Hi Everyone,
Here I am again!!! Well, since my scaling and cleaning I have beeen brushing and flossing like crazy. I think I am obsessed with all of it after the experience I just had. My question to anyone is....how often should you floss. I brush about 3 times a day, sometimes 4 and floss after every time I eat....Is this not normal or good for your teeth????

Worryrat, Keep up the good work. What a wonderful, compliant patient you must be. You will have optimal improvement as long as you keep up on your end. I usually recommend flossing at LEAST 1 X Day, and brushing at LEAST 2 X Day. These are a minimum recomendation, and the recomendation is adjusted per person. Follow your Hygienists instructions and you will do fine. Here is a link to the American Dental Hygienist's Associations web site that gives instructions for proper flossing and brushing. Again, keep up the good work!
http://www.adha.org/oralhealth/index.html

Flossing after every meal is usually enough. You can floss as much as you want as long as you don't abuse your gums. What I mean is, the floss need to slip in and out of your teeth easily without back and forth movement. I lot of people,(myself included)have their teeth so close together that regular floss has pulled down with some effort. This causes the gums to take quite a blow and results in bleeding. I found a product call ribbon floss works better for me. I don't have to force it because it's thin.

That's the trick. Floss all you want but, do it gently. If you brush allot, be sure to use a very soft toothbrush and none of that abrasive toothpaste that is suppose to remove stains. There also different flossing options like dental picks and the diposable floss sticks. There's even a special kind of brush for cleaning between your teeth. If you want to go further, there are devices for massaging your gums.

I hope you have second bathroom for the rest of your family.

I know there are so many different makes and types of floss available now, but may I add another one to the dental armoury, namely PTFE tape that plumbers use!

As an emergency product, ie when you've run out of regular floss and have forgotten to add it to the shopping list, it is simply brilliant! It doesn't matter if it tears, it glides gently beneath the gumline and rarely ever gets caught between teeth. The local DIY store guys give me odd looks when they see me buying half a dozen rolls at a time!!

PTFE tape glides because it's extruded teflon which is a very slippery plastic. The thing that would concern me is weather or not it's manufactured under the most sanitary of conditions. Might I suggest that, if you must go that route, you sterilize the tape. Put the roll in a pan of water and heat to 180 degrees F. Hold it at that temperature for ten minutes. Then drain and store in a sterile package. Remember that 180F is not boiling. You can also put the roll in a wide mouth vacuum thermos, pour boiling water on it, put the cover on and leave it for ten minutes. Then drain it.

Either way you do it, you may notice an oily film on the water when you are finish. That's the machine oil used during the extrusion process. Be careful not to slice into your tongue.

Thank you for those added points Robert. I must admit that I don't sterilse mine, although I know you can, as you well pointed out. Seeing as my usual flossing tape loiters in my handbag (purse) and rubs shoulders with what amounts to the similar contents of a hardware store, sterilisation didn't immediately spring to mind!

Thanks again for the reminder!

Thanks everyone....Robert, I was wondering if you or someone else could tell me about the dental pick. I've heard of it, but I'm not exactly sure how it works??

Thanks everyone....Robert, I was wondering if you or someone else could tell me about the dental pick. I've heard of it, but I'm not exactly sure how it works??

There are a number of different things call Dental Picks. The stainless steel ones used at the dentis's office are extremely sharp and should not be used on ones self. There are disposable plastic picks that people use to clean between their teeth instead of floss. They work about as well. Then there are disposable units that are a pick on one end floss on the other. The floss is mounted across a bow. Many people find them to be easier to use to use. Especially kids.

Finally, there are wooden dental picks that look like oversized tooth picks. They come in packets that look like matchbooks. They are convenient to carry with you. You just break one off to use.

Don't forget, there are also WaterPicks. But they are kind of expensive.