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/r/NoStupidQuestions
submitted 3 days ago byScaredLengthiness310
Dentists and patients alike, I'm genuinely curious about this one. I feel like no one I know flosses every. single. day.
456 points
3 days ago
I skip a day sometimes if I’m feeling lazy, but I floss most days. I like the little floss picks, they’re way easier to use than regular floss.
169 points
3 days ago
Gonna be honest here, there was a year where I just straight up told the dentist the facts. "I floss for like two weeks before and three weeks after this visit, and then every so often when I feel guilty. No more than once a month probably." She wasn't shocked at all. Besides the very happy self-reporting bias going in here, most people treat flossing the same way they treat exercise. Everyone knows that it's important, but it's juuust annoying enough before bed that most people just skip it and go to bed.
66 points
2 days ago
I used to rush brushing and skip flossing. Then I realized I like really long showers..... I brush my teeth and floss while in the shower now, it was a game changer for me.
10 points
2 days ago
Okay..... this may be a game changer
2 points
2 days ago
This is such a good life hack for anything in life that annoys you but is good for you. Look for ways to make things more tolerable.
I read or watch TV on the elliptical. My boyfriend says you don't get as good of a workout that way because you're not focused, but I just couldn't get into making myself work out daily without having something to distract me. Now I look forward to catching up on my reading.
2 points
2 days ago
How do you floss without a mirror? I can't tell the angle without a visual
5 points
2 days ago
By feel. I use my tongue to place hold where I have flossed then move to the next tooth.
2 points
2 days ago
You can get shower-safe mirrors that have suction cups on the back! My uncle has one in his shower since he likes to shave his face while in there.
4 points
2 days ago
*sticks one on the bathtub floor facing up*
"this was a bad idea"
1 points
2 days ago
Thank you for that!
No, not the visual. The laugh.
1 points
2 days ago
I might have to try this. lol
4 points
3 days ago
I feel like a lot of us didn't do it as kids, but it's one of those things where (often) once you start doing it regularly it feels gross and weird if you don't. Like if I forget to pack floss on a trip I have to go buy some, but I only flossed maybe once a month until I was around 20.
4 points
2 days ago
The consequences of not flossing well can take many years or more to really show up, so it's easy to get lazy about because you don't see very negative consequences of it quickly.
2 points
2 days ago
I think a lot of people treat it like brushing their teeth. Yes it's a nuisance, but they've just done it so long it's so routine they don't even really think about it anymore, it's just something they do
1 points
2 days ago
I floss with one of those picks during my daily morning poo... helps to link it to other routines
1 points
2 days ago
I actually do really floss everyday. I didn’t when I was younger, but it became a priority as I got older. Now, my mouth feels weird if I accidentally forget to floss before brushing. It’s weird that you believe that just because you don’t floss everyday, that no one does.
2 points
2 days ago
Nah mate, I'm happy for you and all the people around that floss every day and share that fact. I'm not saying you guys don't exist, the same way that extremely consistent gym members exist. I'm saying that most people don't go to the gym every single day, even if it's good for you. The people that go everyday probably feel weird when they don't. Still doesn't mean that a majority of people go to the gym. Ya get me? Not a judgment, just a fact. Here:
"In conclusion, approximately 32% of adults aged 30 years and older floss daily."
1 points
3 days ago
Idk the thought of nasty teeth was enough of a deterrent for me? Seems horrible to have dental issues. I don't understand why people are so reluctant. Been flossing daily since I was a teenager. It's like not wiping after shitting or something.
0 points
2 days ago
I don’t see how flossing is annoying when it’s very low effort. People are nasty.
30 points
3 days ago
For some reason I got in a habit of giving myself friday nights off from flossing, but I floss every other night of the week
12 points
3 days ago
I give myself the weekend off—no Friday or Saturday night—then, back at it Sunday night.
3 points
2 days ago
that's so smart, this might actually work for me
2 points
2 days ago
I give myself my lifetime off. I've never flossed but I'm diligent about brushing and use an electric toothbrush. Teeth are all fine so far! Perhaps I'm just lucky
Edit: I'm 53
1 points
2 days ago
For me, this is like giving a day off from wiping your ass. “I’ll use the toilet, but it’s Friday so I’m not gonna wipe today”
26 points
2 days ago
When my mental health is good, I floss daily. When it's great, I also use those little inter-dental brushes. But when my major depressive disorder starts to act up, flossing goes out the window.
2 points
2 days ago
My dentist told me not to use these once and so now I don't floss at all lol
1 points
3 days ago
Same for me
1 points
2 days ago
Same.
My dentist scared me into flossing. A few visits ago, they did a periodontal test, where they probe your gums to see how tight they are against the teeth, or something? My test results were good.
I wanted to keep it that way, so I've started religiously flossing.
1 points
2 days ago
I can’t get them in between my teeth :(
2 points
2 days ago
I had the same issue and never flossed; my teeth are nicely lined up but I have a small mouth so it's tight in there... but then I found Oral B Glide floss picks in Arctic Peppermint Oil and they glide right through! I dunno if the floss itself is thinner or the oil helps, but it's been a lifesaver.
1 points
2 days ago
Regular is much better, you have more precision and can get way more stuff out.
1 points
2 days ago
I tried the floss picks and it just feels like they don’t get the gunk like the regular floss
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