I don't floss my teeth - does it matter?

[Laura Corin]

I know that I should, but I don't. I floss if I get something stuck, and maybe once every couple of months otherwise. Despite never having flossed regularly, my teeth don't get any problems: as I get older I occasionally have a filling that needs replacing or a tooth that chips. Otherwise, nothing.

 

So, am I particularly lucky, or is flossing just not as important as we are told it is? I'd like to be able to pass on healthy habits to my children, rather than habits based on superstition or a standard that I don't share.

 

ETA: if you didn't floss in the past and it caused you problems, please tell your story.

 

Laura

Edited July 4, 2010 by Laura Corin

[Violet Crown]

Ask me about flossing! It's like asking an ex-smoker, who at last can fill her lungs with pure clean air and run uphill without gasping, if she thinks that cigarettes are really bad for you or if it's all just hype. Prepare for scolding!:D

 

No, actually, I'd say that if your dentist agrees with you that your gums are in good shape, just keep doing what you're doing. But I wouldn't assume that would be true for your kids. Tightly placed teeth run in my family, and converting to the true faith of regular flossing has not only improved my gum health, but my general well-being: my dentist credits that to no longer having to fight low-level mouth infections.

[Tracy in Ky]

I learned that you miss 40% of your tooth surface if you don't floss.

 

Since I became a flosser, I love the way my teeth and gums feel.

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

I'm also one of those who knows she should floss regularly, but only does it occasionally. I have also been extremely lucky regarding oral hygiene. I once went 6 years in between dentist appointments when I had no insurance, and when I finally went back, the dentist didn't believe it had been that long. I brush well at least twice a day and floss maybe twice a month. I think my teeth may be spaced farther apart, because even when I do floss, I don't get much out. I've only had cavities once in my life at age 13, at which point, my childhood dentist said I had 5 cavities. This also happened to two of my younger sisters. The next year, our dentist moved into a brand new, beautiful private office building, and none of us have ever had another cavity since. I think the dentist was fleecing parents prior to having his new office built.

 

Anyway, that's a side rant. I do think flossing is important, and I just chalk my good teeth up to luck. I do make the kids use those little flossing sticks 2-3 times a week.

[TammyinTN]

I floss every night before bedtime. I can't go to sleep unless it's done. I also make sure ds is flossing everynight. He has braces and it takes awhile but is so worth the effort.

[Laurie4b]

I am trying to get the habit of flossing.

I developed gum disease in my 50's which has been treated, but I have to really watch it. My teeth have always been quite healthy--very few cavities over the years.

The bacteria that cause inflammation in the gums are the same ones that cause plaque to build up in the arteries, so flossing or not can actually make the difference in whether or not you develop gum disease. The pp who likened it to quitting smoking is right on the money.

[chiguirre]

I'm a very occasional flosser, but I do rinse my mouth with listerine each time I brush. I've gotten good checkups at the dentist, so I guess it works well enough for me.

[Peela]

OK, I didn't floss for years, like you Laura, except when I had something stuck in my teeth. So, ocasionally but not regularly.

Last dentist visit, he did xrays and I needed 4 fillings. Apparently.

I only went to get two amalgums replaced by composite, and it ended up being a huge sum of money. I went home shocked that it was going to cost me so much to get it all done (it was just the check up- nothing done).

 

I decided to skip the fillings, start flossing and brushing twice a day instead of once, and using anti bacterial mouthwash. I am actually using "natural" products with some possibility of rebuilding tooth enamel, which from my reading is a definite possiblity although dentists either don't know or wont tell you.

 

So far, so good. I did have a slight tooth ache in an obvious decay area, which has since gone. I am watching it all carefully. I am hoping to heal the holes and rebuild the enamel. I will give it 6 months or so- none of the holes were deep and two were mere shadows barely noticeable on xray and not noticeable without xray.

 

So thats my story. I have been too easy going about my dental health and when it was going to cost me a lot, I have picked up my act considerably.

I think it probably depends a lot on your teeth structure and strength of enamel etc as well. Crowded teeth are harder to keep clean than non crowded ones.

 

I did go back and get the amalgums replaced as well, and just told teh dentist I would come back when I could afford it.

I find the cost of dentistry incredibly exhorbitant, so I have had a wake up call about taking better care of my teeth.

 

BTW I never had my kids floss until one year, about 3 years ago now, both needed several fillings and because we wont have mercury put in their mouths, we had to go to a private dentists (rather than the free public system) and it cost us a fortune. I told them they would be paying for their own fillings from then on. Since then, they brush and floss regularly and have not needed a filling!

 

I really am slack about such things but am motivated purely by the amount of money dentistry costs!

Edited July 4, 2010 by Peela

[Geek]

I really think it depends upon things like diet and genetics, but more importantly teeth spacing. Some people, like my husband, just have tightly spaced teeth and flossing is not only unnecessary but near impossible.

 

Then there are folks like me. If I go longer than a week without flossing, my gums will swell, get sore, and then bleed when I next floss. I brush my teeth regularly and with excellent technique, or so I've been told by my dentist who is always pleased with them. Yet the spaces between my teeth are large enough for germs to grow despite the fact that no one can actually see the spaces.

[athena1277]

I don't floss unless I get something stuck in my teeth (like when I eat corn on the cob). Even when I had braces, I never flossed. Should I? Probably. But my teeth/gums are pretty healthy and flossing is a pain.

[Renee in NC]

I floss now, but I didn't start until I realized that the gum was receding around one of my teeth. My gums bleed a lot less often now, but I still have to get to the dentist about that one tooth (root probably needs to be cleaned.)

 

I should also say that I have never had a filling. The only cavaties I have ever had were in wisdom teeth, which could not have been flossed in my mouth anyway. The dentist removed them.

[Lawana]

I've gone through periods of flossing religiously, and only flossing to remove particles of food, although I do brush brush twice a day. Just in the last several months I have noticed my gums start to recede (I'm 51). Previously, I had very healthy gums and the hygienist and dentist always commented on how healthy my mouth was. I'm wondering if there is an age related thing here─you know, "long in the tooth."

 

Any how, it's flossing time for real now. Wish I'd been doing it all along.

[kalanamak]

I know that I should, but I don't. I floss if I get something stuck, and maybe once every couple of months otherwise.

 

Laura

 

As you get older and "long in the tooth" there will be more space and more stuff caught. IME people start flossing more as they age.

[OLG]

Like others, it was an age related activity(!) for me. I never flossed till I was in my 50's....but saw the need then and the dentist urged it to keep those healthy gums and teeth. When I think back, I only remember my parents flossing when they were older as well. It's not an easy habit to acquire, I found, but I can pull it of at bedtime and the lure of the whiter teeth stuff helps.

 

Mary

[Chris in VA]

I confess, I'm not a flosser, but I should be. I have lots of fillings, and currently need a "deep scale," which is a pia cleaning that gets, well, very deep.

My teeth are very close together and it's hard to floss, but my gums are now infected and I have to shell out 500 bucks to get it all done.

Most of my cavities occurred between my teeth on those side surfaces.

[emubird]

I didn't use to floss. I was started to develop problems. My gums bled and ached and the dentist would cluck his/her tongue.

 

Then I started flossing and I now get comments from the dentist/hygienist about how they often don't see gums looking so nice.

 

My husband does not floss as often as he should. He just had a tooth pulled last month. They could have done a root canal but it would have been a whole lot more expensive.

 

When I floss, I rarely get anything visible from between most of the teeth. However, I don't usually get visible stuff off when I brush either. It's all the invisible plaque and bacteria that you're supposed to be getting off.

 

Flossing used to hurt. Now it doesn't.

[Daisy]

I made my husband a deal a few years ago.

 

He would floss daily for 6 months straight. At the end of that 6 months he would go to the dentist. IF there was NO difference in the amount of time it took them to scrape and clean his teeth and in the amount of pain while having that done, I would no longer hassle him about it.

 

He is a hard-core committed flosser now. :D

[LG Gone Wild]

A great question...I hate flossing and rarely do it. Sadly, it is so needed in my case.

 

I hate flossing!!!

[lllll]

..

[OrganicAnn]

I floss occasionally. I use the flossers that are for kids. They are easier to use. I think it is important, but I just don't do it consistently.

[KidsHappen]

I read a study as few years ago that said people who don't floss are more likely to have heart attacks than people who do. I am already at a pretty high risk for heart attacks so I try to do as much as I can to lower my risk. That's why I started flossing. Since then however, my gum health has improved tremendously, I never have any plaque or tartar build up and I don't get any cavities either.

[dirty ethel rackham]

I have to floss. My mom had terrible gum disease. As a pre-teen, I was told by my hygienist that I had too much tartar and inflammation for a little girl and that I had gums just like my mother. Well, mom had terrible problems with her gums and teeth so I vowed to be different. Now I floss, just about every day. I find that if I use woven floss (not waxed) and do it while I am waiting for the shower water to heat up, I can get it done in 30 seconds. My dentist has noticed a big difference since I made this a habit. Although I am not good about routines, this is one I don't miss. I may not get to brush my teeth 2x's a day, but I do floss religiously.

[shannatheshedevil]

My teeth are so close together that it's almost impossible to floss, so I don't. I will if I get something stuck, but that's all. I've never had a cavity.

[Laura Corin]

I may not get to brush my teeth 2x's a day, but I do floss religiously.

 

I always brush twice daily, come what may.

 

Laura

[tennislady29]

I floss daily. My teeth feel so much better than when I flossed randomly. My gums appear healthier to my dentist and have not bled in years.

[Liz CA]

Laura, I did not think it was necessary to floss until I was about thirty. When I finally found a floss I liked and used (woven floss) I was appalled to see how much I could get out between my teeth after brushing. It's all about habit. Start and you won't give it another thought.

 

[amy g.]

Have you read about oil pulling?

 

It sounds crazy, but it works.

[ThatCyndiGirl]

Have you read about oil pulling?

 

It sounds crazy, but it works.

 

 

What did you read? Do you do this? The more I read about it the less I was convinced that it was actually a proven science. I'm not trying to be snarky. Maybe I just didn't read good articles? :confused:

[Liz CA]

 

HOLY COW! You mean you can reverse cavities???? This is the first I ever heard about this. I can see why no dentist would mention this. This goes sadly along with my perceptions of allopathic medicine. Money, Money, Money and very little concern for the actual health of the population. Oops, was that a rant? Sorry!

[dirty ethel rackham]

I always brush twice daily, come what may.

 

Laura

 

Oh, I try to brush 2x's a day. However, if I stay up late (or fall asleep on the couch), I don't want to wake up my family with my electric toothbrush (that is timed to do 2 minutes.) If I can't do a full brushing, I swish pretty thoroughly with mouthwash, do a 10 second brushing without power and call it a night.

 

I don't mess with teeth. I may be lax on other things, but not teeth.

[Guest janainaz]

I'm a faithful, daily flosser and I have to be. Dh does not floss and never has cavities. Ds10 flosses every night when he brushes and I never have to tell him or remind him. I am also teaching ds5 about flossing and we floss his teeth almost every time he brushes also.

[AnitaMcC]

I don't floss. I should but I just can't do it.

 

Every single time I have flossed... I end up with an infection in my gums. Every.single.time. I have never been able to do it right or something. My dentist says that my teeth are extremely tight (absolutely no space between my teeth) and my gums are very tight against my teeth, so when I do floss I actually end up cutting my gums because I have to force the floss in. Plus I have TMJ (had three surgeries) and just can't get my jaw open wide enough to floss beyond my front teeth without causing pain and irritation to my joints. So I just don't floss.

 

So far the only cavities I get is due to enamel chipping off of my molars. I need them capped but dentist can't do it due to my jaw limitations (unless he can knock me out and due to health issues, doctors say no elective surgeries).

[amy g.]

http://www.oilpullingsecrets.com/OilPullingStudy1.pdf

 

Here is one article I read. It only had 10 subjects, not very convincing, but I thought it couldn't hurt to try.

 

I have good teeth, and don't have any caveties at all, but my gums are receding.

 

I tried it with organic coconut oil. It actually gives me insomnia unless I only do it in the mornings. I can see the color of my gums improvoing, and my teeth are white, white, white.

 

As far as all of the other health claims, I'm sure you are right that they are over blown.

[dirty ethel rackham]

I don't floss. I should but I just can't do it.

 

Every single time I have flossed... I end up with an infection in my gums. Every.single.time. I have never been able to do it right or something. My dentist says that my teeth are extremely tight (absolutely no space between my teeth) and my gums are very tight against my teeth, so when I do floss I actually end up cutting my gums because I have to force the floss in.

 

This happened to me when I used waxed floss. When I switched to woven floss, I don't have the gum irritation. It doesn't have that "snap" that cut my gums (and I have some very tight spaces in my mouth.) I have a certain protein in my saliva that makes me very prone to tartar buildup, which leads to gum problems (and, in my mom's case, tooth loss.)

[Laurie4b]

I always brush twice daily, come what may.

 

Laura

 

Brushing doesn't affect the issues with gums the way flossing does.

[Terabith]

How do you teach kids to floss? I just can't imagine my 5 and 6 year olds being able to do it, and I can't imagine doing it for them.

 

I'm pretty bad about it. I don't floss. I know I should.

[mom2abcd]

This happened to me when I used waxed floss. When I switched to woven floss, I don't have the gum irritation. It doesn't have that "snap" that cut my gums (and I have some very tight spaces in my mouth.) I have a certain protein in my saliva that makes me very prone to tartar buildup, which leads to gum problems (and, in my mom's case, tooth loss.)

 

Which brands are woven?

 

No one has mentioned the Water Pik yet. I hate flossing, but the water pik works well.

[elfinbaby]

My teeth are relatively healthy; however, I have a molar that's in need of serious help. I'll be getting a root canal soon. I haven't seen a dentist in about 15 yrs. and, at that appt. I had cavities that should have been taken care of. So... I think if I had taken care of the cavities, I would have been fine, even w/o flossing.

 

Flossing isn't a big deal. I think it's good preventative care.

[MBM]

How do you teach kids to floss? I just can't imagine my 5 and 6 year olds being able to do it, and I can't imagine doing it for them.

 

I'm pretty bad about it. I don't floss. I know I should.

 

At some point during the day when all of you are calm, gather together in front of a mirror and show your kids how to wind the floss around their fingers, and then just concentrate on the upper and lower front teeth. Work on the molars later. It won't be perfect, but they'll get the hang of it faster than you might think.

 

Also, you don't have to floss before bedtime if you're just starting to make it a habit.

 

Another point to remember is to brush with a light touch. You're not scrubbing grout afterall. My dentist told me the pressure I should use is what I would get if I were to hold the brush with my ring finger and thumb.

 

And, yes, I do floss and brush regularly, FWIW. :)