I've been flossing usually twice a day, sometimes only once a day, pretty strictly for the past 2 weeks or so. mostly because my grandma bullied me lol. However it still hurts? when does it usually go away?
This will tend to happen if you're snapping the floss in between each tooth. Use a gentle back and forth motion to slip it between teeth, and slide it against the side of each tooth gently. If it hurts, you're probably being too rough. Also maybe start with once per day, in the evening.
I’ve started flossing more times than I can count. You’re RIGHT on the cusp of it stopping hurting.
Some tips:
— you don’t need to floss twice a day.
— you shouldn’t be using a ton of force, but just do a quick swipe on each surface of the tooth under the gumline.
— if you’re still bleeding heavily after 2 weeks consistently (like, mostly red spit after floasing rather than just having a little pink tint to the mostly clear spit), you may have a gum issue that needs a dentist to look into or prescribe a special toothpaste for.
— try the “Plackers” brand of toothpick sticks.
As a man with thirteen teeth, I wholeheartedly applaud your gran's tenacity. If your gums are damaged by not flossing, they'll bleed a lot at first.
Has your dentist recommended a deep cleaning? It's possible you have tarter under the gum line. That would cause inflammation and lead to more painful flossing. Once my gum disease was in check, they stopped bleeding from my water pick, before that, it was a fountain of gore.
Yes, however part of it is technique: Flossing will probably always hurt if you are just sawing into your gums with string all the time. The idea is to use it to clear stuff off your teeth, so try to get the floss to conform to the curves of your teeth as best you can. If you're using flossers, consider switching to regular string. They also sell flossing toothbrushes.
However you floss, try to keep it up along with regular brushing using fluoride toothpaste before bed. I brush when I wake up too.
Great advice. I've been using flossers lately because of a broken shoulder, and I can definitely tell that the quality of my flossing is lower than it is with regular floss. It's also harder to be gentle.
Important question: are you bleeding from the gums when you floss?
Healthy gums can handle normal flossing without bleeding. I floss once a day, before bed. Normal flossing does not involve super hard scrubbing, just enough force to scrape off stuff stuck between the teeth and dislodge stuck particles. You might also want to add some antiseptic mouthwash to your routine after flossing until your gums stop bleeding.
I would suggest try different brands of floss. Some are shit, some too slippery etc etc. Also practice and improve your technique. Personally I found the Colgate floss to be too thick and Oral B is best suited for me.
Also fun fact : the gap between all your teeth may not be same. Some maybe a bit more bunched up, be careful on how much force you apply. Too much force and it'll go straight to your gums and you'll end up bleeding.
Last option if you are lazy is use a Waterpik or some other dental water flosser.
Yeah, I’d say not cheaping out on floss is one of the more important things. I bought some cheap floss while on a trip since I forgot mine and it absolutely destroyed my gums even though I’ve been flossing for years without any issues.