Healthy gums don’t bleed, and are not painful to floss at all.

I’m in my 30s and only recently learned flossing technique and got my gums healthy. Flossing used to take so long and always involved a lot of bleeding no matter how delicate I was.

These days I’m absolute savage with floss and interdental brushes and never have any blood or pain.

Once you get your gums healthy you’ll be disgusted at yourself for ever not flossing. The amount of disgusting I can floss out on an almost daily basis is insane.

Plus you’re breath will not smell gross anymore.

It’s worth committing to the habit of flossing. Trust me.

  • @[email protected]
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    192 years ago

    Do yourself a favour and buy some biodegradable floss picks. String is a fucking nightmare.

        • @[email protected]
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          32 years ago

          I misread pick as stick, none of the stick ones have been that great. I’ve also had bad experiences with limp picks so thanks for recommending some nice hard picks!

          • @[email protected]
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            32 years ago

            Of course, my pleasure! And now a nice hard pick can be your pleasure too. Just be sure you get it deep in there to get your back teeth, and remember to use the tip.

      • @[email protected]
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        52 years ago

        Yes!! I use a water flosser after normal dental floss every night and it often still gets bits that normal floss missed. That’s my motivation for doing it every night, just knowing those food bits are in there…

      • G234323
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        92 years ago

        wow, didn’t know this was a thing. Now I have a journey to try to discover the best option out there and get it

        • @[email protected]
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          82 years ago

          I bought the Waterpik deluxe version a while go and have come to regret it. It works fine, but it’s noisy as hell. I’ve been told the Panasonic version is much nicer and quieter. I’ll be picking one up shortly because I don’t need a jackhammer sound in the bathroom every time I waterfloss my teeth.

          Still, a water flosser is very much worth it. They clean well, and my dentist has remarked on how good everything looks with my gums when I’ve been using it regularly. Even if the Waterpik was all I could have, I would still keep using it despite the noise.

  • @[email protected]
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    562 years ago

    My teeth are just really tightly togheter… I have absolutely no idea where an interdental brush would even go, it just bends and breaks if I try to push it between my teeth. Even getting the floss in there is already hard.

    • @[email protected]OP
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      62 years ago

      The only interdental brush I find I can use is Piksters. All the others bend so easily.

      I wish they were cheaper.

    • vrojak
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      162 years ago

      I also have tightly packed teeth and can barely use interdental brushes on just some of them. What works well however are dental floss sticks, you can get them with pretty thin floss(es?) and they’re way easier to use than plain floss.

      • @[email protected]
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        192 years ago

        Dental floss sticks are great, but I started to worry about the amount of plastic waste, so I switched to a floss holder. I use the toothbat, but there are others out there in the marketplace.

    • @[email protected]
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      22 years ago

      Oral b pro glide works well. Pay for the more expensive floss and you won’t have this issue as much.

    • CynicalMillennial
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      52 years ago

      my dentist recommends the waterpik instead of flossing, he says floss can damage tissue if this is the case.

    • BlackCoffee
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      2 years ago

      Try the pink interprox ones. They are the thinnest ones.

      Otherwise ask your dentist if they can show you how to use them. Just because your teeth are really tight together doesn’t mean that there won’t be any buildup of food or other things.

    • @[email protected]
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      42 years ago

      I can get floss in between mine, but my dentist says that tighter together teeth get less food stuck in there (although I’m sure there are different levels where it can start to be bad)

    • @[email protected]
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      12 years ago

      There are other forms of flossing strings for this problem. Have the same problem and i would never go back to normal string again

      • @[email protected]
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        32 years ago

        Yeah, I have right teeth and my dentist recommended a water pick. Works great but I still floss occasionally as I’m worried the water pick can’t get everything.

  • upforitbutnotdownforit
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    352 years ago

    From many dental visits, pared down:

    Brush light, floss hard. Some minor bleeding from flossing, weirdly, is actually ok. Just go easy on that spot until it’s not sore anymore, then ease into going hard again. These two things are mostly what will make getting poked with all that metal shit not bother you so much.

    You only need to floss at night. You aren’t putting food in your mouth while you sleep.

    Electric toothbrushes are legit improvements, not gimmicks. Get one if you can.

  • @[email protected]
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    52 years ago

    That junk you get out when you floss actually smells just like bad breath. Might seem obvious but always good to keep in mind when you’re feeling too lazy to floss.

  • @[email protected]
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    22 years ago

    Yeah, I have noticed this too. I try to keep my teeth in good health and when I started flossing more regularly, I’d noticed I barely have any breeding. I’d bought an water flossing to try it so it become more of daily rather than twice a week type of affair.

  • JoYo
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    42 years ago

    expanding floss feels so good.

  • @[email protected]
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    302 years ago

    Best motivation to floss? Do it once and smell the floss string after, our mouths are truly vile.

    • @[email protected]OP
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      102 years ago

      It’s kinda disgustingly satisfying when you pull gunk out. Then to think I never used to floss and that gunk used to just stay there…. 🤢

  • @[email protected]
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    82 years ago

    What is flossing? Seriously, though. I floss once every 6 months when I go to the dentist. Never any other time and I’ve NEVER had a cavity. Needing to floss is a conspiracy based on the anecdotal evidence of one 33 yr old male (me) by big dental hygiene to scare you into buy more tooth picking string.

    • @[email protected]
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      -42 years ago

      What are seatbelts? Seriously, though. I wear my seatbelt once every 6 months when I drive to the mechanic. Never any other time and I’ve NEVER been launched out of my windshield during a catastrophic 16 car pileup. Needing to wear a seatbelt is a conspiracy based on anecdotal evidence of one 32 yr old male (me) by big automobile to scare you into looking like a pussy.

      • @[email protected]
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        -112 years ago

        Yours isn’t funny. Mine kind of was, but like…not really…but yours truly isn’t funny and comes off as try hard ish. Just giving constructive feedback, kiddo.

        • @[email protected]
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          82 years ago

          Lol downvote and move on.

          P.S. if you call other people kids, the default assumption people make is that you’re actually a kid. Just giving some constructive feedback, buddy.

          • @[email protected]
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            -142 years ago

            You’re probably the most annoying person I’ve ever encountered and I’ve only read 2 comments. Yowza, get some help or friends or some type of hole to shove your stinky lil pp into.

    • @[email protected]
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      152 years ago

      Flossing is not done to prevent cavaties, but is done to remove plague. If you never floss, plague will build, your gums will become inflamed, your gums will pull away from your teeth and your jaw bone will deteriorate and at some point your teeth will become loose, painful and ugly. So if you want good teeth until old age you need to floss. Brushing only takes away 80% of the plague. Flossing removes the other 20%.

      • @[email protected]
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        42 years ago

        Everything you wrote is true, and I endorse it 100%, but there is a typo that definitely changes the meaning of your comment. The primary purpose of flossing is to remove plaque, not the plague.

        That said, flossing will ultimately result in a healthier oral microbiome and thus can prevent future illness, so preventing plague is technically still possible.

        Thank you for sharing this important detail.

    • @[email protected]
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      112 years ago

      Many body parts are still healthy with mid 30. Time will show you how the body breaks down.

      • @[email protected]
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        62 years ago

        Good point but my dad…same thing. I hit the genetic lottery in many ways, teeth is one of those ways. Everything seems to be in solid, working order with the exception of my ass. Ever had a torn asshole despite being hydrated, and eating healthy including fiber? Fkn want to cry every time I poop.

  • @[email protected]
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    112 years ago

    It’s weird that I actually kinda enjoy flossing now ever since I started doing it consistently every night. There’s something satisfying about getting all that gunk out.

    • @[email protected]
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      32 years ago

      I feel the same, it’s like now after I eat I can kinda feel like there’s stuck food in there and it irks me until I remove it. It’s kinda gross now if I can’t remove it immediately.

  • @[email protected]
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    32 years ago

    Thank you for reminding me to floss! And all the reasons my teeth will fall out on their own…… I don’t floss

  • @[email protected]
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    172 years ago

    I have two permanent retainers in and I find flossing to be so difficult with it.

    I’m also terrible with dental hygiene in general. I’m lucky if I remember to brush my teeth at least once a day.

    • Aim413
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      22 years ago

      There’s floss with kind of a fishing line in one end of every ready-cut piece of strand. Oral B Super Floss is available where I live. You can use the rigid line to guide the floss under the retainer.

    • JJohns87
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      72 years ago

      Add a waterpik into the mix. It doesn’t replace actual flossing but can be really helpful as a supplement, especially in hard-to-reach areas.

  • @[email protected]
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    192 years ago

    Dentists here (UK) stopped recommending flossing years ago. IIRC they actively discourage you from flossing. Instead the recommend interdental brushes