# dental hygiene **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 24, 2006, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-hygiene/341368 "2006-01-24T08:38:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![copperwindow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@copperwindow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/copperwindow)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-hygiene/341368/1 "2006-01-24T08:38:24Z")
When brushing and flossing, is the order important? ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-hygiene/341368/2 "2006-01-24T12:43:31Z")
Well, I always floss first to loosen up stuff to make it easier for the brush to remove. My wife brushes first so the brush loosens the stuff she then removes with the floss. So I also await an answer to this question. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-hygiene/341368/3 "2006-01-24T14:24:06Z")
I don’t know what the official reccommendation is, but I do it in three steps, first rinsing and then rinsing after each step: 1. Brush briefly with water, just a once over lightly 2. Floss 3. Brush thouroughly with toothpaste ---
**Author:** ![Crab\_Rangoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Crab\_Rangoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crab_Rangoon)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-hygiene/341368/4 "2006-01-24T15:36:08Z")
I have heard that the official answer is brush first - then floss. I can’t remember where I heard that, but if you floss first, there is a chance that when you brush after, you might push some of the particles back in between the teeth you just flossed it out of. For what it’s worth. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-hygiene/341368/5 "2006-01-24T16:15:11Z")
I brush first and then floss on the principle that **Crab Rangoon** stated, but also because that’s the way the hygienist does it when I have my teeth cleaned. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-hygiene/341368/6 "2006-01-24T16:18:03Z")
> [@Crab Rangoon](#): > > I have heard that the official answer is brush first - then floss. I can’t remember where I heard that, but if you floss first, there is a chance that when you brush after, you might push some of the particles back in between the teeth you just flossed it out of. That doesn’t make sense to me. If you rinse thoroughly after flossing, there shouldn’t be any particles around. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-hygiene/341368/7 "2006-01-24T16:24:52Z")
My wife, a dentist, brushes first and then flosses. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-hygiene/341368/8 "2006-01-24T17:00:20Z")
Clearly, one has to brush, floss, repeat. You’ll be out of toothpaste and floss, but oh will those choppers sparkle! ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-hygiene/341368/9 "2006-01-24T17:25:46Z")
From what my hygenist says, the idea (beyond removing gross particles) is to discombobulate the bacteria by unsettling them and making the gums a less attractive place to stay. She says that my teeth with take care of themselves and that I should concentrate on brushing the gums. From that perspective, both activities serve the same purpose so order wouldn’t matter? My preference would be to floss first and then clean everything up with the nice mintiness, but maybe it doesn’t matter. ---
**Author:** ![velvetjones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5f9b8f/32.png) [@velvetjones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velvetjones)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-hygiene/341368/10 "2006-01-24T17:28:47Z")
According to my hygeinist, brush, floss then rinse with an anti-bacterial mouthwash. Flossing is supposed to disrupt bacteria and enzymes under your gums that causes gingivitis. I have to say that since I’ve been following this regime for about a year now my gums are in much better shape. ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2006, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dental-hygiene/341368/11 "2006-01-24T18:57:12Z")
I asked my dental hygienist once, because my mother flosses and then brushes (something that had never even occurred to me before). My hygienist said that views differ but it doesn’t make any significant difference - but for the record, she does them in the proper - that is, brush then floss - order. 🙂