These simple steps won’t just rid your mouth of unwanted morsels—they’ll help prevent gum disease and tooth decay. So don’t just stand there—get flossing!

Step 1: Choose floss

Choose your floss. Waxed floss slides between the teeth easier than unwaxed floss.

Step 2: Break off & wrap

Break off about 18 inches of the floss and wrap most of it around your index fingers, leaving about 4 inches between your hands.

Step 3: Move back & forth

Looking in your mirror to see what you’re doing, move the floss gently back and forth, guiding it between two teeth.

Step 4: Clean gum line

Curve the floss around one of the teeth and, once the floss hits the gum line, gently move it back and forth, cleaning the crevice between your tooth and gum.

Step 5: Floss under gum

Carefully slide the floss up under the gum and scrape down on the side of the tooth.

Step 6: Repeat process

Curve the floss around the other tooth, gently move it back and forth, and carefully slide it up under the gum and scrape down the side of that tooth.

Step 7: Change area

Move to an adjacent space to clean, changing the area of the dental floss you are using.

Step 8: Floss until all clean

Continue to floss until you’ve cleaned between all of your teeth.

Step 9: Rinse mouth

Rinse with mouthwash or water, then bare your pearly whites to the world.