To be depressed by flossing

[Flossless]

Hygenist visit yesterday, once again told my flossing is not good enough and warned of severe consequences of not doing it right. Once again a schedule set for what I should be doing and how. Today I'm depressed, I know that there is zero chance I can comply with these instructions, and it's not because I'm feckless. I could spend half-an-hour a day attempting to floss my teeth, and would still not have done half the job I'm being told to do, because it's impossible.

The problems are: -

1. about a quarter of the gaps towards the back, I can't see what I'm doing, cannot consistently even find (by feeling my way) the gaps I'm supposed to be inserting floss into, cannot keep track of which ones I have and haven't done, if I manage to do anything at all, which I mostly don't.
2. the majority of gaps in my mouth, the teeth are touching each other, it's very difficult and sometimes impossible to squeeze floss between the teeth, I have to apply huge force to get floss in, the times I manage it at all, and then it's so difficult to get the floss back out that if feels like I'm going to rip out my teeth and fillings, and the floss gets shredded on the way out
3. as a consequence of 2, I have to wind new lengths of floss around my fingers several times during a session, and that's for a session in which I probably give up having got floss into fewer than half the gaps
4. I cannot keep track of the gaps I've flossed by moving from one gap to the adjacent one, because of the need to wind a new bit of floss round my fingers after virtually every gap I do manage to floss.

I do use a water pick, which is 90% effective, but hygenist says it's not good enough.

Interdental brushes are not much use, I don't think, as they only replicate what the water pick does reasonably well. I think they only clean between teeth, they don't go down the sides of teeth, under the gum.

I've tried the little holders with floss on, the floss was the wrong kind, too thick to fit through gaps. If I could get it in, because the floss is round rather than flat, the surface area is too small to clean the teeth efficiently. They come with a toothpick at the opposite end whose only function seems to be to stab holes in my cheek or tongue when I'm using the flossing end.

When I complained about floss issues, a dentist suggested using interdental brushes, when I pointed out that I couldn't get the brush into some gaps and other gaps were so big the brushes didn't touch the sides, he explained in all seriousness that I should have several sizes of brushes and a personally customised wall chart map of to remind me which size to use for each of the circa 30 gaps between my teeth. Even if that is a thing that people do, and he said it was, I don't see how this works, as I can't see how I would reliably map chart instructions to actual gaps.

If I try to explain the issues, I just sound like a feckless person making excuses. Also, I tend not to remember the issues in detail, because they occurred months earlier, after my previous visit, after which I gave up and returned to only using water pick.

I've found some new floss holders, that use the best kind of floss for me, PTFE flat tape. I put the likelihood that these will produce satisfactory results at about 5%. No doubt they will work in some gaps, but not all. As I can't memorise a mental map of which of 30 gaps are worth even attemping to clean, I will spend inordinate amounts of time trying impossible gaps every day, before I give up on trying to use them.

I paid quite a lot to have my gums injected and numbed and an intensive deep clean.

I'd seen our standard NHS hygienist for years and didn't feel it was working despite the flossing and brushing.

The result from this deep clean was incredible. My gums are healthy. The receding gums are repairing themselves. I can't believe the difference. It was double the normal nhs fee but worth it.

I don't floss anymore I use the little dental brushes on sticks in various sizes as recommended.

I'm going to have this done as a proper prevention once a year.

I have bad overcrowding and difficult to access gaps too. Tried lots over the years, but my favourite now is expanding floss. I find it easier to use than the tape type. Plus, it's much gentler on my gums. And when it expands in the gap it removes far more than tape ever did.

I do the c-shape motion to the left and right in each gap. Never sawing. The dentist doesn't mention flossing anymore, so it must be working.

It's interesting on this thread how different the solutions are - it really does need trial and error to find what works for you

So have I got this right? I need to buy a water flosser and something else to floss or does the water thing replace the need for string floss (which I only use when I've eaten meat tbh).

Also, any recommendations for a water flosser? Quick look on Amazon reveal they differ in price from £27 to over a £100. I'd like a rechargeable one but have no idea what else to look for.

a water flosser would be in addition to actually flossing or using interdental brushes.

there is an episode of 'sliced bread' on bbc sounds that explains it all.

I do water flossing followed by interdental brushes then tape then interspace brush then electric toothbrush. I only do all that in the morning though, in the evening just water flossing and then electric toothbrush.

I have Invisalign so I currently brush and use tepe brushes 3 times a day. I have 3 different sizes of tepe. Honestly it is really easy once you get used to which brushes you need in which tooth - hardly takes any time at all. You just have to get into a routine. It's really important not to get gum recession if possible.

I have this too. My gums have massively improved

@AuntieMarys

I had this done too. I find the hygienist excruciatingly painful so this option was pretty much pain free.

Thank you for the recommendation, I've just ordered this.

I have so much trouble flossing my back teeth, I've tried so many different ways from YouTube but i can't manage it with either brushes, tape or the little harp thingys. I just can't reach my back teeth so I give up.

I hoping that this long handle will solve my issues.

Hygienists are prone to dramatise

My hygienist lectures me, tells me I have irreparable damage to my gums, dangerously receding gums and it's too late to fix now

Then saw my dentist after, and told him that apparently my teeth were going to fall out soon as the hygienist had told me that... dentist said my teeth were all in good nick, and my gums were ever so slightly receding but nothing abnormal for my age, and that there was nothing to worry about

I then asked for a different hygienist the time after... same story

There is only 1 hygienist at our local dentist who does not lecture, hector and doom and gloom, but he's hard to book as everyone wants him and not the others

I think hygienists can be prone to over dramatise things

I havent read the thread OP but I nearly started one like this a while back!!

I have the same problems, the gums bleed, I cant get the floss in and out, the sticks are too thick for the teeth, overcrowded and to top it all I nearly cut my fingers off each time by having to wind the string round my fingers to keep it tight enough and try to get it in and out of my teeth. Ive really hurt myself doing this and it puts me off

Each day I think I will do it tonight and then cant face it, Ive already been told Ive got gingivitis so its vital but painful and Im not really doing it

@HowDoYouOwnDisorder I agree. The first time I saw my new hygenist she gave me a huge lecture even though I don't think my gums were that bad. I did little different and the following time she was fine and said they were great although I couldn't see the material difference. I don't get it! I think it was a way of her implying that at the beginning it was terrible but through seeing her, twice, it had somehow caused a miraculous recovery even though I did very little different between visits.

@HowDoYouOwnDisorder also we have to bear in mind they have to sell their (very expensive) service the best they can. If that means overdramatising to scare you into seeing them more then I guess they do!

@newnamequickly what is the name of this special procedure? Can it cause any additional gum recession? That is my worry that it would be a bit harsh and maybe cause more damage! Did your gums grow back quicker after and how much does it cost?

I feel your pain. My problem is that I'm genuinely too exhausted to floss after getting everyone to bed - by that point my arms and shoulders are physically aching and I have a headache...single parenting is tiring and I just don't feel able to stand in the cold bathroom sawing away at my teeth.

My dentist has said I have to do it but it's honestly so hard.

@ghjklo I don't know the name of the procedure. I know it's not a usual one. My mum had this same one ten years ago and her receding bleeding gums healed and repaired.

I saw a specialist as my side teeth were starting to wobble from gum recession. He recommended this injecting and deep cleaning under the gum line. He was right. It's repairing itself.

I had budgeted for £3,000 bone grafts and I don't now need this. Gums are growing back!

@ghjklo it was £175 a time and it takes a full hour.

I can't use the brushes either. Floss on a long handle works. But the only thing that really helped my gums, was a course of metronidazole.

@georgarina I'm a LP too and finding time for flossing type activity is hard. i think as long as you do it at some point in the day (morning, afternoon - whenever) that will be fine! I do it in the bath or shower, which makes it feel like I don't have to find special time to do it. I can't imagine doing it at night. Or - keep floss next to the TV and do it while you're watching. You don't need to do it at the same point as your night brushing. Just do it once a day whenever and don't worry too much if it's not at night. I also find keeping interdental brushes on my desk and around the house a good prompt to remind me to do it at random times.

Pretty sure it's called "root planing".
You can google it but essentially it's a very deep cleaning below the gum line.
It is actually GOOD for recession and causes the gums to reattach to the teeth - but it can't regenerate new gum tissue. For that you need gum grafts.

I don't floss, I hate it, the feeling of it, I feel like it's cutting into my gums. I know it's irrational and isn't, but I'm not doing it and that's that. I have a brilliant expensive electric toothbrush, use it 2 x 3 min a day and the odd swish of mouthwash. It is the electric toothbrush (much better than my old one) that has got rid of any slight delicacy in the gums, and now I have no gum disease, I never had fillings anyway and no receding anything- I'm 52. I had my teeth straightened a couple of years ago though which made a big difference to the accessibility of the teeth.

One thing I don't like about them is they are creamy yellow, no whitening works on them (not the dentist stuff anyway) but that's a cosmetic issue, they are very clean thanks to fabby toothbrush and that'll do me.

I think if you have problems with bleeding, sore or receding gums it's different, but I don't, so no flossing for me.

@georgarina
Not sure this will help but I was told to floss before brushing rather than after. So perhaps you could do it earlier in the evening when you're not so tired.

I've got very plaquey teeth and some overcrowding, and a dental implant bridge at the front (car accident in my youth). I've been quite good at flossing since the implant as good gum health is intrinsic to the ongoing stability of the implants.

But last time I went to the hygienist (missed two years due to pandemic) I got told not good enough. Too much plaque build up, some gum disease and early signs of bone loss. I'm 48 so the bone loss is partly age related.

The new regime involves flossing between the teeth and under the bridge, then tepe brushing all the gaps (I have to use three different sizes and looking in the mirror helps too). Then water pic for 2 mins. Then clean with a vibrating brush, then angled interdental brush around all the tricky hard to reach bits at the back and the bits of gum under the bridge I can reach. Then mouthwash.

It takes bloody ages, around 15 mins but it's actually made a massive difference. (It's a bit less in the evening as i only water pic in the morning. ) Gums don't bleed any more, hardly any plaque deposits and breath much fresher. It's really worth it. Hopefully next visit will be the first one without a bollocking.

What is it with dentists/hygienists being such naggy, miserable buggers? I've moved now but I had decided after the last painful and doom-filled appointment that I would be switching practices. I always came out feeling harangued.

One good trick I learnt is to take a smaller section of floss than you'd usually pull out to use when using the winding around the fingers technique, and tie a knot in the two ends - that leaves you with a circle of floss to manipulate and it's a lot easier to move on to a new section of floss as you go and also easier to use.