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Flossing is something people do regularly, I hear – but just as often, it’s something people fudge to their dentist about how much they actually take the time.
This query was posted in Reddit’s No Stupid Question forum, and honestly, it’s information we’ve all probably wondered at some point in our lives.
Just how many days could we floss before an appointment and manage to convince our dentist we’ve been flossing every day forever?
Read on for some pretty enlightening responses!
13. Dentists think they’re so funny.
You can save time by only flossing the ones you want to keep.
12. Just a few weeks…maybe.
I started a few weeks ago after having never flossed consistently and my gums stopped bleeding after about a week of consistent flossing.
For cases of mild gingivitis this is the answer. Ultimately though, if you already have calculus(tartar), flossing will not remove it and your past sins will still visible. But if we see healthy pink tight gums, we are happy.
However, if you have periodontitis, flossing will most likely not be enough and we’re gonna have to go scrapey scrapey.
11. They’ll toughen up.
A lot. But it can help if you floss well and rinse with diluted hydrogen peroxide.
Do your gums bleed when you floss? If so, you probably already have plaque beneath the gum line.
Don’t let that keep you from going to the dentist. They can do a deep clean and you can start your flossing routine after that.
10. Spoken like a true dentist.
2 weeks of flossing can show a big difference.
The best day to start flossing is yesterday; the 2nd best day is today.
9. That’s one way to win…but not for your teeth to win.
The trick is you go to a different dentist for a cleaning before you go to your main cleaning.
8. No regrets? I’m in.
10 days give or take and you will see significant difference. Factors that come into play are when you have tarter build up or deep pockets in your gums. So for example, you get your teeth cleaned regularly 6 months like we recommend, so flossing about a week or so before will bring down inflammation because you probs don’t have significant tarter buildup.
If you haven’t visited the dentist in some time and there is significant tarter then your gums will most likely not bounce back until it’s removed. You’ll definitely see a difference maybe less pain or bleeding but the tarter will continue to irritate your gums until it’s removed.
Moral of the story: floss nightly, save money, save time, save teeth, you won’t regret it
7. No shame in the plaque game.
Dentist here.
If you’ve never flossed in your life, you likely won’t have good flossing technique anyway. You will likely have buildup then that can’t be removed by a couple weeks of flossing.
We aren’t judging you. Actually, some hygienists I know will roll their eyes at nice clean teeth and will fight for the patient with heavy buildup. There’s something so satisfying about removing calculus. Mmmm.
You’ve just got to remember that mouth stuff is ALL WE DO ALL DAY ERR DAY. Save the teeth embarrassment for your Mechanic or something. Not the dentist.
6. Some people are just lucky.
I hadn’t gone to the dentist in 5 years and recently got them cleaned.
My dentist told me I had really strong teeth genetically. Not entire sure what that meant but I did have tarter build up as I only brushed once in the morning.
Since going to the dentist though I have brushed twice a day and flossed too. I think I notice a difference in my gums but I’m not entirely sure yet.
It didn’t take too long to clean, 30 minutes to do my whole mouth.
5. Good habits are as hard to break as bad ones.
On a side note, I’ve been flossing everyday since going to the dentist 7 months ago and they were quite impressed with the improvement today when I went in for a cleaning.
I simply started flossing in the shower and it has been a habit for nearly 7 months now.
4. Not as long as you’d think.
I had not gone to a dentist in 10 years. Gums were bleeding every time I brushed.
Only had 4 very tiny cavities, and one significant one. They took care of one side of my mouth at a time, cleaned all the tarter pockets.
After about 7-10 days, my gums were no longer bleeding, even with flossing.
3. Dentists do get a bad rap.
Totally depends on the person. Some people are more susceptible to tooth and gum damage than others.
Honestly, dentists don’t care. The whole purpose of their job is to clean your teeth because you can’t. Your teeth are strong enough that if you take regular care of them and don’t eat stuff that eats away at them, you can go your entire life without a visit to the dentist.
Since most people don’t do that, dentists exist, and they’re happy to help.
2. Timing matters.
Yes of course. You won’t overdo flossing (unless your gum is already irritated don’t keep picking at it). Brush/floss nightly because it’s the most important time. Our mouths get dry at night and the soft plaque (white fuzzy stuff or grittiness on teeth) sticks and hardens creating tarter. This stuff sucks. It’s loaded with bacteria and causes significant damage if left prolonged.
Not to mention if you leave food or bacteria between your teeth each night it just cultivates and will basically go after your teeth for nutrients aka cavity. Same thing on the surface of your teeth. Floss whenever and however much but make sure to do it at night to disrupt the bacteria and destroy their homes. Fight the plaque before it fight back
1. Hahaha good one.
This reminds me of when I went to the dentist and he asked when did I floss last?
I was like “bro, you were there!”
So I’m going to have to do some firsthand research here.
Dentists, weigh in with your gleaming thoughts in the comments!
We want to hear from you!
