I try to floss after breakfast and supper, and, schedule permitting, lunch as well. In a rush I may skip one or the other, but certainly I do it around 60/times a month.
For the most part, I just floss once a day in the morning. But occasionally, I’ll feel something stuck in my teeth, so I’ll do it in the evening as well. So I picked the 31-60 option.
I floss twice a day, after I brush my teeth
I aspire to once a day and honestly can’t imagine ever doing it more often than that.
However, during busy seasons like the present, it’s one of those little things that I just don’t make time for. Over the course of a year, I probably floss on 50% of the days, but in the last month… I picked 2-4 times.
In my experience, it works much better to just make a deal with yourself to do it every day, no matter how busy you are. Since I did that (for using toothpicks) I think I skipped twice in a year, before that I’d do it four times a week, tops.
I didn’t floss as a kid, but now I do it regularly. I’m 42. I don’t feel like my mouth is clean unless I floss. Another plus is no more bleeding gums.
For those who think flossing has little effect, I have it on good authority that this guy:
flosses daily.
mmm
This.
[QUOTE=Mitch Hedberg]
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.
[/QUOTE]
Once a week here, or, just enough to not be a bloody mess at dental checkups. I’m not convinced it accomplishes anything, as links up-thread show.
Maybe once a week. I know I should do it more, but I forget. I’ve never had a cavity though or any other problems.
Once a day. I don’t like to floss but I don’t like to get gingivitis either.
Two answers, really.
One of my teeth is an implant, and I floss around it daily, usually twice a day.
I floss around the rest of my teeth once every week or two. More often during the summer when we eat a lot of corn on the cob.
Opinions, please – I am trying to reform myself as I mentioned upthread, to avoid the hideous procedures the dentists is suggesting. I am going from brushing once a day in the morning, to brushing and Listerining in the morning; and flossing, brushing and Listerining at night.
The hygeinist mentioned alternating between the manual brush and the electric toothbrush (sonicare). I was using the electric one in the morning and the manual at night after flossing, but flossing is painful and the manual brush is excruciating.
I also feel like if I brush with the manual brush and it hurts, I should keep brushing in that spot. But it hurts just as bad for as long as I brush. Fight or flight kicks in and my whole self strains to escape the pain so I get a headache!
Dopers, is an end in sight? If anyone has gone from little to a lot, how long did it take this gum pain to subside?
Be careful with brushing too enthusiastically, that can damage your gums permanently.
When I’ve had gum issues my approach has been to do my normal routine carefully so I know I didn’t miss any spots but not go harder/longer than usual. So far, this has worked, usually within a week, but in some more problematic places it took longer. My gum issues were never too severe, though.
Have you looked into interdental brushes? If there’s room between your teeth/gums these really help keep that clean; a normal brush can’t reach there and flossing doesn’t seem to do too much. What I’ve also done, not sure if it’s recommended, though, is use some gauze (basically floss with it) in spaces where there’s enough room for it to go in without trouble.
Last but not least, what really helped was going to the dental hygienist, they can clean your teeth extremely thoroughly including below the gum line.
Thanks for the advice – I guess being consistent and not too rigorous is the key even if it remains painful for a while. I am on a four-month schedule for cleanings but I had missed an appointment so eight months’ worth did not look good!
I do have the interdental brushes (I have many tooth gadgets – remarkably, you actually have to USE them for them to help :smack: ) but when I showed them at the dentist, they still seemed to think flossing was better. I also have the rubber tip to stimulate the gums, and I had the balsa pick thingies for the same purpose.
Good luck!
One last thing: I once had a dentist tell me to tie a knot in the floss and use it that way. That really hurt a good deal when I started doing it, which could be considered a good thing because obviously you’re getting at a previously hidden problem… (Before doing that my gums didn’t hurt, just bleed easily.) My current dentist and dental hygienist don’t subscribe to this technique, though. Also, if used too aggressively I’m sure the knot could do damage to gums and roots.
Well, my teeth are so close together that it’s hard to get floss between them, let alone little brushes. But i think gently cleaning the area just under the gum line, whether with floss or something else, is helpful in letting the gums heal. The idea isn’t too be vigorous, it’s to remove plaque.
Gently stimulating the gums us penalty helpful, too. But anything really harsh is adding damage. Unless “harsh” is the only way to get at the plaque (and it can be hard to gently get under inflamed gums) it’s probably a bad idea.
Thanks for confirming! I think if gentle and consistent doesn’t work, they will want to resort to “harsh” where they numb me up and do such a deep cleaning it will be a clean slate. I am trying to avoid that if I can!
Basically every day but once in a while I’ll miss on a weekend. I started flossing when a hygienist told me she could tell (from the smell) just by talking to someone whether they floss or not. She’s got a 'specially trained nose and all but that did it for me.
“Flossed”? Is that what they call it nowadays?