Brushing or flossing: which should be done first?

"All we want to know is that you're flossing," says Nadia Kobagi, a dental hygiene clinical assistant professor at the School of Dentistry. "Personally, I floss first but we just want to see that you are flossing."

When it comes to flossing, there are many different types of flosses to choose from. Here are a few to consider:

Traditional dental floss comes in either waxed or unwaxed form, both of which are equally effective.

Disposable floss picks are an easy-to-use alternative to traditional dental floss. They have a plastic handle with the floss across the top. You simply insert the floss between your teeth and when done throw it out.

Non-disposable floss picks have a longer handle and floss head. You can purchase replacement floss heads for these. The non-disposable floss picks are ideal for people who have trouble flossing their back teeth.

The interdental brushes are easier to use for flossing over traditional thread floss. They have a thin bristled flossing head and do not need to be thrown out after each use.

Water flossers or water picks use a stream of water to clean between your teeth. Water picks are ideal for people who don't want to use traditional dental floss or have tight spaces between their teeth.