Metal Mouth Message Board

All I use is mouthwash in the morning and at night, and I brush after every meal. Would it be that tragic if I didn't floss??

Yes. I got really lazy with my flossing, and I have had some bone loss as a result. I have a huge black triangle on my bottom teeth in the middle, and it cant be corrected without IPR and pulling my teeth together which will cost more money. Its not terrible, and I'm lucky I was having frequent cleanings so my hygienist noticed right away. If I kept doing what I was doing, it could have gotten a lot worse. I can live with the way it it now, but you may not be so lucky.
Why dont you invest in a waterpik and those little proxy brushes. When I dont have time to floss I just poke those proxy brushes through all my teeth, its alot quicker then flossing!

I had a dentist once who liked to say "you don't have to floss ALL your teeth...only the ones you want to keep". I decided then it was really important.

If your not going to floss at least use a waterpik on a daily basis, its not hard to use. I have one thats hooked up to my shower and its as easy as turning a knob every morning.

What bugs me is that I haven't been told how to best take care of my teeth now that they are braced. My dentist told me yesterday to make sure and keep clean, and that *perhaps* I could get an appointment with one of his assistants to be taught how to clean properly..

I do the best I can, but on days like today when I'm really hurting I am very unwilling to floss! Can't be much to floss anyways since I don't plan on eating that much solids.

I think it's highly important to floss, braced or not.

Brushing can only do so much (apparently, not much at all?), flossing helps to remove plaque between teeth and near the gum line and if you don't floos and leave it there it can cause a problem. Plaque can cause decay and gum disease.

If the plaque isn't removed, it will turn to tartar which I believe only a dentist can remove, not yourself.

I admit I never flossed, apart from in the past couple of years, and still even then I SLACKED ALOT... maybe flossing 2 times a week. I went to visit my dentist the other day (I do not have braces yet) in a panic because my gums bleed when I brush and I noticed some receding on my two front lower teeth. He was cool and told me not to panic, checked my mouth over. I asked him to SHOW me how to floss as I wasn't sure, and he did. I now hope I can stick to flossing once a day... but I admit it's a hard habit to get into at 24 when I've never really been that keen on doing it... I was just plain lazy and that's all there is to it. But, I'd like to keep my teeth so need to kick myself up the backside!

Just as important as brushing, especially in braces. The brush can't remove nearly as much plaque between the teeth because the bristles don't make much contact with that area with the train tracks in the way. Its very important to do a good job flossing between the teeth and the gum line.

My ortho assistant told me to floss every night when I got my braces on, and I have stuck to it. I flossed everyday for years though so it's not such a big deal to me. It took me a long time to do it at first, but now I'm a pro with the floss threader and it's no problem at all.

wired nana wrote:I had a dentist once who liked to say "you don't have to floss ALL your teeth...only the ones you want to keep". I decided then it was really important.

My dentist has a sign stating this in his office! Flossing is very important! Just ask my husband who has had to undergo deep scaling because he did not floss. It is very important to do!!! Even more so if you wear braces!

yeah very important. its hard to get into the habit but once you do and get the hang of using threader floss it really doesn't take very long. You're investing all this money into braces it would be a shame to have bad teeth and gums when they come off.
www.allbraced.blogspot.com

I flossed before braces, even more so now that I have them. It was a pain at first but now it's very easy and worth the hassle

Yup, you just got to...

I was a dental assistant before I found my dream career in real estate, and I would say flossing is even more important than brushing. Why? Because food and bacteria needs about 16 hours of uninnterupted time to sit to start to harden into plaque. That plaque that sits under your gum line doesn't have anything to interuppt it at all. After a period of time it will start to irritate your gums and peridontal area and because your gums don't want to be annoyed they will move...down. That is why if you don't floss often, when you do your gums will bleed, they are really really irritated (not by the floss but by the plaque) A lot of the stuff you can't even see. Wearing braces puts you at a higher risk for losing gum tissue as everything is in a state of upheaval. Gum tissue is like brain cells-it does not grow back. You can fill cavities, but you cannot regrow gum tissue. And the treatment to reshape the gums so that you don't have gaping holes and roots showing really hurts and is very disgusting. Not to mention poor gum health puts you at a higher risk for heart disease, 30% more likely to have a preterm baby and more. Flossing is really important stuff!

I never realised how important flossing was. I have never flossed! not even tried it once.. Feel a little disgusting right now.

I am going straight to the supermarket to stock up

Dont' feel like that, squara square face - I'm 42 years old, and have to admit, I almost NEVER flossed in my while life. It made my gums bleed and hurt, and I wanted no part of it. It took this long to realize that the more I did it, the LESS they would hurt and bleed. Only when I decided to get braces a few months ago did I start flossing every night. It's made such a huge difference in such a short amount of time.

It may take you a while to get the hang of it, but once you have your "groove" down, it shouldn't take you more than 10 minutes, MAX.

Good luck!
-Cathy