flossing

[papigo]

how does anyone floss easily?!. i have tried flossing ribbon which you have to be a contortionist to use. i have tried interdental brushes which if you dont get in the space between your teeth the first time, they just buckle and then they're useless!. i have now tried the flossing thing that vibrates when you use it but the ribbon doesn't fit in between all my teeth so when it gets stuck i'm terrirfied i'm going to pull out my fillings! my dentist said i need to floss to prevent gum disease but i'm at my wits end! how do you do it without pulling you mouth to the back of your ears or getting saliva dripping down your sleeves!!!!!!!!!!!!!! please help.

[FrancisB]

Hi,

At the risk of sounding patronising - but have you tried using dental TAPE instead of floss? It serves the same purpose as floss, but is a lot thicker. Whereas floss is like string, dental tape is, as the name suggests, like tape.

I've tried both floss and tape, and I can honestly say tape is much, much better. Buy it from where you usually buy your floss.

You have to slide in up and down, between your teeth in a 'saw' like motion.

[smudge]

I have to agree with Francis.

I've tried several types of dental floss over the years & the best one I've found is Oral B Dental Tape, here:

http://www.westonsinternet.co.uk/images/ora221 q.jpg

Some of the thick cotton like floss, feels as though it's cutting into your gums, but the dental tapes are very gentle to use.

I just snap off a length of tape & gently slide up & down between my teeth with it.

(A bit like pole dancing, but without all the glamour)!

[smudge]

As in the link pic' - I meant Oral B Satin Tape.

Apart from in the bathroom, I always keep one in the car & in my bag too - you never know!

[:pagan:]

Buy a Waterpik.

[chicklin]

I was going to say the same as pagan - a water jet thingy is great. It gets everywhere and swooshes out all the nooks and crannies!! Wonderful!!

[Miss Inquiry]

My hygenist is really good and recommended interdental brushes, I told her they bend too much and she told me I was using the wrong size, she assesed my teeth and told me the right ones to use... might be worth a try asking @ your dentist.
Good luck with your pearly whites.

[buggles123]

I bought a waterpik water jet from Argos as I can't floss properly either. It's really good at getting all the food out but now it's broken and I'm extremely peeved that waterpik customer service are ignoring me. I would recommend it if it wasn't for that as it does work.