Not flossing
Skipping flossing, leaving the spaces between your teeth uncleaned day after day.
Is not flossing a bad habit?
Yes. Brushing alone misses the tight spaces between teeth, which is exactly where plaque sits undisturbed. Skipping flossing lets that plaque inflame your gums and quietly start cavities in spots you won't see until a dentist finds them.
How common is not flossing?
~32% of US adults never floss. A national survey found about a third of US adults never floss, and only ~30% floss daily. Source: CDC / Journal of Periodontology (NHANES)
Do you have the not flossing habit?
Why not flossing works against you
- ◆Plaque between teeth hardens into tartar within days, and tartar can only be removed at a dental cleaning.
- ◆Undisturbed plaque along the gumline inflames gums (gingivitis). Bleeding when you brush is the early warning sign.
- ◆Cavities between teeth grow unseen and often announce themselves only when they're big enough to need real dental work.
How to break it
- 1
Stack it onto brushing
Attach flossing to a habit you already have: every night, floss right before you brush. Keep the floss sitting on top of your toothpaste so you physically can't brush without touching it.
- 2
Start laughably small
Commit to flossing just two teeth a night for the first week. It sounds silly, but showing up is the habit. Once you're standing there with floss in hand, doing the rest comes free.
- 3
Lower the friction
If string floss feels fiddly, use floss picks. Dentists agree the best flossing method is the one you'll actually do. Keep a few picks in your car or bag for bonus reps, and track your nightly streak in a habit tracker.
Do this instead
When you pick up your toothbrush at night, floss first, even just a few teeth, before you brush.
Timeline: A nightly flossing habit typically feels automatic after one to two months, and gums usually stop bleeding within a couple of weeks of consistent flossing.
Communities that help
Peer support measurably improves quit rates. These unofficial communities are well-moderated places to not do this alone:
- r/calmhands ↗
Support for nail biting and hand-focused habits, progress photos included
Breaking a habit sticks when you track the replacement.
Decide what you'll do instead of not flossing, then track it daily. A visible streak turns one good decision into a system.
Start tracking free on HabitTracker.io →Written by Bernard Zitzer, builder of tools for habit change, including HabitTracker.io, and host of the Doism community. More about his work and habit content at bernardzitzer.com. About this site & methodology →
Related habits
Brushing too hard
Worth breakingScrubbing your teeth with heavy pressure or hard bristles, as if more force meant cleaner.
Teeth grinding
Worth breakingClenching or grinding your teeth, during the day or (very commonly) while you sleep.
Sugary drinks
Worth breakingRegularly drinking soda, sweetened coffee drinks, juice, or sweet tea as a default beverage.
Mouth breathing
Worth breakingHabitually breathing through your mouth instead of your nose, especially during sleep.