That’s just plain wrong and scientifically untrue. Please cite any sources that will support your theory. Gums bleed because they are inflamed by bacterial infection - not because they aren’t “toughened up”. That’s just BS.
If you are vigorously flossing with enough force to cut into your gum tissue then you are doing it wrong.
My dentist emphasizes that floss is (mostly) for cleaning the gum pockets in between your teeth. Once you’ve got the floss there, you move it (gently) up and down—not fore and aft. This last part is where many people screw up.
Virtually any dentist will tell you it’s “normal” for your gums to bleed when you first start flossing, but it should stop within a week or two. So what does that tell you? Go look it up yourself - they say that in nearly any discussion of flossing.
A lot of dentists do repeat the standard notion that bleeding while flossing is due to gingivitis but - why do everyone’s gums bleed at first? And the whole focus of this article is the evidence that flossing is a waste of time - so there’s no evidence it fixes gingivitis in the first place.
Probably, yes. It never occurred to me before that there should be a reloadable metal gizmo that holds the floss, that could be re-threaded between uses. Something for the 3D printer, I think!
Oh, c’mon! Where’s your sense of excitement? Those overblown claims of how much water we should drink? Which are you going to click on, “Hydration not as crucial as previously believed”, or, “Water is bullshit!”; ?
There’s your answer right there. Most people (some estimates put this figure at close to 80%) have some degree of periodontal disease such as gingivitis - hence the bleeding when they begin flossing. Brushing and flossing regularly after a cleaning prevents the regrowth of plaque and allows the body to fight off the bacterial infection and for the gums to heal. That can take a couple of weeks or longer depending on the level of infection. It might also require medication or an oral rinse to bring down the inflammation before the bleeding subsides.
I’m sure there will be much criticism of this particular report and probably a big debate on the scientific merits of flossing. While this is an important debate to have, I wouldn’t take a single report as proof - one way or another.
Even the linked article above says you’re doing it wrong:
Aldredge also said many people use floss incorrectly, moving it in a
sawing motion instead of up and down the sides of the teeth.
I was not a regular flosser either until I got one of these. It’s made all the difference in the world. It also forces the proper flossing technique of up/down instead of side to side.
there used to be ones that held a spool of floss and you just turned a take-up spool to advance more floss but I’m not seeing the model my friend had in the 80s
Well, there’s this EU directive:
http://ec.europa.eu/idabc/servlets/Doc3df0.pdf?id=28127
(Seriously, both the NHS and the British Dental Health Foundation recommend flossing daily.)
Ok peoples, tell me more about this waterpik thing. I don’t really know how it works or what it does but I’m pretty sure I want one.
I see the hand of Big Floss at work.
It’s a device that shoots a pressurized jet-stream of water to wash out the gum lining. I asked my dentist which method he preferred, floss or Waterpik. He said proper brushing and flossing will do just as good a job. He added that he has many clients who hate flossing but like the Waterpik, so he encourages them to use the latter. His conclusive opinion was that using one or the other is better than none at all, so use whichever you prefer.
I’m seeing the dentist today, I will ask him. I hate, hate, hate flossing, so this might be the right thing for me.
I had a WaterPik a bazillion years ago when I had braces; they’re pretty good. Maybe I should get another one, since I don’t enjoy flossing either.
WATERPIK. No shit. The things are freaking magical, and I think way chiller than flossing. They have turned my mouth around. THANK YOU Dr. Shelton for recommending it!
if I should fall from grace with god. where no dentist can relieve me…
His new grill is pretty impressive though.
I kind of feel this way too. I generally floss/brush first thing in the morning and that’s it for the day unless my mouth feels gross.
Uh… not in my case. My gums bled until I started flossing regularly.
Really? I brush and floss before going to bed just because I’m paranoid of letting anything fester overnight.
