Flossing teeth

Alun

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

Do others on here clean their teesth twice a day or more as well? - I have only ever cleaned my teeth once a day in the morning when I get up. Tried cleaning before goind to bed but didnt feel right - too clean. I want to go to bed tired every nigh with a minging mouth

Yep, I've always done that, I hate going to bed with that zingy minty taste in my mouth.

I've never flossed either, in fact up until about a year ago I hadn't been near a dentist since I was about 16/17 when my parents made me go, and now I'm 59! I only went because an old filling fell out, and was assuming the dentist would be giving out to me that my teeth were rotten and all had to come out, but on the contrary they were all fine, apart from needing a good descale. Had that done, and I reckon I'm OK for another 43 years

biko

Andy From Sligo wrote: »

What do you make of the latest findings on it today saying its not proved to be any benefit to it?

Is this one of those cases when we have to go looking for information you could have easily provided in the OP?

Tipperary Fairy

Tipperary Fairy wrote: »

It's only when you start flossing that you realise how much you didn't get at with your brushing. You get to know the foods that will hang around.

I of course brush twice a day, thinking of upping to after lunch also while I'm not out. use an electric toothbrush, much much better than manuals, floss twice a day too. Sometimes use mouthwash at night, when you can feel something hanging around on your tongue. I would feel gross if I didn't brush twice, and floss.

I was never taught any of this growing up, was just told to brush after breakfast and that was it. It's only in recent years I've taken proper care of my teeth, and it's still not good enough as I have to get a root canal soon.

Budgese, don't let the dental nurse put you off. Get some waxed floss and start with that. I nearly pulled my teeth out when trying to use the interdental brushes, awful things. But floss works perfectly fine, just run it through front to back and back to front a few times on every gap.

There was an ama from a dentist on Reddit I came across recently, it was very informative and funny, worth a look.

Has also been tried! Apparently I'm doing it wrong.

intheclouds

I brush 3 times a day, use an electric toothbrush at home and a manual one in work. I use interdental brushes twice a day (dont really see the point of using them first thing in the morning as I havent eaten since last brushing) and I use mouthwash 3 times daily also.

I use the interdental brushes that are rubber rather than metal and bristles, I just find them way more comfortable. I cant floss, it just seems to go everywhere and I never manage to get it right into the back. Plus some of my gaps are too big for floss and the large interdental brushes work better.

Despite all this attention I get a tartar build up in one particular spot and my dentists says its just a combination of my physiology and minerals in my saliva and nothing to do with neglect.

This makes a change from years of childhood dentists telling me that I wasnt taking care of my teeth properly.

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

Has also been tried! Apparently I'm doing it wrong.

Try dental tape instead of floss. OralB do a thing called Satin Tape that I use, it's much more comfortable and I don't shred it as much.

Story Bud?

Candie wrote: »

Try dental tape instead of floss. OralB do a thing called Satin Tape that I use, it's much more comfortable and I don't shred it as much.

Uh huh - this is what my dentist person recommended.

I prefer the rough stuff though.

Moo Moo Land

I never do it. It seems wrong.

kowloon

Story Bud? wrote: »

Uh huh - this is what my dentist person recommended.

I prefer the rough stuff though.

I have the tape at the moment, but the expanding floss I had before I found better.

YFlyer

Burial. wrote: »

Yeah oil pulling. Basically swishing an oil around your mouth for ten to twenty minutes. Whitens teeth and improves overall dental health. Takes some getting used to but after a few weeks it just becomes a subconscious ritual. I do it in the shower in the morning and spit it out when I hop out and then brush as normal.

I use sesame oil for this.

Junkyard Tom

The great thing about being a shark is that if one of your teeth falls out there's another one behind waiting to replace it.

Story Bud?

Junkyard Tom wrote: »

The great thing about being a shark is that if one of your teeth falls out there's another one behind waiting to replace it.

But no one ever wants to be your friend

Calahonda52

Forget flossing: Use the One Wipe Charlie
https://www.dollarshaveclub.com/our-products/fresh/wipes

learn_more

intheclouds wrote: »

...

Despite all this attention I get a tartar build up in one particular spot and my dentists says its just a combination of my physiology and minerals in my saliva and nothing to do with neglect.

Your dentist is deliberately not cleaning one part of your teeth so it will decay and you will eventually have to go back and get it filled. I don't trust dentists.

Moo Moo Land wrote: »

I never do it. It seems wrong.

+1000000000000000

Wigglepuppy

Love the dental experts here - experts based on their "feelings".

Going to bed with uncleaned teeth is asking for trouble. You don't produce as much saliva to wash away nasties.

learn_more

Wigglepuppy wrote: »

Love the dental experts here - experts based on their "feelings".

So better to go on advice from experts that they can't prove , the very point of this thread.

Just imagine it. Not being able to show any evidence that flossing makes a difference yet saying it's absolutely necessary at the same time. You couldn't make it up, it's that ridiculous.

intheclouds

Wigglepuppy wrote: »

Love the dental experts here - experts based on their "feelings".

Going to bed with uncleaned teeth is asking for trouble. You don't produce as much saliva to wash away nasties.

Is it not the minerals in your saliva that produce the nastiness?? Tartar build up happens most densely by the salivary glands.

Calibos

I'm terrible for maintaining a flossing regimen. Teeth too close together. I do it for a few days when something apparently gets stuck and causes an inflamed area of gum but always stop after a few days till the next time.

This story just confirms to me that I should get one of those 'Water Pick' thingies. The argument against Water picks as a flossing replacement was that they were grand for blowing out stuck food but did nothing for plaque below the gumline. If it turns out that flossing doesn't really help in that regard either then Water picks seem like a viable much more user-friendly alternative after all, that certainly in my case I would be much more likely to use more regularly than I did with flossing.

Wigglepuppy

learn_more wrote: »

So better to go on advice from experts that they can't prove , the very point of this thread.

Just imagine it. Not being able to show any evidence that flossing makes a difference yet saying it's absolutely necessary at the same time. You couldn't make it up, it's that ridiculous.

I would go on the advice of someone who has completed the five-year training to qualify as a dentist. Flossing removes tiny particles of food from between teeth that brushing doesn't remove. How can this be a negative? Also, stating a dentist (no dentist in particular) deliberately causes a patient to succumb to a cavity, is something for which evidence should be provided. Otherwise it's just feeling (and unlikely).

intheclouds wrote: »

Is it not the minerals in your saliva that produce the nastiness?? Tartar build up happens most densely by the salivary glands.

Fair enough. Going to sleep with uncleaned teeth and letting the bacteria fester for seven hours or more though - I can't understand why someone would prefer this to cleaning their teeth before bed.

Andy From Sligo

LexieOnRale wrote: »

I floss, maybe it doesn't do a lot but I feel cleaner getting that piece of string in between my teeth makes me feel like my teeth are cleaner. Teeth are important. I'll mind mine as much as I can. Would love veneers though.

I have already got my dental requirements lined up for the time i win big on the lotto - i want to get my teeth straightened and where the teeth are missing I want implants and then I want them all whitened.. or veneers like you.

Theres a great dentist in sligo I would have that done with, David mcConville and he uses those clear invisalign braces

Andy From Sligo

Calahonda52 wrote: »

Forget flossing: Use the One Wipe Charlie
https://www.dollarshaveclub.com/our-products/fresh/wipes

on your teeth yeah?

Andy From Sligo

Wigglepuppy wrote: »

...Going to bed with uncleaned teeth is asking for trouble. You don't produce as much saliva to wash away nasties.

you also dont eat anything in the middle of the night whilst yer asleep either

learn_more

Wigglepuppy wrote: »

I would go on the advice of someone who has completed the five-year training to qualify as a dentist. Flossing removes tiny particles of food from between teeth that brushing doesn't remove. .

That doesn't make any sense. It's the people who do the training that cannot prove that removing those particles make any difference. I don't take away your right to take their advice, but I won't.

Andy From Sligo

This may or may not be related to flossing , but you know you see people with white teeth but the edges of their teeth are black... whats all that about?