How Often Should I Brush And Floss My Teeth?
Brush your teeth twice a day for about two minutes, and floss once a day. Brushing last thing at night is the most important one. If floss is fiddly, interdental brushes do the same job, and many people find them easier. Floss before you brush, then spit out the toothpaste rather than rinsing.
| Brushing | Twice a day, about 2 minutes each time, with a fluoride toothpaste (at least 1,350ppm for adults). Always last thing at night. |
| Flossing | Once a day, with floss or interdental brushes. Best done before you brush. |
That’s the short version. Below, our dental team answers the questions patients ask us most about both, from whether to brush before or after breakfast to what it means when your gums bleed.
How often should you brush your teeth?
Twice a day, for about two minutes each time. The NHS recommends brushing last thing at night and at one other time of day. For most people that second brush is in the morning.
The night-time brush matters most. Saliva flow drops while you sleep, so your teeth have less natural protection, and any plaque left behind has hours to work on them. Brushing just before bed leaves a layer of fluoride on your teeth overnight.
Two minutes feels longer than you’d think, and it’s easy to stop short. A phone timer or an electric brush with a built-in timer helps.
Can you brush your teeth too much?
Brushing more than twice a day doesn’t add much, and the bigger risk is brushing too hard. Heavy pressure and a scrubbing action wear down enamel over time and can make gums recede. Use a soft or medium brush and let it do the work.
Timing matters too. Acidic food and drink, like fruit juice, fizzy drinks and citrus, soften the enamel for a short while. Brushing straight afterwards can wear it away, so wait about an hour before you brush.
Should you brush before or after breakfast?
Either is fine, as long as you brush twice a day. If your breakfast includes orange juice or fruit, brushing before you eat is often easier, because you don’t need to wait an hour afterwards. If you prefer to brush after breakfast, leave that hour first.
How to brush your teeth properly
- Use a fluoride toothpaste. The NHS says adults should use one with at least 1,350ppm fluoride. Check the back of the tube.
- Clean the outside, inside and chewing surface of every tooth. Angle the bristles towards the gumline and use small, gentle movements.
- Spit out the excess toothpaste, but don’t rinse with water. Rinsing washes away the fluoride that helps protect your teeth.
- Manual and electric brushes both work if you reach every surface. Many people find an electric brush makes that easier.
- Replace your toothbrush or brush head every three months, or sooner if the bristles splay.
How often should you floss your teeth?
Once a day is the standard advice from UK dental organisations on how often to floss. Even a perfect brushing routine misses part of the job. Your toothbrush cleans the front, back and biting surfaces of each tooth, but it can’t get into the tight spaces in between. Plaque sits there undisturbed, and that’s where gum disease and decay between the teeth often start.
Morning or night doesn’t matter much. Pick the time you’re most likely to stick to. For most people that’s the evening, when there’s less of a rush.
Is once a day enough, or can you floss too much?
So how many times a day should you floss? For most people, once. One thorough clean a day is enough. Plaque takes time to build up and harden, so a careful daily clean breaks it up before it causes problems.
More isn’t always better. Flossing several times a day with too much pressure can irritate your gums. If food gets stuck after a meal, remove it gently. One careful clean beats three rushed ones.
Should you floss before or after brushing?
Before. The NHS recommends cleaning between your teeth first. It loosens trapped food and plaque, and your brushing then clears it away.
If you like using mouthwash, save it for a different time of day, such as after lunch, so it doesn’t wash away the fluoride from your toothpaste.
Floss, interdental brushes or water flossers: which is best?
The best tool is the one that fits your teeth and that you’ll actually use.
- Floss. Best for tight gaps where nothing else fits. Use about 45cm, wind it round your middle fingers, and guide it gently up and down against each tooth, just under the gumline. A floss holder makes the back teeth easier.
- Interdental brushes. Small brushes made in different sizes. Many people find them quicker and easier than floss. The brush should fit snugly without being forced, and you may need more than one size for different gaps.
- Water flossers. These clean between the teeth with a jet of water. They can help if you find floss fiddly, or if you have braces, bridges or implants. Ask your hygienist whether one would suit you.
Skip wooden toothpicks. The NHS warns they can damage your gums and lead to infection.
If you’re not sure which size or tool to use, ask at your next check-up or hygiene visit. We can measure the gaps between your teeth and show you exactly what to buy.
Is it normal for your gums to bleed when you floss?
A little bleeding is common for the first few days after you start cleaning between your teeth. It usually settles as your gums get healthier.
If it carries on beyond a week of daily cleaning, book in with your dentist or hygienist. Bleeding gums are one of the first signs of gum disease, and at the early stage (gingivitis) it can usually be turned around with good cleaning at home and a professional clean. Don’t stop because your gums bleed. Leaving the plaque there tends to make things worse.
Cleaning between your teeth with braces, aligners, bridges or implants
- Invisalign and clear aligners. Take your aligners out, clean between your teeth, brush, then put them back in. Food trapped under an aligner sits against your teeth for hours. Find out more about Invisalign at Woodcroft.
- Fixed braces. Floss threaders or small interdental brushes get under the wire. A water flosser helps here too.
- Bridges. Use a floss threader or spongy floss to clean under the false tooth, where food collects. More on crowns and bridges.
- Dental implants. An implant can’t decay, but the gum and bone around it can still become inflamed. Clean around it every day with the interdental brush or floss your dentist recommends, and keep up your hygiene visits. Read about dental implants.
When to see a dentist or hygienist
Book an appointment if you notice:
- gums that bleed regularly when you brush or floss
- red, swollen or sore gums
- bad breath that doesn’t go away
- teeth that feel loose
Even with a great routine at home, a hygienist can remove the hardened tartar that floss and brushes can’t shift.
At Woodcroft Dental in Midhurst, hygienist appointments start from £84 (see our prices), and they’re included in Denplan Care depending on your category. Call us on 01730 812053 or book online, and we’ll check your brushing and show you exactly how to clean between your teeth.
Sources
Denplan: Cleaning between your teeth