flossing is a pain!!

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#1 Post by **Grammy** » Mon Aug 30, 2004 8:58 pm

has anybody found a good way to floss? I don't like the plastic needle threader things. I tried Oral B super floss...it is too hard to pull through.
I want to try the Glide threaders. Mostly I just use the waterpik.

#2 Post by **sdsue123** » Tue Aug 31, 2004 10:02 am

Hi Grammie. Flossing is definitely a pain. I use the Glide threader floss. One end of it is stiff, so it's easier to use. I got a good idea from another braces wearer who said to pull the end through with a tweezers. That really helps when I'm attempting to floss the molars. I've also got a Hydrofloss which I like better than a Waterpik. I just had the lower braces put on this morning, so now flossing will be doubly fun for me. Hope this helps.

#3 Post by **Grammy** » Thu Sep 02, 2004 7:45 pm

Thanks...I tried the Glide Threader floss and it is better than the Oral B!
Still not EASY, but better. I'm sure practice will improve it too!

#4 Post by **LynntheAdmin** » Wed Sep 08, 2004 12:25 am

Yeah, at first it took me FOREVER to floss my teeth, especially the molars. You get used to it and soon it goes faster. After 2 years, I'm a pro already...standing in front of the mirror making faces

trying to get the floss in there....it can be quite comical....

I mostly use the Glide (the packets are great for travel). At first I couldn't use the Superfloss, but now that my teeth aren't so tight, I can actually use it comfortably. Sometimes when my teeth are particularly messy I use the Superfloss or the Thornton Floss (which is very similar). That spongy thing really helps clean between gaps, too.

At first I also used those plastic threader needles, but personally I hated having to tie the floss on. Half the time the darned floss came off in the middle of flossing, and I'd have to stop and tie it back on. That's why I was so happy when I found the Glide with the stiff end.

#5 Post by **josephine** » Sun Feb 13, 2005 11:05 am

I think it's important to have the physical pressure of the floss against tooth and under gumline, rather than just water pressure, to keep things clean, healthy, and mobile. Lord knows I'm still struggling since I've only been in brackets five days, but with some stubborn determination I'm gradually figuring out how to get around all the obstacles! Most of the time you can't even see what you're doing!

One trick I've figured out: Sor far I've found the floss threader really helpful but the first day or two I was dropping it all the time. But I've discovered you can just hook the threader on your little finger while you use the rest of both hands to floss a particular place.

#6 Post by **aussierob** » Sun Feb 13, 2005 1:29 pm

Hi, I'm at my 1 week "anniversary" point for braces ... now that the topic of flossing has come up what method do you use?

I've tried a few different ways during the week:

Superfloss threads between teeth nicely but it shreds easily (especially the spongey) when snagged on a bracket or wire tie-end... (and leaves dangle-threads stuck between teeth!)

Plastic/rubber interdental brushes go OK but some of my spaces barely let them in and it's not the same kind of "follow around the tooth" under-gum cleaning that I like from floss

Floss threader (GUM brand blue plastic loop) to thread my favourite floss (Colgate dental ribbon) works the best right now. I started off threading the floss through the tooth gap but lately i'm just using the threader to get the floss under the arch wire and then floss the "usual" way pushing the floss between the neighbouring teeth ... sure it's a bit uncomfortable but I don't mind it because the floss passes over the tooth contact and will take out snagged stuff.

Does that sound masochistic?

#7 Post by **cdwright** » Thu Feb 24, 2005 6:50 am

I tried the spongy floss and I was always cutting it on my teeth or brackets. It then leaves the filament in there...so if you have really tight spaces, I would stay away. The Glide is very good, has a stiff threading end on it.

If you do not want to use tweezers in your mouth or they are not available the method that worked for me:

Hold cheek of side out you intend to floss. With the opposite hand thread the floss between the brackets and push it up as much as you can. Let cheek go and let the floss go with opposite hand. Take the index finger of the saem side hand, place in on the floss that is above the bracket. "Pull" floss along gums with finger until some sticks out your mouth. Grab end and go to work.

#8 Post by **naomi** » Thu Feb 24, 2005 11:03 am

I tried Super Floss and it was too big to fit between my teeth. Now I always use Oral-B Satin Floss. It's smaller and I find that it slides under the archwire a lot easier than regular floss. That's a good thing too because I don't have the patience to use a floss threader!

It took some practise but I'm able to floss pretty quickly now. Another thing that's nice about Satin Floss is that it doesn't shred like other kinds of floss.

~Naomi

#9 Post by **Guest** » Thu Feb 24, 2005 11:21 am

Oral B Satin Floss also does not work its was off your fingers when you are trying to floss between your teeth, like some of the other types do. I would wrap the type of floss around my fingers 3 or 4 times and it would just pull itself off - very annoying.

#10 Post by **strugglebuggy** » Wed Mar 09, 2005 11:11 am

I just use Glide tape. I thread it under my wire and then floss. Haven't tried a threader or anything... sounds like more of a pain than it's worth...lol. I'm getting much faster at doing it the old-fashioned way.

#11 Post by **ANYA** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 1:42 pm

aussierob wrote: lately i'm just using the threader to get the floss under the arch wire and then floss the "usual" way pushing the floss between the neighbouring teeth ... sure it's a bit uncomfortable but I don't mind it because the floss passes over the tooth contact and will take out snagged stuff.

Does that sound masochistic?

WOW...I did not even think of doing it that way. That sounds great. I will try that too today. I am having huge problems flossing because my teeth are so tight even the stiff end of superfloss I can only get between a few teeth. when trying between the tight ones the stiff end ends up in my gums..OUCH.

#12 Post by **Guest** » Mon Mar 21, 2005 2:58 pm

ANYA wrote:
aussierob wrote: lately i'm just using the threader to get the floss under the arch wire and then floss the "usual" way pushing the floss between the neighbouring teeth ...
WOW...I did not even think of doing it that way.

Really? I didn't even think of doing it any other way. I thought that was the right way... hmm... maybe I need to experiment some more.

#13 Post by **jetgrrl** » Tue Mar 22, 2005 10:45 am

I was just about to come over here and post about this. My teeth are really crowded and I always hated flossing until I discovered Johnson and Johnson Gentle Gum Care, which is like loose rope. Now I see (after last night's flossing fiasco) that it's not going to work so well with the braces because it's too easily snagged. I also now have a few spots that I can't seem to get floss in at all, as if, in one day, the braces have temporarily made some spaces even more crowded.

Help! Should I just try different floss? Is there something else I can do if I can't get floss in?

#14 Post by **ANYA** » Tue Mar 22, 2005 10:59 am

Hi, I also have teeth were I can not seem to get the floss between anymore. The only way it works sometimes it so use Oral B Superfloss with the stiff end and poke that stiff end right into the space between the teeth and then pull the floss thru. So I am partly threading the floss under the wire for some teeth to floss as without braces and parly I poke the floss right between the bottom of the teeth. I also got a waterpik yesterday and so far I hate it because there is too much water coming out. I did not plan on drowning while cleaning my teeth/braces. maybe I just have to get used to it. Also the watertank gets empty too fast. I do like the waterpik for in between cleanings. I do the full program before bedtime.

#15 Post by **aussierob** » Tue Mar 22, 2005 1:24 pm

jetgrrl wrote:Should I just try different floss? Is there something else I can do if I can't get floss in?

Hi jetGRRL !!!
I've tried many flosses and like the results from "Colgate total dental ribbon" the best. My shredding now come from the floss being ripped by the end of wire bracket ties, but it's avoidable once you are familiar with the trouble spots.
If floss is out (discomfort or unable to fit) then get some "interdental brushes" (i.e. brush for the space between teeth) For small gaps get the plastic/rubber brushes and for larger gaps there are wire-cored brushes (look like tiny bottle brushes) and these come in cylindrical or tapered (like a little xmas tree!)
Another option is to get dental woodsticks for cleaning between teeth, oral-B makes them.
Of course being in Australia my selection (brand range) is limited and there's bound to be many other options available in other countries. A dentist with a great website is very keen on dental wood sticks (he likes "stimudents":
http://www.doctorspiller.com look under "prevention"

Don't you find it's kinda fun to be on a quest for the best toothy gadgets?! Maybe it's just me - I can be simple at times!

Some linkage to my favourites:

Colgate total dental ribbon
http://www.colgateprofessional.com.au/p ... tchoice=17

Colgate interdental brushes
http://www.edentalstuff.com/Merchant2/T ... Brush.html

Oral-B dental woodsticks
http://www.westons.com/acatalog/info_ORA205P.html

Metal Mouth Message Board

flossing is a pain!!

flossing is a pain!!

I hate flossing too

Glide floss

flossing and very crowded teeth