Flossing question...

[furious george]

I'm having a heck of a time flossing...not threading the floss, but more that I can't get the floss to snap down because I can't adjust my hands in my mouth like I used to. I managed to cut my finger on floss today, but still managed to miss several teeth.

I do love those gum soft picks though. Do you think it's okay if I use in place of floss? At least tempprarily? I can dig them around pretty good in the gums, I just can't pop them down between the teeth like floss.

Thanks in advance.

[TMJJill]

I had a lot of problems learning to floss originally when I got braces. My back molars are especially tough because it is extremely tight back there and I have little room between the wire and my gums. I had best luck with the Glide threader floss. The Superfloss would just catch on my brackets and shred so I don't use it very much. I will say that it does get easier with practice. It used to take me 15-20 minutes to brush, floss and put on elastics. Now, it is more like 5 minutes in all.

Just when I thought I had a good routine down, I started having wrist problems and in February had wrist surgery and have spent a lot of time in splints and casts and still have a long way to go in my healing. This made flossing pretty much impossible. I started using orthodontic dental flossers. They are the kind with the plastic 'fork' with the floss threaded through it already. The orthodontic type are flat on one side so you can slip it up under the wire. They are much easier to pop up in the harder to reach places. There are several brands out there. The spam spam spam brand seems pretty popular. The first ones I found were by CVS. I'm currently using one by DenTek and it has worked well so far. I think they are all fairly similar.

In my discussions with my orthodontist, he said my use of a WaterPik would also be sufficient for a while if I had a spot I really couldn't floss well.

Good luck.

[southernbelle]

I have a waterpik that I bought and that is all I use to floss. I know I might get negative comments about it. My dental hygienist had braces a couple years ago and went to the same orthodontist as I go to. She said that as long as I don't feel something stuck in between my teeth or see anything, then the waterpik should be fine. After all, it is a water flosser.

I wouldn't worry too much about the whole floss thing, but that's just me. I do highly recommend anyone who has braces to purchase a waterpik... you won't be sorry!

[plugnickel69]

Try flossfish. Takes me less than 3 minutes to floss.

[jessieg]

I also have a horrible time flossing, I have almost given up, and it's only been six weeks. I don't know if it's enough, but I SWEAR by my waterpik. I don't know what I would ever do without it with braces. I'd love some miracle to flossing. When I get near the back I am like, forget it, I am done. My front teeth hurt so bad still to that I can't even touch them with floss. It's been just a dream really.

[zdenka]

There is one space between my molars I cannot get to the usual way. I use the floss threaders for this spot. I am hoping that one day the gap will be big enough that I can go up and down all the way but for now I, at least, get the gums flossed.

[xanidu2012]

Flossing? Yea, big problem. I used to be able to floss between each/every tooth. Now since they have moved its become a problem. I've also been told that a Waterpik works miracles so that item is next on my "to get" list along with several toothbrushes. Boy, these brackets rack havoc on toothbrushes

[RMB1013]

My Ortho's office said to floss 3-4 times a day. Does anyone do that?
I dont even eat three meals a day, maybe two. I do use the Waterpik water flosser after each meal, rinse and brush. I have not tried regular flossing yet but i guess i will be doing that too.

Top Braced 6/19/12

[nifer237]

3-4 times!? Um, whoops. I was a chronic flosser, but I have to say I became very lazy with my braces. Also, I don't even use the threader anymore, I just thread the floss right through my braces. I have a whole system. But I don't do it as often as I should...

[RMB1013]

I think they know you won't do it that much anyway. I saw the Flossfishers and they sound like they might be easier so i ordered a bag. Only 5 bucks. Worth a shot. I cant see flossing though till you have a meal.

[xanidu2012]

I floss as best I can before going to bed every night. The only time I floss before then is if I eat some thing and it gets stuck between teeth and I can feel it

[RMB1013]

After buying one bag of Flossfish, i found SuperFloss in the supermarket. Wotrks better than floss since one end is stiff and it eliminates the step of threading the floss though the threader thingy.

[starfish88]

Its really reassured me to hear that everyone has trouble flossing at the start it seems. I know its only been 2 days but its absolute agony to floss I did 1 tooth and ended up nearly in tears. I assume it will get better and I'll keep trying (plus my waterpik is coming soon too) but its reassuring I'm not going to ruin my teeth skipping a few days....right???...Especially when I'm still mostly on liquids anyway...right? (OK I'm a dental hyperchondriac)

[klobird]

Star--you will be fine! Glide Threader Floss is much much easier to use than Superfloss.
Just keep at it--your description of flossing totally brought back memories. Just being soooo frustrated. I timed it in the beginning--7 minutes. Now it's about 1 minute. The more you do something, the more adept you become. And missing a few days here and there isn't going to set you back. Just hang in there, ok?

It really does get easier--the norm--and you will be whipping thru your teeth in no time!
It is different, and harder than without braces, and a new thing to learn and get used to, but keep at it and you will....

[xanidu2012]

Does any one have any suggestions on how to floss between the back molars that are banded. My bands have hooks on front and buttons on back. I try to pull my cheeks back far enough to try and use threader then get floss through but I get hung up on the hooks/buttons . I brush back there vigorously. Is that good enough. I just can't figure out a way to get this done . Do I just give up and wait for a wire change and let ortho floss back there. Im going trying to think of a solution.