Help with dental hygiene

[Lithu]

So I have a really bad gag reflex, to the point I avoid anything that sets it off, my dental hygiene is awful since I was mid teenage, I would actively avoid dentist and brushing teeth.

I have worked hard in the last 3 years with a private dentist to try and get my teeth/gums okay- teeth while lots of fillings are okay, it is my gums thats are the issue.

Any suggestions? I currently brush using a electric toothbrush and use mouthwash.

I have tried using the tepe interdental sticks but I find they hurt, and make my gums bleed.

I can't use the interdental brushes either, I don't have room. I do use the floss harps not as often as I should as I find them easier to manouvre than just normal floss.

Some people swear by water flossers for their gums - I tried one and it would definitely take some getting used to (water everywhere) but it broke so I returned and never replaced, but might be worth a try?

Thanks @Lellochip while I have receding gums, my teeth are rather close together so I did find it hard to use the interdental brushes.

I could try a water flosser, I was worried about them being too powerful!

I wouldn't us a water flosser as too messy but we have an air flosser that puffs a jet of air/ mouth wash out. It's better than nothing but doesn't replace the action of actual flossing. I suppose normal flossing isn't an option? I find minted thick tape the best.

I got a water flosser which I really rate. It is very.. watery, but you do get used to it and it seems to be doing a pretty good job.

I will have a look for a water flosser!

Did your dentist tell you to use mouthwash? Generally they say you shouldn’t use it after brushing

I have gum issues (thanks pregnancy!) but my dentist said electric toothbrushes make it worse since you end up pressing too hard on the gums. I've switched to a soft manual toothbrush plus flossing and it's helped loads

Try Googling dentist Ellie Phillips (?) and Kiss your Dentist Goodbye. She has a very simple(once you get the hang of it) and non invasive way of improving your dental hygiene.

Love my water flosser, it has different settings so you can pulse, have it high or low or somewhere in between, it also came with different attachments like a little brush and a tongue scraper, its easy to use as i just keep my mouth open and lean over the sink and the water just runs out.

@BungleandGeorge yes my dentist did tell me to use mouthwash- it's a fluoride one. I'm using a Colgate high fluoride mouthwash and toothpaste that's on prescription.

Have you tried dental tape, it’s flat and easier to get between teeth that are close together . Keep persevering, it will be worth it .

Since I started using a hygienist my gums no longer bleed. Expensive though.

I use my water flosser in every shower. Not sure if you’re meant to but saved me getting soaked every day!!

Try oil pulling.

Definitely a water flosser. Do it dry first, as in get a feel for where the head is and look in a mirror especially important for behind the teeth.

Then put water in it and don't look in the mirror. Lean over the sink so your face is opposite the bottom of the sink. Mine has a head you can twist so you can move the angled head into position.

I find both harp and tepe flosser a pain in the arse because all the sticky residue either gets stuck on the floss/stick or it pulls it out from between the teeth but then leaves it on the teeth. A flosser is amazing. I have had mine for a few years. I use it maybe twice a week. You cannot replicate the force of the flosser simply by pulling, whether oil or mouth wash.

[quote Lithu]@BungleandGeorge yes my dentist did tell me to use mouthwash- it's a fluoride one. I'm using a Colgate high fluoride mouthwash and toothpaste that's on prescription. [/quote]
Don't use mouthwash straight after brushing as it washes the fluoride from the toothpaste back off your teeth. If you use it then use between brushings instead.

You get different thicknesses of interdental brushes. Have you tried a thinner one or the floss harps?

Oral B dental tape - thinner than floss!

Try an edge brush. They have a tiny head, so you can brush near to the gum line.

You can get sensitive heads for those electric toothbrushes. Which are a lot gentler on gums

Thinner dental brushes and Oral B dental tape for those you can't get the brushes through. Your gums are bleeding because you have plaque. This will stop with regular use.