Flossers unite!

[autumnpalm]

So I was at the dentist earlier this week and after getting a bit of a lecture from the dental hygienist, I have decided to recommit to flossing! I have always been kind of an on again/off again flosser which I suppose is better than nothing but I really want to get into the habit of flossing daily!

I have a container of floss by my bed along with my hand lotion and the book I'm reading right now (which happens to be Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner) so I will remember to floss as part of my nightly bedtime routine.

Anyone else with me? I know it's a lot easier to start a new habit when you have someone to be accountable to so hopefully there are some other DISers out there who are wanting to hop on the flossing bandwagon. I've heard that it takes 21 days to form a new habit (don't know how true that is!) so I am going to commit to flossing every day for at least 21 days. With any luck the habit will catch on and I'll be a daily flosser for life!

 

[emer95]

Ok, I'll be your flossing friend!

I am a terrible flosser. I only really floss after I've eaten corn on the cob. The shame of admitting that!! I even bought one of those floss-on-a-stick things, thinking it would motivate me. It sits unused next to my toothbrush (that I DO use...my toothbrush, I mean).

What a good idea to use positive peer pressure. We should have a "clean the bathroom more often" club too!

Oh, and I love your book choice. I'm reading Magic Hour by Kristin Hannah right now and I can barely put it down.

 

[autumnpalm]

Woo hoo, my first flossing buddy! Hey, I could use a "clean the bathroom more often" thread too. Also a "make the bed every day" and "vacuum the floors once in a while" thread might be kind of helpful too.

I bought an Oral B Hummingbird flossing thing which I thought would motivate me but I ran out of tips for it and haven't bought any more. They're kind of expensive to use all the time so I might as well just stick to the regular floss my dentist gave me. I do remember having grape flavoured floss as a kid, I wonder if they still make that?

I haven't heard of Magic Hour... I'm off to look it up on Amazon! I just started Best Friends Forever but I really like it so far. I find Jennifer Weiner's books to be kind of hit and miss but I'm happy with this one. My favourite by her is Little Earthquakes, though. I loved that one!

 

[DisnyMama]

I'll give some flossing feedback that might help. Over a year ago I spent a boatload of $$ getting three teeth-rootcanals and crowns with no dental insurance. I was in major, major pain and had to sell my car to get them fixed. It was a bad time. I was not a flosser but a good brusher but I always had trouble with my gums bleeding. Well, after all this dental work it only cost about $150 for a good cleaning/debreadment (not sure of the spelling) and I started flossing morning and nite faithfully. I now must admit that I floss a minimum of once per day and sometimes twice depending on what I have for dinner but guess what? My gums have stopped bleeding! In fact, I just had another cleaning in April and not a negative word and no bleeding so flossing really makes a difference. I just wish that I had started doing it years ago. Plus, it doesn't take long for it to become a habit. Just do it immediately after you brush.

Best of luck!

 

[LadyZolt]

Just do it immediately after you brush.

I've been flossing before brushing all of my adult life (since I joined the Navy at 18 and the dentist said "floss your teeth every day." LOL!) To me, it makes sense to floss before you brush because doing so will remove the large particles lodged between your teeth and allow the toothpaste to get between the teeth and clean them better. After reading your post, I Googled it and there are a variety of opinions about the pros and cons of flossing before or after you brush, but the really important thing is to floss. It just never occurred to me to floss after brushing before reading this thread! Anyway, I floss at least twice a day most days (never ever less than once) and I always floss before brushing my teeth at night before I go to bed.

-Dorothy (LadyZolt)

 

[TangaroaTiki]

I've been flossing before brushing all of my adult life (since I joined the Navy at 18 and the dentist said "floss your teeth every day." LOL!) To me, it makes sense to floss before you brush because doing so will remove the large particles lodged between your teeth and allow the toothpaste to get between the teeth and clean them better. After reading your post, I Googled it and there are a variety of opinions about the pros and cons of flossing before or after you brush, but the really important thing is to floss. It just never occurred to me to floss after brushing before reading this thread! Anyway, I floss at least twice a day most days (never ever less than once) and I always floss before brushing my teeth at night before I go to bed.

-Dorothy (LadyZolt)

I always floss BEFORE I brush because you loosen particles that most people would like to brush and rinse out of their mouth

 

[Pea-n-Me]

My dentist had a sign in his office, "Only floss the ones you want to keep".

Plaque

autumnpalm, good for you for flossing! Hope you don't mind one suggestion - you should probably keep your floss in the bathroom next to your toothbrush. It makes most sense to floss before you brush, and then wash your hands afterward and throw the floss in the trash (since it's loaded with bacteria from your mouth).

Hope you can stick with it.

PS Those little floss sticks are good for people who have difficulty with the string type.

 

[autumnpalm]

Oooh, I never thought about the importance of when to floss. Thanks for the tips, everyone! I'll move the floss back to the bathroom and do it before I brush my teeth every night.

I'm thinking that if I make it the full month of September without missing a day of flossing I'm going to do something nice for myself... like buying a new sweater, getting a pedicure or something like that. Retail therapy is usually a pretty good motivator for me!

Thanks for sharing your story, DisnyMama!

 

[RitaZ.]

I use a Sonicare toothbrush and floss after brushing. When I floss after brushing, there are no big particles. I usually brush again after flossing. I use Oral-B Dental Tape. I like it because it's wider than regular floss.

I'm switching dentists. When I went for my check-up in July, there was a new hygienist. She was so rough that my teeth were hurting when I got home. That's never happened to me before. Also, I kept feeling sensitivity in one part of my gum. I took a closer look when I got home and noticed that she cut my gum. The gum healed, but there is a little part of the gum that's gone. You can still see a straight line into the gum. I have never liked the dentist, but put up with him because my visits with him take a total of 5 minutes. I'm done with their office.

 

[All American]

As a flossing convert of 2 years, I want to say good luck! It only took me two weeks to get into the habit. At the end of the two weeks, when I normally would give up, I wasn't going to floss, but I could just "feel" the gunk between my teeth. So, I did and have every night since then. That was the turning point for me.

 

[autumnpalm]

I'm 3 for 3 so far!

I think I'm already addicted to the feeling of flossing. It has actually made a difference this early in how my mouth feels!

Woo hoo!

 

[chisnpeke]

I use the little flossers and they have helped tremendously. Good luck to you!

 

[Rose&Mike]

Op--I skipped the dentist and didn't floss for about two years, and it was horrible. I had to go through two really awful deep cleanings, and was pretty much told the next step was the periodontist. I have flossed almost every day since then--going on two years now. I very rarely skip. It's such a habit now, it's just part of brushing my teeth. Eventually you will get to the point where your mouth doesn't feel clean if you don't floss. Good luck!

 

[ticktock]

I'll join. I have to go to the dentist tomorrow and I know I'm going to get a lecture for not flossing. I just hate sticking my fingers in my mouth. It's so gross.

 

[emer95]

Hey, I'm 3 for 3 too! My gums and my dentist thank you, autumnpalm! I have noticed a difference, too. It's a little gross because I obviously haven't been keeping up on flossing, but I do love how clean my teeth feel. Why have I waited so long? If you hadn't posted this inspirational thread, I guarantee I wouldn't have flossed the last 3 days.
Now I'm off to nag my kids and hubby to floss too!

 

[AKL_Megs]

This is a great support system!

I am another "on again/off again" flosser. I WAS doing really well for a few months, and then fell off again.

My gums DO bleed from time to time when brushing and flossing, so this worries me.

I am jumping back on with you!

I've got my Oral-B Satin floss armed and ready to GO!!!

 

[AKL_Megs]

My gums have stopped bleeding!

Whew, so there is hope! I feel like a lost cause at times!!! How long 'til they didn't bleed anymore?

Just to add... when I DO floss I usually do it BEFORE brushing and while I watch TV... this sort of became my "routine" a while back. I am picking it back up tonight!

 

[DisnyMama]

Whew, so there is hope! I feel like a lost cause at times!!! How long 'til they didn't bleed anymore?

Just to add... when I DO floss I usually do it BEFORE brushing and while I watch TV... this sort of became my "routine" a while back. I am picking it back up tonight!

If I remember correctly I had a good cleaning/debreedment first by the hygienist and started flossing twice a day-that very day. The bleeding seemed to just dissapear competely after about 3-4 weeks. I noticed whithin a few days that my gums started feeling better overall. It's amazing how just flossing removes stuff that we didn't even realize gets between our teeth every day and stays there. After flossing for a bit and you see what starts coming out you will too!

Congratulations to everyone who is now on the flossing bandwagon!!

 

[monkey68]

I am going to start flossing regularly. I always vow to after I leave the dentist, and I'm really good for about a week. Then, I just start to feel like I'm eating my fingers, and I give up. Maybe you guys can give me the peer pressure to floss daily.

 

[AKL_Megs]

It's amazing how just flossing removes stuff that we didn't even realize gets between our teeth every day and stays there. After flossing for a bit and you see what starts coming out you will too!

OMG! I flossed out something white yesterday, and I don't know that I have had anything white to eat in... well, I don't know!