By Pete Volk — 25-year veteran of the dental industry (Director of Strategic Accounts, DCI Edge), writing here strictly as a patient — Last updated August 20, 2026
Flossing is the one thing almost every patient claims to do more consistently than they actually do — myself included, for a lot of years. What changed it for me wasn’t willpower, it was asking better questions at my cleanings instead of just nodding along when I got the “you should floss more” talk.
“Which specific teeth are you seeing plaque or tartar between?”
This turned everything around for me. Instead of a vague reminder, my hygienist pointed to two specific spots in my lower back teeth where I was consistently missing. Knowing exactly where to focus made the habit feel worth doing — I wasn’t flossing 32 teeth’s worth of gaps out of guilt, I was targeting two real problem spots.
“Am I actually doing this right, or just going through the motions?”
I asked my hygienist to watch me floss one tooth in the chair. Turns out I was snapping the floss straight down instead of curving it against each tooth — a habit I’d had for probably fifteen years without knowing it was wrong. One thirty-second demonstration fixed something I’d been doing incorrectly for a decade and a half.
“Would a water flosser or interdental brush actually work better for me than string floss?”
I have tighter contacts between some teeth and wider gaps between others, and I asked directly whether one tool would serve me better than another. The answer was specific to my mouth — an interdental brush for a couple of wider gaps, regular floss for the tight spots. Not one blanket recommendation.
“Is it my flossing or something else if my gums bleed?”
I used to assume bleeding gums meant I was flossing too aggressively and should ease up. Asking directly got me the opposite answer: it usually means there’s inflammation that needs more consistent cleaning, not less, and it typically resolves within a week or two of sticking with it rather than backing off.
“Does it matter if I floss before or after brushing?”
I’ve heard both from different people over the years, so I just asked. The honest answer was that consistency matters far more than order — flossing before brushing may modestly help, but the real issue for most people, including me for a long time, is just not doing it daily at all.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it worth bringing my actual floss or water flosser to an appointment?
I’ve brought my water flosser in to ask if I was using the right pressure setting, and it was a genuinely useful five minutes. If you use a specific tool, bringing it gives your hygienist something concrete to advise on.
How do I ask about flossing without feeling embarrassed I don’t do it consistently?
I’d bet most hygienists have heard “I know I should floss more” more times than they can count. Being upfront about it — “I’m inconsistent, help me actually stick with this” — tends to get a far more useful, judgment-free answer than pretending you floss daily when you don’t.
What if flossing genuinely hurts, not just makes my gums bleed a little?
That’s worth flagging directly rather than just enduring or avoiding it — real pain (versus mild bleeding) can point to something like a cavity between teeth or more advanced gum disease that needs a look, not just a technique fix.