Bad Habit: You Forget to Floss
You can brush your teeth until they sparkle, but unless you floss, too, bacteria and food particles stay stuck between your pearly whites. Fluoride in water and toothpaste only cleans the surface of our teeth, explains Clark Stanford, DDS, PhD. The leftover bacteria can lead to tooth decay and gum disease. And that could mean more for your health than a cavity or two — a 2011 study presented to the American Heart Association found that periodontal disease boosted heart attack, stroke and heart failure risks.
Break it: Commit to flossing once a day. Morning or night doesn't matter — try whatever time you'll stick to better, says Dr. Stanford. And go gentle on your gums. "Gently bring the floss in between the teeth and do a kind of shoe shine rubbing, front and back, to clean and disrupt the bacteria along the side of the teeth," advises Dr. Stanford. To get your teeth their cleanest, floss before you brush so you can then clean away the debris you work up while flossing. It's okay if you see a little bleeding at first, but talk to your dentist if it doesn’t go away within a few days
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