Breath & Mouth
Technique storyboardHow to floss with string floss: interactive step-by-step guide
Learn how to floss with string floss using five interactive illustrations. Explore gentle entry, the C-shaped wrap and tooth-side motion, then print a guide.
Explore the technique at your own pace. These original drawings simplify the idea; they do not measure your teeth, show a safe depth, or check your technique.
A closer look at the movement
Gentle entry. A curved wrap.
Step 1 of 5
Preparation sketch
Stage 1
Prepare your grip
Take about 18 inches of string floss. Wrap most around a middle finger and the remaining length around the other middle finger. Use your thumbs and index fingers to hold the working section taut.
Choose a manageable grip. Ask your dental team about another cleaning aid if string floss is difficult.
Front view of a tooth gap
Stage 2
Guide it gently between teeth
Ease the floss through the contact between two teeth with a gentle rubbing movement. Control the movement as it approaches the gumline.
Do not snap the strand down into your gums or force it through a difficult space.
Top-view concept of the C shape
Stage 3
Curve around one tooth
At the gumline, bend the floss around one tooth so it contacts the tooth’s side, like the letter C. Gently guide it into the space between that tooth and the gum.
This view explains the wrap only. It does not show the gum or prescribe a depth.
Side-view motion concept
Stage 4
Move along the tooth’s side
Keep the floss against the tooth and move gently up and down along its side. Follow the tooth’s shape rather than dragging the strand across the gum.
The arrows show direction, not how far to move or how much pressure to use.
Top-view concept of two surfaces
Stage 5
Clean the other surface, then continue
Repeat against the facing surface of the neighboring tooth. Move to a clean section of floss as you continue around the mouth. Include the back surfaces of the last teeth.
Each gap has two tooth surfaces to clean, one at a time. Follow your dental team’s instructions for your mouth.
The whole sequence in words
- Prepare your grip
Take about 18 inches of string floss. Wrap most around a middle finger and the remaining length around the other middle finger. Use your thumbs and index fingers to hold the working section taut.
- Guide it gently between teeth
Ease the floss through the contact between two teeth with a gentle rubbing movement. Control the movement as it approaches the gumline.
- Curve around one tooth
At the gumline, bend the floss around one tooth so it contacts the tooth’s side, like the letter C. Gently guide it into the space between that tooth and the gum.
- Move along the tooth’s side
Keep the floss against the tooth and move gently up and down along its side. Follow the tooth’s shape rather than dragging the strand across the gum.
- Clean the other surface, then continue
Repeat against the facing surface of the neighboring tooth. Move to a clean section of floss as you continue around the mouth. Include the back surfaces of the last teeth.
No quiz or skill score: use the pictures to understand the idea, then ask your dentist or hygienist to demonstrate it on your own teeth if needed.
If cleaning between teeth hurts, or you have bleeding that continues, talk with your dental team. Ask for tailored instructions for braces, bridges, implants, recent procedures, or difficulty handling floss. Do not force floss through a space.
Make the most of this tool
Explore the C-shaped flossing technique one stage at a time
Choose a stage or use Next and Previous to explore the grip, gentle entry, curved wrap, tooth-side motion, and neighboring surface. View labels explain the angle of each simplified drawing. Print all five stages for a reference sheet.
Does the diagram show how deep to push floss under my gums?
No. The drawings explain contact and direction, not depth, force or your individual anatomy. Be gentle and do not force the strand. Ask your dental team to demonstrate the technique for your mouth.
What if I find string floss difficult to hold?
Ask your dentist or hygienist about suitable cleaning aids and how to use them. This storyboard explains string floss; it does not size interdental brushes, set water-flosser pressure or choose a device for you.
Behind this tool
Research checked October 8, 2026. The original storyboard paraphrases general string-floss guidance. It does not copy the sources’ illustrations or provide a clinical assessment.