Oral health care technique tops list of ways you are sabotaging your health

In an article from Men's Health posted on Yahoo! Health, oral health care technique — specifically flossing — tops the list of ways many are sabotaging their health every day.

Do you floss before you brush, thinking you are getting all of those little bits of debris out from between your teeth and loose so that brushing can take it all away? If so, you may be going at it backwards.

Manhattan dentist Jennifer Jablow, DDS, says, "Flossing is better able to remove the microscopic debris between your teeth after you've brushed off larger particles that were in the way."

Men's Health dentistry advisor Kenneth Young, DDS, concurs. He says, "Doing this can help transfer the toothpaste's fluoride into the crevices between your teeth, maximizing its germ-fighting action."

Read about four more ways you may be unknowingly jeopardizing your health with the way you are performing daily tasks from Men's Health.

Getting children to floss is another story. Not a good statistic: Nearly half of American parents say their child's teeth have never been flossed. A key to getting children to care about their oral health is to make brushing fun. Here are some ideas to get small children to brush properly.