Why You Might Want to Quit Flossing Your Teeth

There is a right way to floss, but few people do it, and an even healthier alternative exists

When you hug the tooth with the floss and floss gently you cause less damage to your gums.funnyangel/Shutterstock

When she was in her mid-50s, my mother had a dentist who told her that if she didn’t floss her teeth, they would fall out of her mouth and she would have to get dentures. After his warning, flossing became something of an obsession.

“Don’t forget to floss” is a reminder you’ve heard a thousand times.