Guapura 101: Flossing Is Very Good For You

So I’m a floss freak, but, it turns out that flossing is super important for your health, too. The American Dental Association notes that when you floss and remove stuff from between your teeth, you’re making your mouth cleaner, which makes your body cleaner. It prevents the formation of plaque, tartar and gingivitis, which as you can probably guess, is not good for you.

Another, more tangible benefit to flossing is that it can help prevent bad breath — and we know ladies how important it is to have good breath, whether it be for professional or personal reasons. Professionally speaking, it’s why I no longer eat onions. The ADA has directions on how to floss:

• Break off about 18 inches of floss and wind most of it around one of your middle fingers. Wind the remaining floss around the same finger of the opposite hand. This finger will take up the floss as it becomes dirty. Hold the floss tightly between your thumbs and forefingers.
• Guide the floss between your teeth using a gentle rubbing motion. Never snap the floss into the gums.
• When the floss reaches the gum line, curve it into a C shape against one tooth. Gently slide it into the space between the gum and the tooth.
• Hold the floss tightly against the tooth. Gently rub the side of the tooth, moving the floss away from the gum with up and down motions.
• Repeat this method on the rest of your teeth.
• Don’t forget the back side of your last tooth.

If you have more questions, you should probably talk to your dentist or dental hygienist. In any case, trust me, once you start flossing on a regular basis, you’ll come to love how clean your mouth feels. And think of it this way, the less you have to spend on the dentist, the more you can spend on yourself.

Follow Sara Inés Calderón on Twitter @SaraChicaD