How to brush and floss your teeth properly

How long should you brush your teeth? Is an electric toothbrush better? Is flossing really useful, and how much toothpaste should a child use? This guide answers these questions simply, based on Cochrane reviews and the main published recommendations. It is here to inform you; it does not replace an examination: your dentist can show you the places you tend to miss.

Why cleaning your teeth matters

Dental plaque is a soft layer of bacteria that builds up on your teeth every day, especially along the gum line and between the teeth. If it is not removed, it causes two diseases: tooth decay, when its bacteria turn sugars into acids, and gum inflammation (gum disease). Over time, plaque hardens into tartar, which a toothbrush can no longer remove.

How to remove plaque from your teeth

Soft plaque is removed at home: a toothbrush cleans the visible surfaces, and floss or interdental brushes clean between the teeth. Once plaque has hardened into tartar, only a professional clean can remove it: see our guide to the scale and polish.

How often and how long should you brush your teeth?

Twice a day: in the morning and above all at night before bed, because your mouth makes less saliva, which protects the teeth, while you sleep.
For about two minutes each time. In a review of brushing studies, manual brushing removed on average 27% of plaque after one minute and 41% after two minutes (Slot et al., 2012, PubMed).
There is no need to go much longer: a recent review found a very small or no difference between two and three minutes of brushing, judged negligible in practice (Toonen et al., 2026, PubMed).

Two minutes feels long: a timer or a song helps you keep going.

The best way to brush your teeth

Angle the brush towards the gum, at about 45 degrees, so the bristles touch both the tooth and the gum line, where plaque builds up.
Use small, gentle movements on two teeth at a time, rather than long strokes, without scrubbing hard.
Clean every surface: the side facing the cheek, the side facing the tongue or palate (often missed behind the lower front teeth) and the chewing surfaces of the back teeth.
Always follow the same order so you do not miss anything.
Gently brush your tongue, from back to front: it holds bacteria linked to bad breath.
Spit out the toothpaste without rinsing too much (see below).

If your gums bleed when you brush, do not avoid them: bleeding gums are inflamed, and removing the plaque is what allows them to heal.

Electric or manual toothbrush?

The Cochrane review that compared them (56 trials) concludes that an electric toothbrush removes a little more plaque and reduces gum inflammation a little more than a manual toothbrush: about 11% less plaque in the short term and 21% less after more than three months, and about 6% and then 11% less gum inflammation. The authors point out that the clinical importance of this difference remains unclear; the side effects reported were local and only temporary (Yaacob et al., 2014, PubMed). Most of the evidence concerns brushes with a small round head that oscillates and rotates.

In practice, an electric toothbrush can help people who find it hard to brush well: children, older people, people with limited hand movement, and people wearing braces. A manual toothbrush used well is still a good choice. With an electric toothbrush you do not scrub: you hold the head on each tooth, angled towards the gum, and move it slowly.

Which toothbrush to choose and when to replace it

Choose a soft-bristled toothbrush with a small head that reaches the back of the mouth easily. Hard bristles are not needed: with brushing that is too hard, they can wear away the gum and the tooth near the gum line.
Replace your toothbrush (or electric brush head) when the bristles splay or wear; it is often advised to do so about every three months.
Let it air-dry, head up, and do not share it.

Fluoride toothpaste: why and how much?

Fluoride strengthens enamel and helps it recover after acid attacks. The Cochrane review on toothpastes confirms that fluoride toothpaste reduces tooth decay compared with toothpaste without fluoride, in children, teenagers and adults; the side effects reported were minimal (Walsh et al., 2019, PubMed).

The amount depends on age: a young child swallows some of the toothpaste, and swallowing too much fluoride while the teeth are forming can leave small white marks on them (fluorosis). A systematic review in children under 6 notes that swallowing a pea-sized amount or more can lead to mild fluorosis, and recommends using the right amount at every age, shown to parents by the dentist (Wright et al., 2014, PubMed):

Age	Amount of fluoride toothpaste
From the first tooth, in toddlers	A smear on the bristles, the size of a grain of rice
From around 3 years, when the child starts to spit	A pea-sized amount
Older children and adults	A small amount is enough; the dentist adjusts it to the risk of decay

The fluoride strength of a child's toothpaste is chosen with the dentist, according to age and risk of decay.

After brushing, spit, but do not rinse heavily with water: this keeps the fluoride on your teeth for longer. If you really want to rinse, a small sip of water is enough.

Floss, interdental brushes and water flossers

A toothbrush does not reach well between the teeth. The Cochrane review on cleaning between the teeth (35 trials, 3,929 adults) concludes that floss or interdental brushes, used with a toothbrush, may reduce gum inflammation or plaque more than a toothbrush alone, and that interdental brushes may be more effective than floss. For water flossers (oral irrigators), it found less gum inflammation at one month, but not at three or six months, and no reduction in plaque. No serious side effects were seen. The certainty of the evidence is low and the studies were short (Worthington et al., 2019, PubMed).

How to floss your teeth

Take about 40 cm of floss and wind the ends around your middle fingers, leaving a few centimetres between your hands.
Ease the floss between two teeth with a gentle back-and-forth movement, without snapping it onto the gum.
At the gum line, curve the floss into a "C" shape against one tooth, and slide it gently up and down, just under the edge of the gum. Repeat against the neighbouring tooth.
Use a clean section of floss for each gap, and do not forget the back of the last molars.

Waxed floss slides more easily between tight teeth; a floss holder helps you reach the back of the mouth.

Floss or interdental brush?

If the gaps between your teeth are very tight, floss is often the only thing that fits.
If the gaps are wider (receding gums, gum disease, a bridge, an implant, braces), an interdental brush is often easier and more effective. It should fill the gap without forcing: ask your dentist for the right size.
A water flosser can add to this, especially with braces or limited hand movement, but it does not replace brushing.

The best option is the one you will use every day: once a day, in the evening, is enough.

Brushing children's teeth

Start from the first tooth, twice a day, with a smear of fluoride toothpaste.
Brush for your child, then let them try and go over it again after them. The European Academy of Paediatric Dentistry recommends that parents help with or supervise brushing until at least 7 years of age (Toumba et al., 2019, PubMed); in practice, many children still need help until 7 or 8.
Make the evening brush the last thing of the day, with no sweet bottle or snack afterwards.
A children's electric toothbrush may motivate your child; an adult's help is still needed.

Brushing with braces

Fixed braces trap plaque, and white marks can appear around the brackets if cleaning is not good enough. With braces:

brush after each meal if possible, paying attention above and below the brackets;
use interdental brushes under the wire, or a floss threader to pass floss under it;
a water flosser can help flush out food debris;
your dentist may advise extra fluoride if your risk of decay is high.

Do you need mouthwash?

No. Mouthwash does not replace brushing or cleaning between your teeth: it does not remove plaque. For most people, a toothbrush, fluoride toothpaste and floss or interdental brushes are enough. Some mouthwashes have a specific, time-limited role, such as a fluoride mouthwash for a high risk of decay, or an antiseptic one after a procedure; used for a long time, some can stain the teeth. Use them on the advice of your dentist or pharmacist, and not in young children, who may swallow them.

When should you see a dentist?

Book an appointment if:

your gums still bleed after a few weeks of careful cleaning;
a tooth is loose, your gums are receding, or bad breath persists;
a brown spot, a hole or sensitivity appears on a tooth;
a sore in your mouth has not healed within 2 to 3 weeks.

Go to the emergency department straight away if you have facial swelling that is spreading, fever with swelling, or difficulty swallowing or breathing.

Booking an appointment

Consultations take place in Rabat, Monday to Friday from 9 am to 6 pm and on Saturday from 9 am to 2 pm; the address is given when you book. The easiest way is to send a WhatsApp message stating the reason (for example "check-up and brushing advice"). See the appointment section.

Frequently asked questions

How do you floss your teeth properly?

Ease the floss gently between two teeth without snapping it onto the gum, curve it into a "C" against one tooth and slide it up and down just under the edge of the gum, then do the same against the neighbouring tooth, using a clean section of floss for each gap.

Floss or interdental brush: which is better?

Floss for very tight gaps, an interdental brush for wider ones; a Cochrane review suggests that interdental brushes may reduce gum inflammation a little more than floss, with low-certainty evidence, and your dentist can tell you the right size.

Why do my gums bleed when I floss?

Usually because the gum between the teeth is inflamed by plaque; keep flossing gently every day, as the bleeding usually decreases as the gum heals, but if it persists after a few weeks or is heavy, have it checked.

Can an electric toothbrush damage your enamel?

Not when used properly: a systematic review of oscillating-rotating electric toothbrushes found no clinically relevant risk to the teeth or gums compared with manual toothbrushes (Van der Weijden et al., 2011, PubMed); pressing too hard, with any toothbrush, is what can wear the gum and the tooth.

How long should you brush your teeth?

For about two minutes, twice a day: two minutes remove clearly more plaque than one, and three minutes add almost nothing more.

Is toothpaste without fluoride better?

Not for preventing tooth decay: the Cochrane review shows that fluoride toothpaste reduces decay compared with toothpaste without fluoride, at every age; used in the right amount, fluoride is considered safe, and for young children you simply need to stick to a smear or a pea-sized amount.

Should you rinse after brushing your teeth?

It is better to spit out the toothpaste without rinsing heavily, so the fluoride stays on your teeth; a small sip of water is enough if you want to rinse.