To floss or not, that is the question! The vast majority of dental hygienists strongly recommend the use of dental floss. They insist that it helps to reduce the incidence of gum disease, cavities, bad breath, and other dental and oral hygiene issues and problems. However, scientific evidence does not necessarily support such a claim. In fact, unless proper technique is used, there's a chance that flossing could actually do more harm than good. Most hygienists take the time to teach proper flossing technique, but the majority of patients still either don't floss regularly or don't use proper technique. So, whether or not flossing actually has any positive effect is one of those difficult questions, the answer to which is likely to include the word "depends" or some other word conveying a lack of certainty. It seems reasonable to conclude that in theory flossing is likely to be a healthy habit, but that unless it is done properly and regularly it may be of little value.