Jenny's thread inspired me! :lol: :wave:

Do you floss your teeth? Do you make it a regular habit of flossing? If you don't, it's a great time to start. Just brushing alone doesn't help maintain clean gums. You don't want to end up with gum disease or even get a worse case of gum disease if you already have it.

As for me, I do floss my teeth/gums on a daily basis. It's very important to me. I do take the time to floss my teeth/gums. I also take the time brush/floss my teeth at work. I also like to use the GUM brand of those little gum brushes (Go-Betweens) to clean out the sides of my teeth.

http://a1468.g.akamai.net/f/1468/580/1d/pics.drugstore.com/prodimg/79943/300.jpg

Also, what are your other oral care habits?

I brush and floss every day! :D

I also use this flouride rinse stuff that's like mouthwash, except you aren't supposed to eat or drink for 30 minutes after using it.

It's lovely.

Yes! I always brush and floss twice a day each day. I also rinse with mouthwash.

I brush and floss after every meal. :D

I do, yeah. My dentist was amazed at the great condition my teeth were in, considering I hadn't been to the dentist in 15 years. she was like: do you have a dentist in your family or something?? :lol: :D

I'm a really good brusher but I never floss :lol:

I love flossing. I do it like 4 times a day even if there's nothing in my teeth. I'm a bit OCD about it.

I floss but not regularly. I don't like doing it and am one one of those "cheater" people who start flossing every day the week before they go to the dentist.

I floss but not as often as I should. Probably 3-4 times a week.

I floss ... right before i go to the dentist or if there is food stuck in my teeth other wise I just brush. This thread reminds me of that geeky guy on the listerine commercial.


http://www.sugarscostumes.com/images/mascots/corporate/sets/Listerine.jpg

Yes, I floss! Mostly because the last time I went to the dentist it cost a small fortune to fill my cavities. Whenever I'm tempted to skip a session I think about that bill. :eek:

Yep. Not a much as I bruch my teeth though. I brush them usually 2 times a day but only floss at the end of the day.

I floss, brush my teeth way too much. I'm obsessive about personal hygiene...showers, you name it.

I floss maybe a few times a week. I used to do it a lot less though. like only when I had food stuck in my teeth. Every time I go to the dentist the hygenist says I have nice teeth, but I need to floss more!

I floss maybe a few times a week. I used to do it a lot less though. like only when I had food stuck in my teeth. Every time I go to the dentist the hygenist says I have nice teeth, but I need to floss more!

You're probably one of those blessed with healthy teeth and gums. I am one of those people who absolutely must floss every day, though I admit that sometimes I've gotten lax or inconsistent. I do know that when I've been better at flossing, my visits for teeth cleaning have gone much easier. I have to floss because the prospect of gingivitis and gum disease scares the h*** out of me. Plus, I think a healthy smile is an asset to one's appearance.

I don't. :o I would, but my gums are waaaay too sensitive. Who looks there anyway? :lol:

No, I'm one of those people that randomly flosses whenever the thought occurs to do so...'hm, I think I'll floss now.' I never do it on a regular basis.

However, I am an obsessive teeth brusher!

Believe me - I do understand the whole "my gums bleed when I floss" statement. In fact, my gums used to bleed so much and were extremely sensitive years ago. And, I only brushed my teeth and would floss once or twice a week. That changed completely when I was told that my teeth/gums were in terrible shape during a dentist appointment. They were able to do some deep pocket cleanings which costed me a lot of money. And, to think, I have dental insurance. My out-of-pocket expense was still expensive. I was given a lecture on the importance of flossing daily. Unfortunately, the bleeding is a sign of Periodontitis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gum_disease) (Gum Disease), and the disease is a cause of inflamed gums accompanied with bleeding. As time passes by, all that food that wasn't flossed out from your gums will turn into bacteria and give you bone loss. Over time, that bone loss will loosen your teeth and the need for dentures will come into place. The flossing was a heck of a lot more worth it than losing teeth. That was enough of a scare for me to change my flossing habits over 180 degrees.

Since I floss daily now, my gums have become a lot stronger, and I don't get that sensitive pain and discomfort I once had a problem with. My gums no longer bleed. Believe me, it gets easier to floss once you bring your gums up to par. It'll feel weird to not floss. Plus, no more bleeding/sensitivity pain! Woohoo!! It feels great! [/end boasting]

I guess I am being motherly to everyone who doesn't floss daily. Hehe... I guess I just care about everyone here. [/end nerdiness]

As far as the ease of flossing, those of you who have difficult placing floss in between those tightly-squeezed areas, you might want to use different types of dental floss. There are some other alternatives that may help out with that. :)