Why Flossing is an Impossible Habit

The flossing habit can feel impossible to develop. Luckily, you can make it way easier with a few simple tricks.

You'll find out how to modify the habit of flossing your teeth into one that is:
1) rewarding
2) easy
3) desirable

For example, we use a technique straight from Atomic Habits called temptation bundling that uses an existing habit to create desire for a new habit - in this case - flossing.

Flossing is not a rewarding habit in and of itself. Fortunately, we can change that through creation of an associated visual reward.

Sometimes it's just making the cue for a habit more obvious; we can apply this to flossing to make sure you never miss another day

If you have any questions, leave them below and I will make sure to back to you as soon as possible!

[ccsays]

I had been flossing every night for many years but after noticing some gum recession I learnt my flossing technique was all wrong. It is so important to floss correctly otherwise it's not worth doing at all.

[lolekbongalonta]

How long have you been making videos? This is some top quality footage + editing damn

[timeagreksova]

I absolutely loved this. Never have I ever missed one day of flossing (been doing that since the day I started, age 18). However, I do love the psychology behind this. Gonna use that on other habits :)
Also. That editing is incredible. So fun to watch.

[scarlettsugar]

Awesome ideas. I gonna try to use them for brushing. I'm oddly the opposite. I love flossing. Do it anywhere 3-5X a day. After every meal, every snack. Keep in in my purse, car, bedside table, bathroom etc. But I have a hard time being motivated to brush more than once a day. No idea why. Gonna try these techniques. Thanks!!

[hunterfitzgerald]

Hey Dr. Mike, THANK YOU. Appreciate all the great content and excellent video production btw. Hope you’re having a great day.

[danielandrade]

Flossing just feels GREAT! I love the feeling of my gums being scraped clean by the moving floss. I don’t need any more motivation than the gum massage I am getting by flossing!

[TnZAustin]

I like how you simply modernize/simplify the basics of behaviourism <3 I'll definitely try out those marbles!!

[Zerotaxi]

Great ideas! I think people should floss before brushing..

It´s so easy to drop the flossing if you brush your teeth first because you feel your teeth are clean so you think its not so important to floss after.. but if you change the way you do it, first flossing and then brushing you will get better habit.. what you think?

[budakai]

As a dental hygienist I love the ideas you have what I tell my patients is to move the floss into the room the spend most of their time in. Most common the living room. Leave it by the remote to the tv and a box of tissue get your floss pick and floss while you watch tv. If that what you do every day any ways add it to a habitual habit you already have as you stated the wine drinking. Nice video. Thumbs up

[maliksoumano]

My son just bought me James clear book u mention in your vid for mothers day. And I was trying to make flossing interesting by applying his techniques he mentioned in his book..And your vid just helped me figured this out...amazing vid thank you so much.

[Momonga-so]

This is so important, I got cavities even though I brush my teeth every meal because I didn't had the habit of flossing.

[jeenjeanjeen]

I fricking love flossing. I feel disgusting when I dont floss.

[MaiCohWolf]

My great-grandma was religious about having my grandpa floss. He flossed every day since he was a child and never let go of the habit. He lived well into his 80s, and still had all of his own genuine teeth when he passed. Every single one.

[ericdoerksen]

Awesome video! Love all the realistic ideas you put forth!

[boonymagique]

This was a really nice video. It's nice that some people do tons of videos on how to floss properly, but the really issue isn't technique for many people, it's building the bloody habit. So I like how you documented that with the book. Would have been interesting to get peer-reviewed psychological take on this as well since books are seldom evidence-based and often more experience-based. Also the bit about the rewards involving footage of eating candy after flossing, or drinking wine was a bit clumsy, perhaps a non-food example would have been better. Since you're a dentist, it could give people a green light about having those after flossing. Great video otherwise, very pleasant to watch and on point. Thank you!


Dentists generally suck with this kind of advice. Mine barely every ever helped, whether it'd be regarding a habit of flossing or brushing teeth more often. So this is really appreciated.

[mickmeadows]

Took me a good few months to get used to it, but now, feel bad if don’t do it! Really has helped my teeth! Recommend flossing and sticking with it!

[kronk]

Those toothbrush style floss thingies make it easier

[southpadreq]

After a deep gum cleaning and a couple crowns, I floss after every meal and brush. Rinse with Listerine. Lesson learned. I don’t want to go thru that again!!!!

[LuluFit]

Been flossing without fail ever since I married the son of a dentist.

[madkvideo]

I really like flossing. It's so therapeutic for me! I keep floss on my desk at all times