floss

[lankybass]

dentists keep telling me i desperately need it
i keep telling them it pretty much makes me lightheaded and sick to put something like that so close to my gums. For me its the equivalent of someone thats afraid of needles. I'm not necessarily scared of them but I cannot watch them being put in/removed from mine or anyones arm. I especially hate it in movies when they zoom in real close..
ANYWAYS! its the same with floss. I can't watch it happen. It makes me extremely uneasy and I'd rather do without at the risk of my teeth falling out.

does anyone ever actually floss? how do you guys feel about this stuff?

[mbargav]

Yup. Every day. My parents are obsessive flossers and I guess I picked up the habit.

[jaycee]

Every day here too. It's arguably more important than brushing. Plus not flossing is a major contributor to bad breath and can lead to other problems. Man...that's ROTTING food between your teeth.

[concerto25]

When I was a kid, I mowed a cosmetic dentist's (big bucks) grass (twenty or so acres)- took me all weekend.
He used to tell me all the time that flossing is key. If you have to choose between brushing or flossing - choose flossing.

I took him at his word (since he was always harping about it and thank goodness I did. I am 36 and have never had a cavity, any dental work...no problems whatsover.

Start flossing...

[jayjerry]

I floss every morning after breakfast and every night. It is amazing the chunks of food that can get stuck between your teeth.

I use the reach dental flosser which looks like a tooth brush with a floss at the end. Seems to be faster and less painful.

[Champ]

Everyday here also. Nothing to it.

[lankybass]

aw c'mon your supposed to tell me no, its pointless and it helps nothing!
just thinking about having to do it makes me feel queezy.. but i guess i have no choice then..

surely theres SOMEONE that hates the idea as much as me though?

[jazzandmetal?]

Every day. Sometimes twice.

[atquinn]

Floss phobia? First I've ever heard of it. I didn't used to floss that often, but since my oldest daughter got old enough to start a dental hygiene regime I do it at least once a day (always in the morning and sometimes at night) where she can see it. She has those little kid flossers and we floss her teeth to (kind of, only a couple are close enough to actually be flossed, but it's good to get her use to it and she gets excited about picking out the flosser color she wants, so it's all good).
-
Austin

[JimmyB]

Never mind brushing after each meal, floss after every meal!

The trick is finding comfortable floss: think thin but wide... like an Ibanez neck!

[guitmatt]

My wife works for a Dentist & he says, "Only floss the ones you want to keep." It was challenging for me to floss years ago, but with the selection of floss picks on the market now it is SO easy. I floss in the AM & for about 10 min while watching some boob-tube before bed. Gum sensitivity is not healthy, floss - floss - floss ! The more you floss, the less sensitive your gums will be. Bad Dental hygene is related to SO many other diseases. It is one of the single best thing you can do for your overall health.

[jaycee]

There's also different types of floss. Try the "glide" type that's like a ribbon as opposed to the "string" type. Experiment and maybe certain kinds can make it easier for you.

[GuitarToma]

My dentist has a sign in his office: "Only floss the teeth you want to keep!"

Seriously - when you don't floss, your gums recede. When your gums recede they create deep gaps around the tooth which become a nice host for all sorts of bacteria and filth. That's why you'll lose your teeth. It can also lead to abscesses, which is a nasty infection in the nerve. If you get an infection in a nerve canal, especially in the upper row of teeth, that infection is literally a few inches from your brain. Brain infection is no joke. You can die.

I will also tell you in all seriousness; advances in dentistry over the last hundred years or so have heavily contributed to our longevity. Healthy teeth contribute to better health. There have even been links to heart disease from having bad teeth.

You say you can't watch... can you do it without looking in the mirror? Have you tried using the little hand-held one time use flossers? I find that I can floss all my teeth with those things even with my mouth mostly closed.

[edgewound]

Get a Waterpik. My teeth and gums have never been cleaner.

[Boosted]

I also floss everyday. It's amazing how many people actually DON'T floss. My dentist tell me that people say they floss, but its obvious they really mean "right before the appointment." Haha.

I've heard that you should only floss the teeth you want to keep too!

P.S. I'm super...STRINGent on my (yes, that was a pun) brand of floss and have found that if you are wanting to strengthen your guns, use thread floss. However, if you want best efficiency at removing foods, use Glide. I think i read somewhere its strips of gortex and thats why its able to slide in and out of gums. Wax floss sucks. period.