Seriously folks. If you brush twice a day and floss once it goes miles in dental health. When you first start flossing it’s going to be a pain in the ass. A month later you will do it without thinking about it.
If flossing is a pain in the ass you’re doing it wrong. (Hint: floss your TEETH!)
And after a few months you can’t go to bed without flossing, it just feels weird
I’ve been doing it most days for months. It is not automatic. That’s probably the ADHD though, haha
I feel bad because the only way I can keep the flossing habit up is to use those disposable plastic flossers. I need to find a reusable one – where it’s just a handle that i can replace/rethread the floss, instead of contributing to plastic pollution…
Seriously, consider switching to a water flosser. They’re very thorough cleaners of both the bits between your teeth and the bacteria in the gum line. It has vastly improved my oral health and once a day is plenty. Initial price is higher as you would expect, but it’s rare to replace any parts at all. The model I use is a basic Waterpik that I’ve had for about 8 years was $40 US when I got it. Think it now costs $60 (inflation sucks).
I found on Amazon one I really like. It is the G.U.M. reusable flosser, it is super cheap but feels durable.
This ist me in the picture. And then the question ‘do you floss regularly’ followed by awkward silence.
My go to is “not as often as I should” because it seems that no amount of flossing would please the bone vampires anyway
Flossing once every day before bed has given me easy perfect dentist checkups for years now. I used to not floss, but then I got an ebook reader and I just set it up while flossing. Instead of feeling like I’m just doing a boring task, I get to read my book for a little while.
During my last dental cleaning the hygienist asked “you said you floss every day?” and I said yes, because I do, and she said most people lie on that one but she could tell I actually did because it made her job a LOT easier. Less/no blood and less plaque to scrape off. If you start flossing every day you’ll start feeling nasty if you don’t do it so it’s easier to remember and follow through.
If you don’t floss daily, you’ll get gingivitis. Then, your dentist will use a really tiny power washer between your teeth and gums that sort of has a “nails on a chalkboard” feel to it.
Thanks. I’m flossing tonight.
Biggest change I made to flossing was getting a water flosser. It’s super fast and easy and makes my teeth feel great, highly recommend
yep, although they’ll probably tell you it isn’t real flossing, it’s most definitely a lot better than only brushing
I do not have a water flosser, and asked this exact question to my dentist about two weeks ago.
Turns out, I could’ve asked you! As your answer was EXACTLY what they told me.
I highly recommend getting one, I have a Panasonic EW-DJ40 which is a pretty basic one but it sure does the job. I had another Phillips one that tried to be all fancy with pulsing and adding air and what not but I ended up switching back because I just need something simple to blast water between my teeth to get the gunk out
My dentist recommends the water pick over flossing, probably because people are far more likely to use that than floss. It may be less effective than regular flossing, but I’m certain it’s more effective than rarely flossing.
She also recommended I upgrade to an electric toothbrush, but all the ones I tried tickled my cheeks, gums, and lips so bad it was unbearable. Turns out most of them just vibrate, but there are ones with rotational heads similar to what dentists use when cleaning your teeth. I snagged an Oral-B 1000 Pro on sale for under $40 and it’s a game changer - no tickling, teeth feel ultra clean, and it’s dirt cheap for a quality electric toothbrush.
agreed on all counts. I figure if you do that and stay away from very acidic / sugary drinks, it’ll do your teeth a lot of good. Now only if somebody had been so kind as to tell me 30 years ago
Many will tell you that, but the research is pretty clear that it’s more effective than string floss. There have been a few studies and they’ve all been consistent.
Took me a month to get used to (kept bleeding on like 8 and higher) but yeah after that it’s been amazing.
If they have to ask it can’t be that important. You tell me if it’s regular enough. If it looks good tell me “Keep up the good work” . If there’s gremlins between my teeth tell me I should floss more.
OMG! did you get a new labcoat. Its spectacular!
Best advice I got was to floss while driving using floss sticks. Ideally paired with a nice fantasy audiobook to really set the mood for the upcoming workday.
Disclaimer: does not work as well if you work from home and only leave the house once a month
Okay this is a GENUINE question: Why. Don’t. We. Floss.
I know I’m supposed to, I see the memes, I hear the dentist and dental hygienists advice. I want to, I mean to. Why don’t I??? Why!
Probably because it’s a long, tedious, repetitive task. Brushing teeth only take a minute or two, maybe three if you’re getting really thorough, whereas flossing thoroughly or consistently adds much more time to that. At least that’s my excuse
My old dentist suggested keeping floss wherever you sit to relax (his example was wherever you sit to watch TV). That way, you can spend as much time as you need to floss thoroughly, without it feeling like flossing is taking up a bunch of time out of your day. It’s not a perfect solution, but it has been helping me.
buy floss picks. I floss daily and it takes all of 30 seconds.
YES
Yes, let’s add to the mounds of plastic already forming on the planet because we can’t be bothered to use a string.
This is not my experience at all. It takes me at least three minutes to brush properly, but I can floss in under a minute.
People who smoke cigarettes, they say “You don’t know how hard it is to quit smoking.” Yes I do. It’s as hard as it is to start flossing.
~ Mitch Hedberg
The little pick things you can buy are a game-changer if you’re struggling to make it a regular thing. Probably shit for the environment, but they make it easier to get into flossing regularly. Especially if you struggle with the normal flossing wire stuff at all.
My teeth are really dense. can’t floss.
I’ve heard there are thinner flosses that can work for people who’s teeth are very close together.
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Tbf there is only really anecdotal evidence regarding the benefits of flossing, anyway: https://www.snopes.com/news/2016/08/06/flossing-isnt-backed-by-science/
What we really need is healthier oral microbiota, the kind that are equipped with miniature flosses to floss your teeth with.
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Don’t be like me, I didn’t go for 20 years…
I went in for a broken tooth and they were gonna crown it but ended up as just a filling. Went back a few weeks later for full exam and X-rays… no cavities. Could’ve been worse but at least my anxiety about my teeth is gone.
You might be fine, but you also might not be. Best to go soon.
I was super afraid of the dentist so I didn’t go for about the same length of time. I also picked up a habit of drinking sodie pops.
I cracked a tooth 2 years ago and had to get a root canal. They did a checkup and found 8 cavities so over the course of a year I got them all filled.
I am not sure if the technologies have gotten better or it was just my fear as a child but the dentist visits were very painless and stress free. The root canal hurt for a second when the roots were drilled out and that was it.
It feels fantastic to not have any tooth pain or agitation of something getting stuck in a cavity.
Yeah, my filling was uncomfy and nerve racking but not really painful in any way. They even do topical anesthetic before the shots so I didn’t even really feel those.
Certainly wasn’t the case when I was a kid lol.
When I went back to the dentist after skipping 2 years I had 9 cavities. As embarrassing as that is… I’m also trained as a dental assistant.
My unsolicited advice: Go now, it can only get worse
The sooner you do it the easier it’s gonna be. Just bite the bullet and get it done, and schedule your 6 month follow up visit before you leave. I went more than a decade and getting back to normal - multiple deep cleanings - was rough. But once you get back to normal, just take it easy on the sugary sodas, brush twice a day, and floss or water pik more often than never and those visits are quick. I go every 6 months and it’s still just as uncomfortable, but they’re done in a couple minutes instead of 10-15.
Meh, IANAD but for adults without complex dental history and good hygiene I’d argue once every three years is pretty reasonable.
I’m actually looking forward to my cleaning later this month because I flossed almost everyday since my last appointment. If my hygienist doesn’t say something, I’m going to be really disappointed.
lmao dude same, it’s coming up next month and I hope to hear some praise
I’m actually kind of proud to say my last dentist visit went pretty well, I’ve actually improved in oral health since my last visit. As I’m an aging, overweight, next-time-I-see-a-regular-doctor-they’ll-probably-call-me-diabetic, half blind, damaged man, it’s kind of cool that my 27 remaining teeth are in good condition. Implant is doing okay too, even if there is a lot of room for activities between it and the next tooth over.
Don’t feel too bad, some of us lost teeth through no fault of our own and yet still get the stigma.
This may be the wrong forum for this, but I keep hearing people bitch about wanting men to be more open with their feelings, so sips from whiskey glass here the fuck it goes.
I was seeing a girl circa December 2019. A nurse, in fact. We were basically friends with benefits, we weren’t even exclusive. She had this habit where if she didn’t want to deal with me right then, she’d make breaking up with me kind of noises. “I don’t think it’s working out,” that sort of thing. Then ten days later I’d get a request for a large dose of Vitamin D.
I started having some tooth and jaw pain. This went on for a couple days, it starts to worry me, I want some reassurance, I text her, I say “I think I need to go to the dentist.” “Look, I think it’s not working out between us.”
The next day a third of my right upper bicuspid falls off.
Two weeks later, I get a text. “Hey I just got a copy of OK Computer on vinyl. Wanna come over and ‘listen’ to it?” and I show up with that little metal stud they put in the implant to let it heal before installing the crown, and got at least some of our collective rocks off over the next twelve hours. It was late January 2020 by this time, she disappeared into the pandemic not long after that and I haven’t heard from her since.
This isn’t the only, first or last time a woman who I thought of as a friend, confidant or lover has done something like that, just completely shut me down before I even got a chance to say “It hurts and I’m scared.”
“You should be more emotionally available.” All evidence to the contrary.
My glass is empty now. Back to the bottle for a refill.
Not at all, dish homie but as a single 35 year old man I have legitimately no answers and certainly not good ones. All I can recommend is talk to people with the relationships you want and try to figure out how they make it work.
I’ve tried both being emotionally available and being myself rather outwardly unemotional and I’ve been stabbed in the back both ways. I like to think I’m just looking for the wrong people or the wrong people are looking for me but honestly I’m not quite sure.
As far as I can work out, a man who is cold and hardened isn’t entertaining enough, and a man who is emotional and vulnerable is a burden. What women want is performative entertainment; in the words of Phillip J. Fry, “Make up some feelings and tell her you have them.”
There was another discussion recently somewhere on the Fediverse about online dating and how utterly terrible it is. I made the point that I’ve been adequately successful at meeting women in person, but have never once succeeded in online dating. I’m currently single because I don’t leave the house. “Why don’t I leave the house then?”
I guess because I’ve had my fill of what’s on offer.
I got my front teeth knocked through my upper lip in 2016 and ended up getting paid a handsome sum precisely because it wasn’t my fault, and I got myself two implants, a bridge, and a crown thankfully on the NHS. I was eating those little twiglet pretzel things one day and I suddenly felt an extra object in my mouth; it was the bridge. I couldn’t go to the dentist with the pandemic on and all that so I ended up getting used to it and not getting it seen to until recently. Lots of people told me it was charming to have a gap, some people said they’d get it fixed if they were me, and I managed to conduct a few relationships. Lucky boy, it seems.
I didn’t get so lucky lol, during the pandemic I lost 20 teeth for a reason I won’t get into. But I essentially had to walk around with no teeth, no denture, nothing for about 3 months while everything healed.
What can I say but “fuck”!
They don’t really see if you did, they just assume and are right most of the time.
I must go to shit dentists, because I swear I’ve had this happen.
Big if true
I kind of had that happen last week, but I use a waterpick for flossing, which makes a huge difference. I don’t drink soda or eat much sugar, but I was somehow praised by the hygienist and dentist for having such clean teeth when I am bad at doing the whole brush and floss daily. I am not great at habits, but I went to town that morning with the waterpick and passed inspection. Had x-rays too. 😁
However, I do realize I have to do better as this isn’t always the case. For those of you with tight spaces, get a water pick and be done with it.
Why do people feel the need to do this? They’re a dentist, they would probably prefer if you never brushed. Just means more money for them.
If your dentist is in it for the money and not because they want to help people you should find a new dentist.
I’ve found that the people who insinuate that professionals, who are regulated and licensed to ensure public well-being and safety, within an industry would conspire to con and debilitate their clients quite often are the ones prone to morally ambiguous or worse actions.
You have to pay for the dentist?
Most people do.
No, but somebody is.
