Not all floss threaders are created equal

Message

#1 Post by **mtbrncofn** » Mon Jun 27, 2005 12:47 am

That is quite the difference.

I just cannot believe that you prefer those over self threading floss! That stuff has been a life-saver.

#2 Post by **aussierob** » Mon Jun 27, 2005 4:05 am

hear hear meryaten!
The blue threaders are my fave. I also like to stick with my tried-and-true floss (colgate 'total' dental ribbon)
I have tried 'superfloss' and it's ok but tends to fray and break easily, especially when flossing around/near molar bands

#3 Post by **Dreamer** » Tue Jun 28, 2005 7:17 pm

Oral B Superfloss is wonderful! Comes 50 to a box. They have a stiffened end to floss under your appliances, a spongy floss middle that cleans really nicely, and a strong floss second half that really cleans under the gumline. The worst part about them is that they are long and if you use all three parts of the floss string it's alot to thread through. I find them much nicer and more convenient than using any floss threader!

#4 Post by **swan** » Wed Jun 29, 2005 8:32 am

Threaderfloss is definitely a great thing, one length is just enough for one session for me. But Oral B Superfloss is pretty thick, even the spongy part, so it only works if the gaps between your teeth are wide enough. Definitely not usable for someone with crowded teeth, Glide Threaderfloss is much better there, it's like a thin tape.
I've only been able to use Oral B Superfloss for about a week (I've been in braces for about 3 months).

I wonder whether Meryaten is brushing his teeth well before flossing. Are you, Meryaten?

#5 Post by **bracefaceat34** » Sun Aug 28, 2005 9:19 pm

swan wrote: I wonder whether Meryaten is brushing his teeth well before flossing. Are you, Meryaten?

LOL - I guess I was kind of wondering that myself when I read that he gets the floss all slimed up. YIKES!!!

I got the Crest Glide Threader Floss. I can't thread it between my teeth in most spots because my teeth are too close together. I just thread it up underneath the wires between the brackets and then go between my teeth like I normally floss...there's only one spot where I can't get the floss through at all - never had a problem before. The Waterpik probably got out what I couldn't floss though.

#6 Post by **bbsadmin** » Sun Aug 28, 2005 11:36 pm

Hey now, let's be nice.

Myself, I'm a prolific drooler. Always have been. I hate that.

The Thornton 3-in-1 Floss is similar to the Superfloss, but it's less expensive and you get more in the box.

Personally I do wish SOMEONE would make a regular strong floss with a plastic or extra-waxed threader attached (and no spongy stuff). When you have tight teeth, the spongy thing just doesn't work; it's too hard. I coudn't use the Superfloss until after I had extractions and more room between my teeth. That's what's nice about the Crest Glide product. But not everyone wants to use Glide, and some people perfer a plastic threader like the one on Superfloss or Thornton floss.

Any inventors out there?

Anyway, talking about the plastic threaders themselves, a couple of other companies make them, too. There's Dentek and Floss Aid. Theirs are similar to the one by Plaksmacker, but the eye is bigger.

On the flip side, a new member of this board invented a gadget called the Floss Fish. Several ArchWired members tried it and so far the feedback is really positive. So maybe there's hope for flossing in braces beyond threaders and threader floss. Every day people are coming up with bright ideas...mainly, I think, because we adults don't want to be inconvenienced and like to find a "better way."

#7 Post by **bracefaceat34** » Mon Aug 29, 2005 6:43 am

Meryaten wrote:
AHEM - I find this pretty insulting - of course I'm brushing my ****ing teeth before flossing, but if you folks have discovered some way not to produce SALIVA whilst you floss, perhaps you could be so kind as to share that with me, because I surely haven't managed to find the "off" switch and if you don't find saliva to make your floss slippery then I'm quite deeeeeelighted for you.

And by the way - thanks for the sex change, but NO THANKS.

Jeesh - I try to be helpful and I get insulted twice-over.

Hey now, I was totally kidding...sorry about that - never meant to insult anyone. I think we all have our own issues to deal with and if we can't laugh at ourselves right now and have fun then I think we are in for a world of trouble. As a freckle-faced, red-headed mother of two, I am very aware that I look like a teenager with these braces and probably will get some funny looks and stares. Oh well! I am finding the humor in it...thought I was helping you do the same, not really thinking someone would floss without brushing. Sorry to offend you.
Have a great day

#8 Post by **Clo** » Sat Sep 03, 2005 6:37 am

I hardly post in this section Meryaten,
but I only wanted to 'counterbalance' the insult to you. I always read your
posts with delight. So it would be a great loss if you would leave. So,
please don't. Not because of this. Sometimes people are not aware they
are stepping one step too far. BTW, if you ever would find that off switch,
I would be delighted to hear from you ! On the other hand, some months
ago I had a virus infection that made my mouth very dry for some weeks.
Bwah, I don't think that is better than having too much saliva. So, yes,
switching off to clean and floss, but hoping very much that the saliva-
production-unit starts up again after that !

#9 Post by **Attagirl2** » Sat Sep 03, 2005 11:08 am

Hi. I use something like the plaqsmacker, but a different brand with a larger eye. I thoughly like it. I tie it to on one end of my regular dental floss and have at my teeth! I like the fact that it is somewhat stiff and curved so I can manuveor it under my arch wires.

#10 Post by SW » Sun Sep 04, 2005 1:54 pm

I use Dentek's floss threader that looks just like the PlakSmacker. What I found worked for me though, was to cut the handle or "tail" part of the threader off with scissors, right up to the edge. That way I didn't have to deal with trying to get the handle part under the wire. I don't tie the floss on to the threader, I loop it though like you would thread a needle. I hold onto the looped floss, push the threader under the wire and then pull the threader down off one side of the floss leaving the other side under the wire. (I hope that makes sense...!)

Hey I "slime" up my floss too, and I brush my teeth! What I do is take one piece of floss for my top teeth, another for my bottom teeth. I use one end of the floss on the top right hand side, the other end of the floss for the top left hand side and the same for the bottom teeth. If I need to I just use another piece of floss.

#11 Post by **swan** » Thu Sep 08, 2005 8:36 am

Sorry, I didn't mean to insult anyone. I was just asking a question.
I drool a lot too sometimes (it seems to be different on different days), but that just means that things get wet, not slimy, therefore my question.
It just seemed unreal. Just trying to understand what's going on. I'm sorry if it seemed otherwise.

#12 Post by **wearetheborg** » Mon Mar 27, 2006 6:17 pm

bbsadmin wrote:
Myself, I'm a prolific drooler. Always have been. I hate that.

Ahem. It can be advantageous to be a prolific drooler in certain scenarios

#13 Post by **wearetheborg** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 1:07 pm

Ugg, what does "duff" mean ???

#14 Post by **bbsadmin** » Tue Mar 28, 2006 5:23 pm

wearetheborg wrote:
bbsadmin wrote:
Myself, I'm a prolific drooler. Always have been. I hate that.

Ahem. It can be advantageous to be a prolific drooler in certain scenarios

...but we won't talk about those scenarios on this more-or-less PG-13 board

Funny, last August I wrote that someone should invent a regular floss with a waxed end, and now we have SturdyFloss!

#15 Post by **JumpTheDitch** » Thu Mar 30, 2006 4:31 am

I would have been offended too, Meryaten, but I don't image it was intentional. Please don't leave us! I too have noticed your kind a supportive posts around here

Back to the issue at hand, I keep hearing about these "floss threaders" but I can't seem to find any of these fantastic sounding do-dads here in Australia. I'm not a big fan of "superfloss" cos I don't like the floss bit; it's too thick and makes my teeth and gums cry. I also found many were 'duff' at the stiff end. For the record, I use Colgate Tartar Control Dental Ribbon, which is much thinner and gentler

.
But anything that'd help cut down the 10-15 mins a day it takes me to floss would be a life saver!

Here's some scary food-for-thought:

That's over an hour a week; FOUR to SEVEN hours a month, and a whopping SIXTY to NINETY-ONE hours a year. That's two and a half to nearly four days a year, on flossing alone!!!

Brushing after every meal and every snack as I'm sure we all do every day; I wonder how much time we spend brushing our teeth in a year...