I have to finally learn how to floss my teeth!

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My very mild-mannered dentist got as close as she is probably capable of to shouting at me yesterday. Lots of blood when she was getting rid of a bit of tartar. Imminent gum disease. I must floss. She’s been saying this without shouting for years… (the flossing, not the imminent gun disease)

I have never got the hang of flossing. Anyone out there who have figured out how to do it? I also bought some TePe things on the way out.

Top tips please.

I've been using the Lidl silicone pick things for a while now. At 57 my gums are better than ever. My hygienist will be very happy with me (at last!).

Thesr are the only things which I can use. I tried for ages with the floss, because my teeth are very close together I found it such hard work. The dentist gave me some of these linked to try and I’ve never looked back.

I hate flossing and only do it sporadically. It wasn't a 'thing' when I was a child (in my family anyway) and is a habit I struggle to adopt.
My teeth are close together and Id always end up cutting my gums as i forced it in the gap, however I have found the flat tape to be MUCH better as it slides in much smoother than the string.
Mixed results with the interdental brushes, I can't seem to find ones as good as I got given at the dentist! They are all either the wrong size or bend really easily.

I use the flosser harp pick things. I haven’t got the dexterity and coordination for tape. I use them every time I eat and then morning and night when brushing. I tried a water flosser and ended up soaked!😂😂

Dentist here.

Cleaning your teeth as you get holder can get really difficult, tedious and downright boring.

However it must be done.

It's a bit of a learning curve. At the beginning it doesn't matter how you're flossing, just do it. It won't be perfect but it will be better than what you were doing last week. Once you see what's stuck every single day, you soon won't want to leave it and you will be cleaning like a pro.

Also please don't be put off by any bleeding, as long as it doesn't hurt you should be ok and sometimes it can be a little uncomfortable when you go digging for yesterday's lunch in deep back pockets. The more you do it, the less inflamed and angry your gums will be as you've removed the bacteria, bacterial excrement and rotting food from between your teeth.

As you do it you will learn to understand your tricky spots and where food gets stuck and you can then go on YouTube for some help, and try all the different gadgets to improve.

The most effective method is the one that you will do everyday. So don't get too hung up on technique to begin with, just being consistent with it.

I put on some kind of skin treatment on my face in the evenings while I'm doing my teeth cleaning so I can feel super smug with myself afterwards.

First, I would say that interdental sticks are generally better and easier to use. But for places you can't reach or are too tight for sticks you need floss. Take a longish piece - maybe 50 or 60 cms. Wrap one end round a finger on your right hand and hold the other in your left. Slide it down in the gap against one tooth to below the gum line and move it back and forth. Slide it back out, wind on to the next bit of floss, then repeat in the same gap against the other tooth. I'm sure the dentist or hygienist would be happy to show you how. There must be YouTube videos too.

Also the trick with floss or tape is to wrap it round the middle fingers of both hands with about 10cm in between. Then pinch the floss with the thumb and forefinger of each hand and you will then be able to control it and angle it much better. Get those elbows lifted too if possible.

I only started to floss last year.
The best incentive to keep going is the little bits of food/stuff I get out every time (sorry, tmi).
The thought of that stuff being there grosses me out and I can't believe I didn't start to floss sooner.

I find certain brands easier to use, and like the waxed type.

I also use the interdental brushes. I got a big batch of varied sized from amazon and quickly discovered what size works best for me.

It helps if you know how many spaces you have between your teeth so you can count down too.

What do you find hard exactly? I don't mean this in a goady way, just trying to understand, is it getting it to move between the teeth, how to hold it, etc?

I've started using the wee harp floss things as my teeth are crowded and floss got stuck. When I went for scale & polish the dentist was finding bits each time. An electric toothbrush has made a big difference for me as well, my teeth feel cleaner and I probably brush for the proper time too!
Keep going and it'll get easier each time.

After years of a cursory brush once or twice a day I am a reformed character and love cleaning my teeth now

Also electric toothbrush! Even the oral b ones are £25.

love my water flosser and use it twice a day. It weird at first and must out in mouth before turning on!

I have glcrad amzn.eu/d/iGRC8ch water flosser

Floss is tricky I don't use it
Tepe brushes are ok and the long handle ones are good to
I also have the silicone sticks.

You need tepe brushes and Corsodyl mouthwash.

Dip the brush in the mouthwash each time you go between your teeth.

I did this at first - then I realised you are meant to keep your mouth shut-ish 😁

This is a great thread thank you. I will definitely check out that water flosser ... root canal in 3 weeks! I use floss but not those pick things as on more than one occasion I haven't been able to get it out and completely panicked with this plastic hook stuck in my mouth!