We've all learned that flossing is one of the most important things to do if we want good oral health and hygiene. It is supposed to remove plaque and junk where a toothbrush can't go.

However, not many people know how to floss properly, so here are some tips for you to get the best results.

The first step is to use a long string of floss, around 18 inches.

The second step is to wind it tightly around your two middle fingers, leaving not more than 3 inches to work with.

The third step is take each tooth individually. Floss up and down and follow the shape of the tooth. Also make sure that you take care of the front and back side, not just the spaces between.

Of course, make sure the floss is clean, so you don't put new junk where you're supposed to floss it away.

There are different types of floss and knowing which is the right one for you is just as important as the process itself. Ask your dentist what kind of floss he recommends for you.

There is waxed floss which is best for people with tight spaces between their teeth since it allows to slide in without injuring your gums.

Unwaxed floss on the other hand is best for people with wider spaces between their teeth. It tears a lot easier, the advantage however is the squeaking sound it makes that lets you know that you've gotten all the junk out.

Woven floss is made of cotton and is adjustable for the spaces, you can pull it tight if you have tighter spaces or let it loose to get the plaque out of wider spaces.

From the three mentioned floss types woven floss is considered the best. It gets the best cleaning results and is the most gentle on your gums.

As you can see, proper flossing isn't as easy as it seems, which leads to my actual recommendation:

Flossing is tedious and time consuming, not to forget useless if not done correctly and therefore a waste of time.

That's the reason why I purchased a water flosser a couple of months back. Research has shown that water flossing is superior to string flossing. Almost 100% of plaque get removed and you save a lot of time in comparison to regular floss.

You have to be very thorough to get good results with floss, with a water flosser you just have to turn it on and let the machine do the work.