Wellness

[bonnielu]

My gums were damaged by flossing.  And a few days ago a tooth shattered, flossing. What took them  so long to evaluate FLOSSING!  

[CatsyCline]

for many years i used to use a water-pik to avoid flossing. my dentist repeatedly told me it is not the same thing. the point of flossing is to keep the teeth  clear of build-up and to toughen the gums.  if you have bleeding gums, you have problems.  and, just try flossing and then stop flossing for a few days. especially if you are a meat eater,   you will smell the decay brewing between the teeth, bad.

so many pile on the cosmetics and use expensive skin care and fancy cosmetic brushes and just ignore their teeth.

[SaRina]

It is also my understanding that there is no better choice for removing plaque than floss.  However, the biggest problem is with patient compliance.  Most people don't like to floss and/or don't know the proper technique for flossing.  They might use floss ineffectively or even hurt their gums if they floss improperly.  Therefore, a good choice for them would be a water jet stream.  But water jet devices do not scrape plaque off the sides of the teeth like floss does.  OTOH, water jets are good for people who have gingivitis, where bacteria are ruminating below the gum line in pockets. Floss cannot get into gingival pockets whereas a water jet device can.  If you have a generally healthy mouth without gingival pockets, you should stick with floss.

If anyone can direct me to studies that deem water jet devices to be more effective in removing plaque, I'd be interested in seeing that.

[Carmie]

I went to the dentist yesterday morning.  I got a dental cleaning. As always, I was only there a short time.

i brush and floss several times a day.  I always have.  The payoff has been really good for me. At age 62, I still have all of my natural teeth, minus the wisdom teeth.  I have no signs of gum disease.  I also use those GUM brushes on occasion.

Last night our local TV Station told about how flossing was of little or no use. A local dentist was on TV stating that in his opinion flossing works if done properly.  He said to wrap the floss around each tooth on the bottom to clear partials, you should not just pull the floss up and down.

I plan to keep flossing. My bottom teeth are very close together and I fight to get floss between them.  Sometimes the floss gets stuck and I have to struggles to remove it.  

Anyway, IMO, clean white teeth are a sign of youth.  I wish the rest of my body looked as young as my teeth.

[ROMARY]

I'm only guessing that if we don't overdo flossing, using a flossing tape (not string).  In other words, don't make our gums bleed while flossing.  Also, it makes great sense to me to use a mouthwash such as L*sterine that kills 90% of germs.  Maybe rinse a few times a day, after eating, etc.  I knew a few 'old timers' who used to use L*sterine several times a day.  Good natural teeth, etc.   That or maybe something like V*dka, but don't swallow, lol. 

[chihuahuamom]

Boy, looks like a lot of us recently had dentist appointments!  My parents always saw to it that I visited the dentist regularly as a child, although I did have many cavities early on. The older I got, the less problems I had and I always visited the dentist every six months until..........a few years ago.  Actually, I guess I lapsed for about 2 years. When I saw my new dentist, I discovered I had two cavities and needed two crowns plus deep cleaning. They said those two years did me in.  Once I get all this done, I should be ok provided I continue my 6 month visits.  (I have some old old fillings that have to be replaced and wonder if they contributed to the cavities). Anyway, I was told to keep flossing in a side to side motion between teeth (I use the one that has a little pick on a stick) and also add the Gum tiny Christmas trees ( hadn't been using them).Regularly I brush with an electric toothbrush, then follow with a regular brush and then floss. I often get out food when flossing that my two brushings missed.  

[Snoopp]

My dental hygienist uses the floss in an up and down motion.  I'm not getting a good visual on the wrap around the tooth method.

[SilleeMee]

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@Carmie wrote:

I went to the dentist yesterday morning.  I got a dental cleaning. As always, I was only there a short time.

i brush and floss several times a day.  I always have.  The payoff has been really good for me. At age 62, I still have all of my natural teeth, minus the wisdom teeth.  I have no signs of gum disease.  I also use those GUM brushes on occasion.

Last night our local TV Station told about how flossing was of little or no use. A local dentist was on TV stating that in his opinion flossing works if done properly.  He said to wrap the floss around each tooth on the bottom to clear partials, you should not just pull the floss up and down.

I plan to keep flossing. My bottom teeth are very close together and I fight to get floss between them.  Sometimes the floss gets stuck and I have to struggles to remove it.  

Anyway, IMO, clean white teeth are a sign of youth.  I wish the rest of my body looked as young as my teeth.

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Wow, @Carmie, impressive! I'm 61 and have all my natural teeth including the wisdoms. Never have had a tooth drilled or filled or anything! TG!

Have you had any dental work other than cleanings?

[Carmie]

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@SilleeMee wrote:

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@Carmie wrote:

I went to the dentist yesterday morning.  I got a dental cleaning. As always, I was only there a short time.

i brush and floss several times a day.  I always have.  The payoff has been really good for me. At age 62, I still have all of my natural teeth, minus the wisdom teeth.  I have no signs of gum disease.  I also use those GUM brushes on occasion.

Last night our local TV Station told about how flossing was of little or no use. A local dentist was on TV stating that in his opinion flossing works if done properly.  He said to wrap the floss around each tooth on the bottom to clear partials, you should not just pull the floss up and down.

I plan to keep flossing. My bottom teeth are very close together and I fight to get floss between them.  Sometimes the floss gets stuck and I have to struggles to remove it.  

Anyway, IMO, clean white teeth are a sign of youth.  I wish the rest of my body looked as young as my teeth.

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Wow, @Carmie, impressive! I'm 61 and have all my natural teeth including the wisdoms. Never have had a tooth drilled or filled or anything! TG!

Have you had any dental work other than cleanings?

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Yes,  I have a crown on the last tooth on the bottom, left side.  I had a very small cavity when I was in my 30's.  The dentist filled it, but didn't do a great job.  He left a cave with an entrance that was in between two teeth.  To make a long story short., I ended up with a root canal and crown.  I no longer go to that dentist.

I also have a molar filled on the upper left side and a very small filling on the bottom left side molar again. I got those teeth filled when I was a child.    My fillings are silver colored.  My dentist wants to change them out to white, but I keep putting it off.

Wow!  Your dental history is VERY impressive.

[Yardlie]

The report did not say that flossing was not beneficial. The report said that there have not been adequate studies done on flossing to prove its effectiveness.

I was a dental hygienist for over 30 years, and I can tell you that flossing is very effective in those who do it properly. Properly does not mean picking out the food between your teeth or snapping the flossing in between your teeth.

Interdental brushes are very effective in the interdental spaces, but they cannot reach the spot where the two teeth meet, and they cannot go under the gumline in-between your teeth.

Ask your dental hygienist to teach you how to floss properly...and please don't say that your fingers are too big or you are not coordinated enough to floss! I never saw anyone need to drop out of a dental hygiene or dentistry program because they could not learn to floss.