Why exactly is it that flossing with braces is so important?

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#16 Post by **blackapple** » Wed Oct 06, 2010 9:28 pm

Oddly enough I go through floss like it's toilet paper. Sit every night with my mirror at my vanity flossing and inspecting the floss for residue after I run it along each tooth and gumline. Was so traumatic and painful with dealing with teeth that had a dying nerve that I vowed not to put myself in that predicament again if I can avoid it. Tooth pain is really the worst pain as there is really no way to bandage it once it gets going. Not like having a sore leg or arm. If flossing is going to keep me out of this predicament I gladly will spend 15-20 min doing it a day.

#17 Post by **WebDevGirl** » Wed Oct 06, 2010 9:55 pm

I *hate* flossing and *never* do it. And my teeth haven't suffered for it

haha i used to think the SAME THING but about BRUSHING as a kid and you can imagine how well that turned out for me. Just because teeth look healthy doesn't mean they are. Lots of problems can lurk in the gums or on the teeth below the gumline.

#18 Post by **Lynette** » Wed Oct 06, 2010 11:36 pm

To be honest I had never really flossed until about 2 and a half months ago.

Sure I knew about it, but I just didn't know it was that important because no dentist had ever mentioned it in my 22 years of existence until 2 and a half months ago.

Now I pretty much floss every night with Oral B Superfloss

#19 Post by **Ionika** » Thu Oct 07, 2010 1:31 am

i've heard about flossing and i used a Floss Pick- device, before braces..
after, my Ortho suggested Oral B superfloss... it's a hudge difference and i'm going to stick to it after braces ...

and before, i had a very hard time flossing because my extremely tight spaces and overlaping teeth in my lowers...now they are almost straight and i cand see a lot of difference in time spent flossing..it's a dream now

#20 Post by **Theresa48** » Thu Oct 07, 2010 10:38 am

There's no substitute for flossing!

I will confess, I went to bed without flossing a few times just because I was soooooo tired and didn't feel like the hassle of braces flossing, but took care of it in the morning.

I have started flossing earlier, or after dinner just so I am not too tired to floss right before bed.

#21 Post by **Loztredders** » Fri Oct 08, 2010 4:16 am

Haha, yes I know I shall have to start looking in the mirror to floss when I get braced. at the moment I can't even figure out how the whole flossing with braces thing works, I have a feeling it's going to take me hours to floss!! Lol

#22 Post by **poppy123** » Fri Oct 08, 2010 4:42 am

ho wdo u floss with braces on? the floss wont pass the wire

#23 Post by **BraceFace2o1o** » Fri Oct 08, 2010 5:16 am

poppy123 wrote:ho wdo u floss with braces on? the floss wont pass the wire

I have heard of floss threaders, I'm going to be investing in some when I get my braces. They help you get the floss above/under the wire.

Or there is a type of floss with a stiffened end to get through the teeth at the gum line, I think it's called Oral-B SuperFloss

#24 Post by **poppy123** » Fri Oct 08, 2010 5:37 am

thanks chrystal. Yeh floss with a stiffened end (!) would do the job. im gonna get some this weekend. Ive been told to use interdental brushes - like tiny pipe-cleaners that you brush all around each bracket with and the smallest ones go in between your teeth too

#25 Post by **UGHBRACES** » Fri Oct 08, 2010 8:02 am

poppy123 wrote:ho wdo u floss with braces on? the floss wont pass the wire

Here is a link to a good youtube video on flossing with braces:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_JSmlrmhfU

Also, a threaded tip is not really necessary. It just makes it easier to drop the floss between the brackets. However, once I got the hang of it, I had no issues dropping the tip of regular floss(crest glide is what I use) in between the brackets and then floss like normal. Threader floss gets pricey and putting a piece of regular floss on a threader is a PITA.

#26 Post by **VA5** » Mon Oct 11, 2010 7:23 am

I never flossed before i had braces, and now i regret it. I see why I had so many cavities growing up, for example. Although I know part of it is genetics, but I'm sure not flossing didn't help. And yeah, there is so much food and crap in between your teeth, it's really quite gross not to floss at least once a day.

But anyways, yeah.. as soon as you realize you have so much stuff in between your braces and other junk on your teeth, you'll never feel good about not flossing before bed!

#27 Post by **WiredRunner** » Mon Oct 11, 2010 10:25 am

I'm in love with these:
http://www.dentakit.com/flfltoforbr.html

No more threaders!

#28 Post by **BraceFace2o1o** » Mon Oct 11, 2010 10:29 am

WiredRunner wrote:I'm in love with these:
http://www.dentakit.com/flfltoforbr.html

No more threaders!

I have some of these and will give them a try once I am in braces. I was lucky enough to receive mine for free which is a bonus!

#29 Post by **venom** » Mon Oct 11, 2010 2:14 pm

is there anywhere in the uk that sell these flossfish?

#30 Post by **sadpanda** » Mon Oct 11, 2010 5:43 pm

I think dentakit.com sells floss fish. They also have Sturdyfloss which is that floss with the stiffened end. It's great, but it still takes a long time to floss. I usually give up after a while, even though I shouldn't.