before you brush, but at the end of the day the choice is yours. So long as you diligently brush your teeth twice a day and floss once per day, you're helping to maintain good oral hygiene and protect your teeth from decay. If you have more questions about how to maintain oral hygiene, feel free to reach out to us at our contact page and we'd be happy answer them. Until then, we wish you luck in taking great care of your teeth, whether you floss them or brush them first!