YSK: Flossing your teeth is only uncomfortable when your gums are unhealthy

“Take care of your teeth” is my go-to “old person’s advice to young people.” Once you realize that dentists can’t really “fix” (as in permanently fix) most problems with your teeth (that you get one set for your whole life), that 5-10 minutes a day to take care of them doesn’t seem like so much.
Seriously, once you have a cavity, there’s a pretty good chance that tooth will eventually become a crown or implant. Once a tooth cracks, it will eventually get worse and have to go. Dentistry is mostly preventative, and for the most part they can really only apply a band-aid to serious problems.
- Seriously please go to the dentist and take care of your teeth. My parents stopped taking me to the dentist when I was 16 and I didn't return till I was 30. I had developed a massive anxiety over it and couldn't even look at myself in the mirror because I was terrified to look into my mouth. I got off relatively lucky but for the love of God go to the dentist
  
  This comment hit hard, I know that feeling of looking in the mirror and being afraid to open my mouth. I went yesterday for the first time in over 10 years. I felt so much shame and anxiety, I didn’t sleep well for 2 nights leading up to the visit, but boy do I feel better now. Considering it had been so long the news wasn’t as bad as I was expecting, and it was not as painful as i thought it would be (my last visit was not pleasant) Now that i’m over that hump, i’ll be going back much more frequently and will be more diligent with my oral hygene. I wish I had done it sooner. Seriously, for those in a similar situation, just go to the dentist and set things right before it’s too late.
- Totally agreed. I got this advice to "Take care of your teeth" when I was 20. My professor just said "You'll never regret it." I took that to heart. Why wouldn't I do something I'll never regret!?
- Pretty exciting though japanese researchers are doing human trials for medicine that blocks a protein that blocks a 3rd set of teeth from growing in, if that goes well we will probably have better teeth for longer time at least.
- The best 3D printer we know of is biology. Until we can grow a new tooth from some science broth, prevention is imperative. Even once we do, it’ll take a while to catch up to nature.
  
  That and for the price to come down to where mere mortals and/or folks with decent dental insurance can afford it!
- Oh dear. How do I make my 13yo understand that, who doesn’t seem to care?
  
  Show them pictures or videos of a root canal.
  
  Show them this video and tell them this is what happens when you neglect your teeths. https://libreddit.domain.glass/r/popping/comments/py6qlw/teeth_cleaning_i_feel_this_was_the_most/
  Nearly nobody will get a mouth that bad if they at least care to look at their teeths from time to time and have a basic hygiene, both dietary and oral.
  But to at least get them interested, this video does the work really well.
  (The video shows removal of a massive plaque of tartar. So I don't recommend anyone uncomfortable, with looking at the inside of mouths and with seeing some bleeding, to watch this video)
  
  If you figure it out, tell the world!

Yeah well, my teeth were so tight you couldn't squeeze any floss through. My dentists generally refused to believe it and one insisted on demonstrating. After squeezing very hard, he finally succeeded getting the floss through, at which time the floss immediately broke. Zero flossing actually occurred, the dentist was embarrassed and confused, and pretended it didn't happen, and made no comment about what else I should do, since I CLEARLY couldn't floss. Only result was I had a piece of floss stuck, and It took me weeks to finally get rid of that frigging floss thread from between my teeth.
Quite frankly, I'm more than a little tired of reading mundane advise for people with normal teeth, who probably know this already.
Yes people who have ordinary teeth, can use this common and obvious advise.
- Same - I could never understand interdental brushes. How the hell was I supposed to get that between my teeth when even I waxed floss won’t fit? So I gave up and now use an electric toothbrush +waterpick when I can be arsed. My dentist is more than happy so I guess I’m doing ok.
  
  Agreed on the water pick. It's really just a high powered stream of water, but not so powerful as to cut you. Although against delicate gums it may still cause bleeding like floss.
  
  I later found out to flush thoroughly. It would have been great to have been advised on that 25 years ago, instead of the constant talk about flossing.
  Flushing really is extremely efficient, I never tried a waterpick, but I'm guessing that's even better.
- I know someone who has this for decades, only to have it clear up - loosen up and become flossable - after they had their wisdom teeth removed.
- same, and this will compound as less flossing leads to tartar build-up, which makes flossing/brushing even harder.
  On another note, get a waterpick, its a life changer!
  
  just got one last week after my dental hygienist recommended it. I love it! blasting that crud out is my favorite thing!
- In case you (nor the dentist) haven't tried, there's also flat floss that's like a strip of paper. Oral B Satin Floss is one that is available where I live. Hope it might be of help!
  
  It was the flat one he used, and yes I've tries with the Oral B Satin too. Apart from not working for me, it doesn't seem to be able to do much cleaning even if it did.
  I flush or rinse whatever it's called instead. That works fine for me.

My teeth are just really tightly togheter... I have absolutely no idea where an interdental brush would even go, it just bends and breaks if I try to push it between my teeth. Even getting the floss in there is already hard.
- Yeah, I have right teeth and my dentist recommended a water pick. Works great but I still floss occasionally as I’m worried the water pick can’t get everything.
- I also have tightly packed teeth and can barely use interdental brushes on just some of them. What works well however are dental floss sticks, you can get them with pretty thin floss(es?) and they're way easier to use than plain floss.
  
  Dental floss sticks are great, but I started to worry about the amount of plastic waste, so I switched to a floss holder. I use the toothbat, but there are others out there in the marketplace.
- The only interdental brush I find I can use is Piksters. All the others bend so easily.
  I wish they were cheaper.
  
  Yeah the piksters ones are the way to go
- my dentist recommends the waterpik instead of flossing, he says floss can damage tissue if this is the case.
- I can get floss in between mine, but my dentist says that tighter together teeth get less food stuck in there (although I'm sure there are different levels where it can start to be bad)
- Try the pink interprox ones. They are the thinnest ones.
  Otherwise ask your dentist if they can show you how to use them. Just because your teeth are really tight together doesn't mean that there won't be any buildup of food or other things.
- Oral b pro glide works well. Pay for the more expensive floss and you won't have this issue as much.
- There are other forms of flossing strings for this problem. Have the same problem and i would never go back to normal string again

- the people at the dentist react as if you just killed a baby and then did a victory dance. It’s very uncomfortable ;)
  I hate that!
  They've got you strapped down into that chair naked with that thing in your mouth that forces you to smile while they all stare at you and chant "Shame. Shame. Shame.."
  I really don't know why I keep going back.
  
  Leaving a comment, so that in 3 and a half years time when you develop a humiliation fetish, you can look back and think of me.
  
  They've got you strapped down into that chair naked
  Idk about you, but my clothes stay on at the dentist
- I have the same problem and my hygienist has also said it's difficult to floss my teeth. I rarely ever flossed. Then I got a water flosser and at the risk of sounding like an ad, it's great. It's not simply not bad; it's actually pleasant. The next time I got my teeth cleaned after buying it, the hygienist said my gums were noticably healthier and she asked what I had done.
  
  Maybe it's time I got one of these. I forgot they even existed because everything just seems to be disposable floss these days. If I floss even gently my gums bleed so much I wake up with blood all through my mouth and throat. No matter how much I rinse.
- Someone I know just got their teeth checked, first time in four years. The dentist was surprised at how clean and upkept their teeth were. They asked if he flossed his teeth and he said he has never done it in his life. They still shamed him.
  
  It’s like dentist only know how to shame. I have yet to meet one that understands self-care is hard for people with ADHD/Autism. I’m doing by best and shame makes me give up.
- I brush once in the morning and haven't regularly flossed in years, somehow my teeth are in great shape. My dentist says I'm a freak of nature lol.
  
  I have the exact same situation except I do it at night instead only once a day and my dentist (whom I really trust) says my teeth are better than 95% of people who walk into his office. Especially for my age... So yeah. Recently though I've been thinking I should at least start brushing twice a day if I am not going to floss at all.

Waterpiks are a godsend
- Can't overstate how great they are if you hate flossing.
- I try to avoid waterboarding myself when I can.

From many dental visits, pared down:
Brush light, floss hard. Some minor bleeding from flossing, weirdly, is actually ok. Just go easy on that spot until it's not sore anymore, then ease into going hard again. These two things are mostly what will make getting poked with all that metal shit not bother you so much.
You only need to floss at night. You aren't putting food in your mouth while you sleep.
Electric toothbrushes are legit improvements, not gimmicks. Get one if you can.
- 100xThis

Nice try dentist
- Clearly Crentist at work.
  
  Your dentist's name is Crentist?

My biggest impediment before to flossing was just the time it took. I always held off on flossing until the end of brushing, my "routine" was to brush, then floss, BUT oftentimes I'd just brush first, consider it good enough and then just skip the flossing because, hey I already brushed, I'm good, right? Mentally I was done with the whole thing as soon as I finished brushing.
So I switched the order around and I floss first now, which seems to work better. I'm not actually "done" with brushing until I brush, so once I floss I can't just skip the brushing part. It's a small change, but it's helped me keep up a better routine.
- I just grab a floss pick, go sit in front of my computer, and floss while distracting myself with something else. That way I don't have to devote any focus or effort to flossing and it goes by much easier.
  
  Same, floss at my desk on autopilot 99% of the time.
  Picked up the habit during corona times.
  
  I’ve done my best to make flossing with a pick a family affair while watching TV after dinner.
  More or less works as routine for SOME PEOPLE who don’t enjoy dental hygiene lol.
- A water flosser takes 30 seconds. (I'm in this thread shilling for water flossers.)
  
  I like to use a floss pick, then waterpik, then electric toothbrush.
  
  I have one sitting around, but I just really couldn't get into it, it just felt so... unnatural. Maybe they're supposed to be better than normal flossing, but it's never felt right for me.

Best motivation to floss? Do it once and smell the floss string after, our mouths are truly vile.
- It’s kinda disgustingly satisfying when you pull gunk out. Then to think I never used to floss and that gunk used to just stay there…. 🤢

I have never flossed regularly in my life because I can't stand sticking my hands in my mouth.
My dental hygienist says I do an amazing job at flossing.
I use a water pik.
- My dentist also told me I do a great job at flossing. I've never flossed or used a water pik in my life. I just nodded and quietly said "uh thanks".
- If I may ask, which water pik do you use?
  
  I have the "waterpik water flosser" for myself, I've purchased the generic units off Amazon for friends and they seem to work just as well.
- I've always hated flossing but the water pik is great.... as long as the water is room temp. Horrendous when you accidentally fill it with cold water

Dentists here (UK) stopped recommending flossing years ago. IIRC they actively discourage you from flossing. Instead the recommend interdental brushes
- This is news to me. My teeth are hella tightly packed tho.

I have two permanent retainers in and I find flossing to be so difficult with it.
I'm also terrible with dental hygiene in general. I'm lucky if I remember to brush my teeth at least once a day.
- Add a waterpik into the mix. It doesn't replace actual flossing but can be really helpful as a supplement, especially in hard-to-reach areas.
  
  I'll look into that, thank you!
- There's floss with kind of a fishing line in one end of every ready-cut piece of strand. Oral B Super Floss is available where I live. You can use the rigid line to guide the floss under the retainer.

Do yourself a favour and buy some biodegradable floss picks. String is a fucking nightmare.
- or drop the big bucks on a water flosser.
  
  wow, didn't know this was a thing. Now I have a journey to try to discover the best option out there and get it
  
  Yes!! I use a water flosser after normal dental floss every night and it often still gets bits that normal floss missed. That's my motivation for doing it every night, just knowing those food bits are in there....
  
  I actually asked my dentist about water flossing lately and she told me that in her experience it's not as effective at preventing plaque, and recommended regular flossing.
  But for regular, the little brackets with floss already on them work great, much better than freehand thread.
  
  THIS
- Any suggestions? I haven't really liked the sticks I've tried
  
  Floss picks, or floss sticks?
  I use these ones: https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/cXwAAOSwkMhfKe5i/s-l300.jpg
  I like these ones because they keep the floss tight for a long time. Other picks I've tried go flaccid mid clean. Nothing worse than a floppy pick in your mouth.

Keeping a steady flossing habit has always been a struggle for me. This inspired me to give it another go. Thanks!

I didn't realize how uncomfortable my gums were until I started flossing. Now, if I don't floss for a couple days, it feels straght-up gross.

I'm in my 40s and dealt with a lot of pain and gum recession because I didn't develop good habits as a kid. Parents, teach your children to floss. Gentle, compassionate dentists are not as easy to find as you might think. Your kids will suffer later in life if you don't emphasize good dental care.
- running into a caring, kind hygenist was the best thing that ever happened to my dental health. convinced me to use a sonicare and floss daily and it changed my whole game. i used to think floss was to get stuck food out which it partially is, but it also busts up colonies of invaders

Hello there, and welcome to our community! I hope you like it in here.
Could you please include some body text as to why should people know this, and how would that help them? It’s our second rule. Thank you :)
- The mods comment that on everything. I dont think the request even mentions sources. You're right that it should be in there, though

My dental hygienist told me that the best tools for cleaning your gums are wooden toothpicks.
the second best are the interdental cleaners.
The worst are the plastic toothpicks and the dental floss.
I've been using a combination of the wooden toothpicks and interdental cleaners for a few years and they are game changing.
Also use a good electric toothbrush and an tongue scraper.
An electric toothbrush gets into the places in between your teeth that a normal brush can't get to and an tongue scraper is a game changer for the smell of your breathe overall.
Take good care of your teeth and gums. Brush 2 times a day, clean your gums at least 1 time a day and scrape your tongue.
Bad dental hygiene and no gum cleaning whatsoever will lead to receding gums and may lead in extreme cases to periodontitis .
Receding gums are a real thing and when they happen they DO NOT grow back. Your roots of your teeth will be exposed which are a pain in the ass itself.
Bad dental hygiene and no gum cleaning will also lead to deeper "gum pockets" which can lead to periodontitis. Look up what that means for your teeth and gums and you will start taking care of your mouth flora like a possessed being.
I am not a dentist of any kind, a few years ago I just really took an interest in dental health and tried to educate myself about the subject for a few weeks.
Correct me where I am wrong or if you want to elaborate on something, be my guest ;)!
- I dont understand how interdental cleaners and wooden toothpicks are better than floss. Floss can easly warp arround the theeth. A toothpick can't really reach small spaces or the back part of the teeth.
  
  I can understand what you mean. I started with floss but for some reason I got more food/buildup out from in between my teeth with wooden toothpicks and interdental cleaners.
  I have a new dentist, so for fun I am gonna ask at my next appointment what she would recommend.
  If I remember, then i'll come back to give the answer from my new dentist.
  My next appointment is in November though ;).

It's weird that I actually kinda enjoy flossing now ever since I started doing it consistently every night. There's something satisfying about getting all that gunk out.
- I feel the same, it's like now after I eat I can kinda feel like there's stuck food in there and it irks me until I remove it. It's kinda gross now if I can't remove it immediately.

When my gums don’t bleed i turn the water pick up a notch

This is the first year I flossed every single day and now I can't go to sleep without flossing and I'm 29. I don't know what clicked but I don't have any discomfort flossing and I'm sure my mouth appreciates it.

Are those waterflossers any good?
- No. Recently asked the same question to an expert. She told me that they are shit.
  
  That could be the one out of four dentists that disagrees. Ask four more and report back.

You could also use one of those water pick things that use a pressurised water jet to clean between your teeth. After I started using one regularly my dentist even remarked on how much better my gums were looking.
- My girlfriend bought one of those. I thought she was fooled by some advertisement but that thing is the best. No bleeding, super clean feeling, no stuck floss between teeth and dentist thought things look great. The only thing they said was to try to switch sides with the water jet, meaning to put the jet from the inside towards out every once in a while. All in a great invention.
  
  I’ve heard that they can push things under your gums, and should actually be avoided. Not sure how accurate that is, though.
- Yes, my dentist thought I was flossing because I use an off brand water pick. No, Sir. I just use water jets to blast away invaders.
  
  That is flossing though.

- There are tools for this! Little brackets with floss already in place (in several shapes, the floss straight, sideways, or in angle, long or short handle) or bigger ones where you can manually wind the floss around.
  
  Deal: Dental Floss Picks, Clean Dental Flossers Kit (2 Handles&180 Extra Strength Refills) https://amzn.eu/d/gCGoSKg
  I swear by this thing, although mine is made by Jordan who appear to have discontinued it. This seems like a good replacement.
  This is more environmentally friendly than the disposable ones that come with a toothpick, as you only need to dispose of the tiny horseshoe shape thing when the floss snaps.
- It's a lot more plastic waste, but have you tried those fancy plastic sticks with dental floss on, I believe they are called "dental floss picks" in English? Makes it quite easy to floss, and they can be bought bulk pretty cheap, at least where I live.
  
  I imagine that a floss pick is better than nothing, but string floss is the best way to go about it. Proper flossing technique requires you to be able to have a small amount of slack so that the floss can wrap around the contour of your tooth and slide past the "triangle" between your teeth. The floss picks are too taut to be able to do that adequately.
  I'll also say that I completely agree with OP: picking up a good flossing regiment helped my mouth health immensely. It also helped improve my gum health and made my teeth feel "tighter" in my mouth, not like they were always a little bit loose.
  
  My father had one you could thread floss onto yourself. Reusable.
- Try an EZ Floss. Their website is straight from 2005 but I've found these to work the best (after you get past the learning curve)
  https://www.ezfloss.net/dental-products-all-patients/

Indeed. I started regularly flossing a few months ago, and it didn't take long before it stopped hurting.

When you first start flossing again am I the only one that thinks… it hurts so good?
- I know what you mean! There's something about that tender gum feeling that is more appealing and less wholly negative than other pain. I haven't had it in a while because I do floss daily now, but I definitely can relate.
- Yes! I’m obsessed with how it feels. It’s pain but relieving at the same time.

That junk you get out when you floss actually smells just like bad breath. Might seem obvious but always good to keep in mind when you're feeling too lazy to floss.

I’m in my 30’s and have just started flossing regularly (thank God for no dental issues), and I’ve noticed so much junk that builds up in a day. I’m obsessed with it now and look forward to seeing all the junk removed from my teeth.

Man I used to waterpik every single night, but they stopped manufacturing the tip that I liked and I can't find it anywhere (even on eBay).
It's a weak excuse I know, but I really think I'd get back into it if I could find the tips I liked.

Or if you're a neurodivergent with sensory sensitivities :'D
- What?

Kind of a peripheral to this there are specialized toothpastes that I feel like a lot of people don't know about. I had some gum issues that also made flossing uncomfortable. My dentist recommended Crest Gum Detoxify which, when used along with regular flossing, got my gums right real fast. Basically one 6 month cleaning period of using the toothpaste and flossing regularly and now my gums don't bother me. Now I use two toothpastes. Gum detox in the morning and flossing with regular toothpaste in the evening. No more gum problems.

I had to go to an unscheduled dentist visit once to remove some floss that was stuck between my molars. So much pain, and so much relief once they were able to remove it.
- Use Pro-Glide waxed floss. Doesn't get stuck like the cheap stuff
  
  If you have trouble flossing, I highly recommend this. IIRC it's made of nylon and it's soooo much smoother than ordinary waxed floss. Think of it as easy mode.
  However, I do recommend going back to regular waxed floss if and when you can do so comfortably. It's more abrasive, and thus more effective at actually removing residue. So said my hygienist, and after switching back to regular waxed, I understand why. I can literally see the difference in how much comes out on the floss.
  Of course, talk to your dentist and follow their advice over a random internet stranger. And either way, do not let perfect be the enemy of good. Do whatever you need to do to get in the habit of flossing every day. I don't think I could have cemented my habit of flossing if I hadn't picked up the nylon floss at first.
  
  This was over 20 years ago so I don't remember what kind I had then. But definitely go for the waxed floss now.
- Might be a silly question but couldn't you just use floss to remove a stuck piece of floss? That's what I do when it shreds and gets stuck.
  
  Believe me, I tried. I couldn't get the floss between those teeth. The hygienist also had a lot of difficulty. It stopped being a problem several years later when I had a root canal on one of those problem teeth.

That yes but I also discovered the quality of floss makes a big difference. I always used to choose cheapest until I discovered wax coated floss that really made a world if difference. No more breaking, shredding, stuck floss.

Thanks for this reminder.

expanding floss feels so good.

Thank you for reminding me to floss! And all the reasons my teeth will fall out on their own….. I don’t floss

I've never really flossed. Every time I go to the dentist they say I have otherwise perfect teeth and gums for my age. But I also don't drink soft drink or alcohol, smoke, eat junk food or sweets and have basically never done so. Pretty much everything I eat is organic.
I use a good electric toothbrush though, so generally it feels like it should be enough. If I floss even as gently as I can my gums just bleed like crazy and there's barely any space to move it around my teeth. If I do it at night I just wake up dried with blood all in my mouth.
EDIT: I have been thinking though about getting a water flosser or whatever they are called. At least to remove any debris the electric toothbrush missed, without (hopefully) the damage and bloody mess I get with floss string.
- Electric toothbrush makes my teeth feel soo much cleaner than a regular one - I used to have lots of cavities due to having extra sets of "inaccessible" teeth behind my wisdom teeth, and even got a prescription toothpaste with extra fluor. But now it's all a breeze keeping them properly cleaned (I do need to use dental sticks with a small brush between every meal though).
- Well, clearly you should be flossing more if you bleed like that. I've used ultrasonic toothbrushes for over a decade and still ended up with cavities starting in-between my teeth because of my lack of flossing.
  Something that helped me start flossing regularly was buying the really large spools of the better quality floss and a reusable dispenser. It's a lot easier to make a habit of something when you don't run out of it on the regular.
- Get a floss pick at the smallest available size. They look like little toothpicks but are made of rubber and have little bristles that will massage your gums.

- Flossing is not done to prevent cavaties, but is done to remove plague. If you never floss, plague will build, your gums will become inflamed, your gums will pull away from your teeth and your jaw bone will deteriorate and at some point your teeth will become loose, painful and ugly. So if you want good teeth until old age you need to floss. Brushing only takes away 80% of the plague. Flossing removes the other 20%.
  
  if only they knew that in the 14th century, millions of lives would have been saved
  
  Everything you wrote is true, and I endorse it 100%, but there is a typo that definitely changes the meaning of your comment. The primary purpose of flossing is to remove plaque, not the plague.
  That said, flossing will ultimately result in a healthier oral microbiome and thus can prevent future illness, so preventing plague is technically still possible.
  Thank you for sharing this important detail.
- Many body parts are still healthy with mid 30. Time will show you how the body breaks down.
- What are seatbelts? Seriously, though. I wear my seatbelt once every 6 months when I drive to the mechanic. Never any other time and I've NEVER been launched out of my windshield during a catastrophic 16 car pileup. Needing to wear a seatbelt is a conspiracy based on anecdotal evidence of one 32 yr old male (me) by big automobile to scare you into looking like a pussy.

Started using a waterpick because of this post.

Yeah, I have noticed this too. I try to keep my teeth in good health and when I started flossing more regularly, I'd noticed I barely have any breeding. I'd bought an water flossing to try it so it become more of daily rather than twice a week type of affair.

I had a waterpik but it broke, so it's repurposed as a milk dispenser for the cat when we're away.
You only need to floss the teeth you want to keep.
Unless your German apparently? Aldi doesn't sell floss.
- Aldi is a discount grocery store. You’d need to go to DM/Rossman for that stuff. Alternatively, the large grocery stores probably carry some stuff as well, but they’re still a different category of store.

Exactly! And you can get yourself a Water Pik (or equivalent) for Extra Gummy Goodness!

Flossing > brushing. You need both but if I could only have one, it would be flossing.

Oh man. Here we go. Reddit has a huge pro-flossing bias and it's leaking over with all the refuges apparently. This gets me downvoted to absolute oblivion on reddit and likely will here as well, but I just want to remind everyone this is all anectodotal information. There's not strong evidence that you really need to floss, so don't let these flossers guilt you if it's not your thing. I'm maybe a bit of an anti-dentite I guess, but buzz feed did a nice article on this and many sources also picked up the ap newsfeed on the lack of scientific data for this commonly pushed practice :
https://www.buzzfeed.com/ishmaeldaro/this-is-our-watergate
- Well, sorry to be the person you're dreading, but I'm going to jump in with some "pro-flossing bias" since the bias is for a good reason. This Buzzfeed article bases their argument on one AP study. If you try to click the link to the AP study in the article you linked, you'll see it has been taken down, since AP themselves have renounced it and stated that "all the studies were over too short of a time and have not enough participants."
  Here's a NYT article that explains how this misinformation is based on a lot of flawed research. From the article:
  In the case of flossing’s benefits, the supposedly weak evidence cited by The Associated Press was the absence of support in the form of definitive randomized controlled trials, the so-called gold standard for scientific research. Why was there so little of this support? Because the kind of long-term randomized controlled trial needed to properly evaluate flossing is hardly, if ever, conducted — because such studies are hard to implement. For one thing, it’s unlikely that an Institutional Review Board would approve as ethical a trial in which, for example, people don’t floss for three years. It’s considered unethical to run randomized controlled trials without genuine uncertainty among experts regarding what works.
  I also found this counter argument that states that the poorly done study also only tracked caries (cavities) and didn't take into consideration other things, such as gum inflammation. Here's yet another counter argument with this quote:
  “Every dentist in the country can look in someone’s mouth and tell whether or not they floss,” says Dr. Tim Iafolla, a dental health expert at NIH.
  Don't your gums bleed? Isn't your breath bad? It's pretty clear that if you floss regularly, your gums are less inflamed. I know flossing isn't fun, but there's rotting food between your teeth, it smells bad and it's doing damage. It's pretty clear that your gums stop bleeding and your breath improves if you floss regularly.
  Even Buzzfeed (which isn't really a good place to get health advice btw) has articles contradicting the post you linked. It's just clickbait. Please floss your teeth.
- I read that as "there isn't good quality evidence" not as "flossing doesn't work".
  If you have plaque on your teeth that doesn't get removed it turns into tartar/calculus. If it's between your teeth, over time that can lead to retreating gum and exposed dental necks. It's of course also something promoting tooth decay.
  Removing this plaque with a tooth brush can be difficult to impossible depending on how your teeth are laid out. Floss can be helpful to remove it.
  Are you saying this isn't true?
  
  I'm saying people should be aware there isn't evidence that flossing is all that beneficial for cavity protection. Therefore recommendations to do it are speculative and anectodotal. A lot of people assume it's a scientific fact like recommending people stop smoking or losing weight, but it's not even close to those.
- The article states there's no research for it. Doesn't mean it doesn't work. But of course it also doesn't mean it actually works. Everyone may do with that what they will. But it's hard to argue the logic that flossing helps. You can leave bits of food in your gums for bacteria to eat and produce byproducts that degrade your enamel. Or you can remove that food.
  But the fact is that there isn't much research is indeed a valid concern, especially when the health/science community tries to say something is good or bad. They need to prove it.
- Honestly man you can believe whatever you choose to. I’m not here to argue with anyone.
  I’m in my 30s and went from having bad gingivitis with bleeding and pain during brushing, to having gums that are comfortable with being thoroughly physically cleaned every day and that makes me happy.
- This does run counter to my own experience. Flossing definitely does remove old food and plaque from in between my teeth, I can see it. Are you saying removing this has no effect on dental hygiene?
  In addition, I had a dentist appointment this week and they said some of my gums were slightly receding, and that if I floss there more regularly it will help the gums. I'm going to floss daily and see if there is any improvement at my next checkup in six months.
  Is there a remind bot on lemmy?
  
  FWIW I had the same problem (receding gums) and improving my flossing even a little has helped.
  
  How did the dentist appointment go, Gigan?
  
  There is!
  @remindme@mstdn.social 6 months
- TIL there's a conspiracy about this. Fascinating.

Today I learned... Well, I'll be flossing more often :)

ok fine i have unhealthy gums. who gives a shit. trillions have lived and died with unhealthy gums. men rose to great power, built empires, changed the world with unhealthy gums
- You should give a shit if you want to keep your teeth. You know your jaw itself can erode from gum disease? Been there, done that, and now my dentist has been nagging me for years to let them yank out 4 teeth and put in a bridge because they're so unstable - and I routinely have dreams about all of my teeth falling out.
- Okay but you're not gonna do those things things so maybe you should floss
- And died from unhealthy gums.
  All of your examples are from before sugar was in everything edible
- When I was a teenager, well, there's a whole lot involved, but I basically didn't have any dental hygiene to speak of.
  Who cared?
  Well, I had more than one root canal by the time I was 20.
  I'm a bit obsessive about it these days, but I have not needed any more root canals.
  Take care of the teeth that you want to keep. Don't worry, if you don't, they'll go away.
- There's direct links between heart disease, Alzheimer's, and gum health.