ok - so how long should it take to floss?

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#1 Post by **tommyfive** » Wed Mar 21, 2007 11:45 pm

*now* i know why the ortho said floss *once* daily. criminy! that took me like 20 minutes!

i know - it's day 1, and it's got to get better than that! and i'm including the use of that cool proxa brush. but: to put it in a positive light this experience will put me into a routine which i've never made myself follow before. an actual ritual before bedtime; a reason to start to bed early.

I tell you this: there will be no bedtime snacks after flossing!

seeing how long it takes now, once i get the bottoms on, i could get through both sides of "thick as a brick" before i'd get done! that wouldn't be a bad thing; i love that album... i should try that - get some tunes in the bathroom; music to floss by...

t

#2 Post by **lionfish** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 12:10 am

I can remember spending that long flossing one arch on day one, day two and maybe even day 3 and beyond. Now it takes me around 3-5 minutes to do both arches.

Jethro Tull played live in Sydney last year so I went to see them. They played all the old favourites. It was really fantastic, to think they're close to (older than?) 60...

#3 Post by **Lisa65** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 12:40 am

It took me ages too at first, but I can do it in about 5 minutes now. Practice does make it easier as you get the knack of it.

#4 Post by **Ives** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 6:58 am

I guess I need to practice more, it takes me at least 10 minutes or so just to do the fronts upper and lower. I still can't get my big hands to the back teeth, just no room. Good Luck

Ives

#5 Post by **RightMyBite** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 9:37 am

I've had uppers and lowers for a week, and my entire cleaning routine in the evening takes 30 minutes. That includes brushing, proxybrush, floss, interdental brushes, brushing my tongue, and mouthwash. I don't have a good sense of how long the "flossing" portion of that takes me.

#6 Post by **joney** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 1:28 pm

It took me ages to floss at first. Now I am much quicker. Also at first your teeth feel much tighter but as they loosen up it becomes easier. I would imagine it takes me 5 - 10 minutes max to floss.

Regards
Joney

#7 Post by **gunter8888** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 2:36 pm

While my flossing speed and dexterity have improved, I think that flossing (with or without braces) always seems to take longer than it actually does. Its a rather mundane task and doesn't lend itself to multi-tasking. So it often seems like 3-5 minutes of flossing is taking 10-15 minutes.

I never noticed this until I was flossing with the bedroom TV on. I realized that I had completed flossing in just a little more than a 3-minute commercial break.

#8 Post by **Kodius Champion** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 2:41 pm

I could get through both sides of "thick as a brick" before i'd get done! that wouldn't be a bad thing; i love that album... i should try that - get some tunes in the bathroom; music to floss by...

WoOt! Jethro Tull!

TAAB rocks (though I'm a bigger fan of Side One than Side Two

)

#9 Post by **timsmith** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 2:48 pm

Tommyfive,

I have been braced for a week now, it is taking about 25 to 30 minutes for flossing, interdental brush, 2 minutes of electric brush, tongue clean, apply was and a salt water rinse to complete.

The flossing is the long part, I am longing to get that below 10 mins!!

Stick at it,

Tim

#10 Post by **Pirate Wench** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 2:52 pm

It took me 20 minutes the first time I flossed my uppers. By the time I got my lowers on 5 months later I was down to about 3 minutes. Then the time jumped to about 15 minutes because of having to get a routine for the lowers too. Now I am down to 5-7 minutes max!

Keep practicing and the time will get better....I promise!

#11 Post by **pcgal** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 3:06 pm

The floss used to keep coming out of the threader and that seemed to make flossing take so much longer. But now that I use the floss that is attached to the threader, my time has really reduced. It still takes about 5 minutes to do though

#12 Post by **Lisa65** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 3:10 pm

in my earlier post in this thread i said about 5 minutes, but tonight I've just done my first floss since getting my latest hardware (new screw and sliding jig wires on the top) and it took me about 20 minutes. I'm still sweating from the pain now

#13 Post by **tommyfive** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 3:19 pm

i'm also working on trying to floss without threaders or stiff-end floss.

it's either denial or hard-headedness, or maybe I just like to make my life harder, but you know: i can't be bothered, and it didn't take me much longer without the threader. i also use thick floss, so maybe that helps too.

i figure at some points i won't have a choice - i'll run out or lose a threader, whatever, so i might as well get used to it while i'm in control of it.

i learned to use windows without a mouse, i drive stick shift cars, i drink my coffee black cause i can't be bothered with always having the right amounts of this or that condiment... (besides that, those non-dairy creamers are made of nasty stuff!!)

#14 Post by **lionfish** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 4:17 pm

I find I can use regular floss on my front teeth and most of my premolars, but getting the floppy ends to go between the wire right at the back is too hard.

I can't take coffee black and my PC mouse is my friend, but I wouldn't drive anything but a stick shift (manual) given the choice!

#15 Post by **twentyone** » Thu Mar 22, 2007 4:32 pm

I got my braces on today, and my orthodontist said that you should brush/floss your teeth really well (which he said meant that it should take at least 15 minutes) at LEAST once daily.

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ok - so how long should it take to floss?

ok - so how long should it take to floss?

Re: ok - so how long should it take to floss?