Within lifetime, how many days have gone without flossing?

[amandajane]

Think, for a second, ask, how many days do I go without flossing? Come on, confess, brushing is easy it's just remembering to floss, right.

My story:viewtopic.php?t=31380

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[Margie]

I have to admit that I have never been a good with flossing... I don't know why I never flossed, I've always had good brushing habits but I never cared for flossing.

A couple of months before I got braces I started flossing every night and now that I have braces I try to floss every night, but at minimum I floss about 5 times a week.

[changes09]

I honeslty loss between 3-5 times a week. I need to start lossing everyday.

[Megan11]

I honeslty loss between 3-5 times a week. I need to start lossing everyday.

loss? lol

[macgirl4ever]

I hated flossing. As a kid the dentist would say you need to floss. In health education, the teacher would tell us to floss. So I would floss, it would bleed and I would stop. As a teenager with braces I discovered the wonderful waterpik and thought that as long as I used it, it would be ok. The ortho and my dentist still figured out I didn't floss. I continued to not floss as a teenager and even as a young adult. When I was researching for my braces I realized that my gums were not in the best shape (not bad but not good either). I went on a crazy regiment flossing three times a day and using the waterpik twice. It worked. I've backed down to once a day and am committed to sticking with it this time. BTW, in all that time of not flossing I did not have one cavity. I still have never and hope I never do.

[lovelyleo]

Even before braces I could go monthS without flossing...maybe even years but now I make an effort to do it at least twice in a month...it is more of a pain than ever...to me flossing is overrated until a piece of steak is stuck in between my teeth

[xJx]

17 years,I've only started flossing everyday this year,Ive always used mouthwash just not flossed,but now I make sure I do it everyday!

[Folk Ballad]

Well, I haven't flossed once since I got braces so... about a year and a couple months now?
I actually used to floss every day before braces, but it just became too tedious with all this metal in my mouth. Hopefully when they come off I can get back to flossing again...

[ellen]

Flossing did not become a mantra for dentists until about 20-25 years or so ago. In fact, before that dentists (my dad was one) advised against flossing because it could cause bleeding gums. The exception was for food stuck between teeth. Is anyone here beside me old enough to remember a commercial where the man dreamily recalls the joy in finding piece of a Devil Dog or Yodel stuck between his teeth hours after eating it?

One day the pendulum will swing the other way and dentists will decide that flossing is no longer good for you.

[amandajane]

I am the other way, if I don't floss at least every day, I get gingivitis really bad.

my story: viewtopic.php?t=31380[url][/url]

[Takako]

I went for years without flossing or brushing except on occasion. No flossing at all to be honest, and probably brushing less than once a month. Yes, years. I am blessed with a very strong immune system though and only had three cavities when I finally went back to the dentist this past december/january (2008).

[UGHBRACES]

Flossing did not become a mantra for dentists until about 20-25 years or so ago. In fact, before that dentists (my dad was one) advised against flossing because it could cause bleeding gums. The exception was for food stuck between teeth. Is anyone here beside me old enough to remember a commercial where the man dreamily recalls the joy in finding piece of a Devil Dog or Yodel stuck between his teeth hours after eating it?

One day the pendulum will swing the other way and dentists will decide that flossing is no longer good for you.

No freaking way!

All you gotta do is look at the gunk that comes off on the floss to know that it really is necessary.

[dugsmom]

In a lifetime?? I never really counted days but I do know that I never ever ever flossed when I was young. I didn't even know about flossing when I was growing up. We were too poor to go to a dentist (unless you count the one in Mex who pulled teeth) and our parents never told us about it.

I seriously didn't start flossing until I got married (at 19). That's the first time I went to a real dentist (had been to one 2 twice in Mex but all he did was pull 2 molars and he spoke in spanish so I didn't know what he was saying...probably telling me to floss) and was told about flossing. Crazy huh?

I've flossed everyday since I was 19. I was super addicted to it and was flossing all the time. I liked flossing before braces. Now it's more of a chore and I can not wait to get the braces off so that I can start flossing all the time. It's like an addiction to me...I do floss with braces but can't do the back teeth so I don't floss those as often as I'd like. I try and just can't reach the string back there.

[dugsmom]

Oh and by the way, I have a son who has flossed since he was teeny tiny. I did the flossing for him at first but now he does it all on his own. It's part of his bedtime routine and can't sleep without flossing. He just got braces so he's having a hard time but he'll spent at least an hour in the bathroom trying to floss. I help him with the areas he can't reach but we can't get the back teeth. Any ideas on how to reach back there?

[Takako]

I have the floss with one stiff tip, and I thread it down from the top. I open my mouth very wide. I have wide lips though, so that may make it easier.