Your toothbrush does a great job cleaning the front and back of your teeth, but it cannot fit into the tiny spaces between them. That is where dental floss comes in! Floss is a thin string that slides between your teeth to remove food and plaque that your toothbrush misses.
You only need to floss once a day, and it just takes a couple of minutes. A grown-up can help you wrap the floss around your fingers and gently guide it between each tooth. It might feel a little strange at first, but you will get used to it quickly!
Flossing along with brushing helps keep your whole mouth clean and your teeth healthy for years to come. Food that gets stuck between your teeth can cause cavities and make your gums sore. Flossing gets rid of that hidden food and keeps your smile sparkling!
- If you don’t floss, you are missing about 35 percent of your tooth surfaces when you clean!
- Floss has been around for over 200 years.
- If you lined up all the floss used in the United States in one year, it would stretch to the moon and back!
OtterKnow Kids Encyclopedia