After turning into a quivering, panicking mess whilst visiting the dentist last month, I swore that I'd take better care of my humble chompers from hereon in. It's not that I was neglecting my dental hygiene or anything, it's just that I tend to skip certain steps in my regime. On the top of that list? Flossing. The dreaded flossing.
I know, I know. Practically everyone flosses in this day and age. I have attempted it in the past, but never stuck with it because honestly? I'll admit it, I'm lazy.
After getting a goodie bag with dental freebies in it though, I've been determined to look after my teeth. Since the bag came with free minty floss, well, I had no excuses. I'm proud to say I've stuck with it for a few weeks now, which has brought to light a couple of interesting observations.
For starters I'm hopeless at it. I think I must be the most uncoordinated person in the world, as I can't for the life of me figure out how to maneuvre the floss between my very back teeth. I also tend to slip at times, leaving rather painful floss-imprints on my poor, unsuspecting gums. I fail at the art of flossing.
But really, it's a downright gross business. Not only the icky things that I'm pulling out from between my teeth, but the overall mess factor. And drooling all over my fingers and face certainly isn't my favourite way to start and end the day.
Hopefully, like with all things, practice makes perfect. In the meantime though, I'm going to keep on flossing, with a bucket firmly placed under my chin to collect any stray dribbles. Wouldn't you love to share a bathroom with me?
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19 comments:
Ya know hon, they have those Hummingbird things now - where the floss is kinda on a handle and it's easier to move it around and so on. I've seen them in the supermarkets. Maybe that will eliminate the need for a bucket under your chin?
Matt flosses every day, without fail.
You are much better than me though, I've never had any problems with my teeth.. so I don't go to the dentist. I need a proper clean though. I'll go when I start my new high-paying job (which better be soon...)
I don't floss either, which is very naughty, but it's a habit I just can't get into...
you can get these little sticks that have floss in the middle of them that are so much easier to use, i find i don't drool quite so much when using them as you don't have to try and get half you hand in your mouth to grap the other side of the floss they look a little like a Y if thats any help. i will try and find out what they are called i just throw away the packaging & don't look!
seeay hugya *G*
I've given up all hope at flossing my back teeth. This made me feel better about it. Just a little bit. Haha.
I echo the comments about the floss-on-a-handle contraptions. I got a bag of 'em a week ago and they are so much easier to use than actually flossing. I could never floss without gagging, so they're working for me.
I only floss in the 2 or 3 weeks before I go to the dentist and I also get praised for being so diligent about it. Fortunately, I genetically have excellent teeth, but I get some joy out of knowing I beat the system!
Floss! Floss!! Not that you need more nagging, so take this as encouragement. I got braces when I was a senior in high school, and the horror of having something stuck in my braces when I was a whopping 18 years old taught me to be a totally obsessive flosser.
I decided to start flossing and taking better care of my teeth since I started to get cavities like every time I went to the dentist! EEEK! I am also bad at flossing. My back teeth are so tight that the floss gets stuck and kind of starts fraying and then gets stuck in my teeth. I thought the point of flossing was to NOT have things stuck in my teeth! Jeeez. Also, I can't get through flossing without drooling either. YUCK. Flossing is so gross, but I keep doing it anyway in hopes that the cavities will stop! :-)
I can't use regular floss either. I just don't think it is easy, unless you're paid to do it.
I use these
They are SO much easier!
Yes yes a hundred times yes to the floss picks. I suck at flossing and never want to do it, either. My husband makes fun of me, because he's pretty much the flossing valedictorian. But with floss picks, it's not quite so awful.
Yea, what Kelly said. Shortman and I each have one (because, otherwise, y'know, GROSSSSSSS) because we have these weird back teeth and hands that are too big to fit in our mouths!
I honestly never floss regularly either but when I do I also use these floss thingies everyone has mentioned already. There are phases when I will do it, but usually I don't. I do need to take better care of my back molars though, I get cavities in them a lot.
I don't floss as much as I should, either. Maybe once a week? Then when I do floss, I'm all like... gross... I should do this more often. But it's such a pain!
Try these: http://www.reachaccess.com/home.html. I love them and it makes reaching your back teeth so much easier and less icky! :)
I am hopeless at flossing as well. I go in spurts, I'll do it for a few weeks, then take a week off. It's ridiculous.
The back teeth? They're lucky I brush them. They should settle down and be quiet back there.
I think I have flossed MAYBE 10 times in my life. And it's usually only when I have a dentist appointment. I hate it, too. It's messy and gross and my gums hate me when I'm done.
I get lazy too. They make floss now that you don't have to get your fingers all gross in your mouth. You hold on to the little handle. They make it much easier to do.
I have a flossing disability too. It is rather gross. Also, Like a previous person mentioned, my back teeth are so tight, that it's hard to get the floss in there. I have been known to break the floss on a stick stuff.
I'm impressed. Not sufficiently motivated to really get on the bandwagon, but impressed. I, too, suffer from both laziness and an inability to floss correctly. My dentist told me that the trick is to wrap the floss around your middle finger so your index fingers are available for manuevering. I'll have to give it a try sometime.
Ahem... um... well, I don't floss. Haven't for years, seriously, like 10 years. And I DATED a dentist for heaven's sake! Yes, it's true, Dear Dr. Adam/Berkley of San Francisco fame was in his final year of dental school... and he would kiss me even if I didn't floss, which, of course, means that I had no reason to begin flossing! :o)
xox
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