To spend 8 minutes flossing my teeth?

[AbsentmindedWoman]

Am I unreasonably slow? It feels like everyone else just takes a few minutes.

I do have sensory issues which means needing to do it a certain way for it to be tolerable, and admittedly at the moment need to go very carefully around a tooth that has recently been root filled - but am I just very slow indeed?

How long do you take?

A couple of minutes for me. But it's not something that has to be fast, if 8 minutes is right for you and not putting you off doing it every night then that's fine, after all you're probably doing it better than the rest of us!

If it means you end up skipping it as it's a long job, then yes you could perhaps ask your dentist or hygienist to show you how to do it quickly but thoroughly.

I think I probably speak for the vast majority of us (statistically 75%+) when I say I spend 0 minutes flossing my teeth.

8 minutes is a long time, so good on you.

Most people don’t floss. I’ve only just started a couple of years ago and I’m early 40’s

YANBU
I spend ages brushing and flossing my teeth.
I am a dentist though! I’m also receding my gums so probably spend too long

I never do it. Can't be bothered and think it's overrated.

I pretty much have to floss to have any hope of keeping any teeth - type 1 diabetic, and gums would be susceptible to going spongy and useless if ignored.

I skip an odd day here or there, but generally am resigned to doing it every day.

Do the non-flossers never have gum trouble?

I feel like I don’t spend long enough flossing, so I think it’s good that you’re taking your time and bring thorough.

0 minutes until a week before a dentist appointment and then about 5 minutes every night

Get a waterpik. I thought flossing was out of favour because it doesn’t make enough of a difference and can even damage gums.

I used to spend a long time flossing and using Tepe brushes but now I spend a few minutes with a Waterpik which does the same thing.

My dentist is a big advocate of flossing etc.

I’ve only recently taken up flossing and I watched a YouTube video where a dentist demonstrated how to do it in about a minute - so that’s what I do.

After recently spending an ungodly amount of money having my teeth scraped and assaulted, I spend about 10 minutes in total doing my full tooth care routine morning and night, brushing, flossing, one of those terrifying between the tooth scrubber things for where I have a gum pocket, and mouth wash. I've noticed a huge improvement in my mouth hygiene, although that may have had a lot to do with the hour I spent being massacred by a hygienist..

I have gum disease and flossing didn't seem to make much difference. A few months ago, I bought an electronic water flosser and it's brilliant. My scale and polish took a fraction of the time when I went for my check-up - it's definitely decreased the build up on my teeth

A water pik is my next goal! I've put off getting one for ages as feeling unenthusiastic about how weird it will feel at first.

If you have sensitive teeth, is the water pik uncomfortable?

Mine has three speeds so I started with the gentle one. It's not uncomfortable at all to me.

It's also quite entertaining if you switch it on by accident and spray the ceiling

Oh that's good to know!

Thank you all for sharing the intimate details of your dental regimes

I’ve been thinking about a water pic. Any recommendations?

I use a Waterpik for 2 mins, then an electric toothbrush for 4-5 mins, then floss using those little brushes for another 3-4 mins.

Three.times.a.day.

I have braces.

Mine's a cheap 20 quid Ovonni one

^ following as I’d like to hear some waterpik recommendations too

Some cheaper unknown brands on Amazon I’ve seen have decent average (4/5*) ratings but some reviewers also say they easily break after a few months and/or that they’re too harsh on the gums

It used to take me about that long when I first started doing it too. I've got much quicker now and it doesn't take that long any more. In fact I tend to use interdental brushes instead mainly. I used to be scared of them but actually they are quite good.

Most people do flossing wrong so if you're taking 8 minutes, you're probably getting it right.

I've no idea how they perform as waterpiks, but I wouldn't have anything with a rechargeable battery from a cheap unknown company off amazon in my house. A lot of these come from sketchy warehouse companies in Asia where they fake the safety marks/certificates and you wouldn't necessarily know, when challenged the company just mysteriously disappears, popping up the next day with another name and address, and since the safety standards for rechargeable batteries include things like them not bursting into flames I want one that's produced by a company I can 100% trust.

I have a water pik and it's brilliant. If you fill it with warm water it's much nicer to use than with cold. And I've tried a few: I prefer the ones which have a built-in water reservoir to the smaller ones that are tethered to a base unit by a water pipe. They're easier to use. Just try to remember to stand over the sink when you use it, so the water doesn't just dribble down your front. (Why, yes, I learned this the hard way.)

I also have a stainless steel tongue scraper, which has helped freshen my breath a lot--I have lost a lot of weight lately and have been getting a bit of a dry mouth, and the scraper has really helped. It's easy to use. I got two of them from Amazon for about a fiver, I think.

PS: I think this is my water pik.

www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00164C5GG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?psc=1&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&ie=UTF8

I have gum disease but since I've been using teepees and an electric toothbrush it hasn't got any worse.

But I find dental hygienists so painful because of tooth sensitivity - that and just general squeamishness about anything tooth related. The anxiety is getting so bad my doctor gave me a prescription for Xaanax, which I'm saving up for my next visit. Better that than even worse gum disease 😩