"I ended up switching to an electric toothbrush—definitely not winning any green points there—but my dentist actually complimented my gum health last visit."
Haha, same here. I resisted electric brushes for ages because of the plastic waste issue, but after getting implants, my dentist practically insisted on it. Honestly, it's been a game changer for me too—my gums have never felt healthier. I do cringe a bit every time I toss out those little brush heads though...wish there was a better recycling option or something.
Speaking of dental implants, I'm curious how others handle flossing around them? My dentist recommended those special implant floss threads, but they're kind of pricey and fiddly to use regularly. I've been using a water flosser instead, and it seems to be working pretty well so far. Anyone else tried this route or found another good alternative?
I've heard good things about water flossers, but honestly, they just didn't cut it for me. Felt refreshing at first, but my dentist noticed plaque buildup around my implants after a few months. I ended up switching back to those fiddly implant floss threads you mentioned—yeah, they're a bit pricey, but once you get the hang of them, they're pretty effective. Might be worth giving them another shot if you notice any issues down the line...
"Felt refreshing at first, but my dentist noticed plaque buildup around my implants after a few months."
Interesting you mention that—I had a similar experience. Water flossers felt great initially, but I noticed they weren't reaching some tricky spots around my implants. Switched back to manual flossing too, and things improved noticeably. Curious though, did your dentist recommend any specific brushing techniques or tools alongside the implant threads? Mine suggested an interdental brush, wondering if anyone else found that helpful...
"Water flossers felt great initially, but I noticed they weren't reaching some tricky spots around my implants."
Glad I'm not alone on this! I jumped on the water flosser bandwagon because it seemed like such a convenient solution (and honestly, kinda fun to use at first 😂). But after a while, my dentist pointed out similar plaque issues around my implants. He recommended those tiny interdental brushes too, and I was skeptical at first—thought it was just another gimmicky dental gadget. But turns out they're actually pretty effective at reaching those sneaky spots between the implant threads. Took me a bit of practice to get comfortable with them, but now they're part of my nightly routine. Definitely cheaper than dealing with implant issues down the road, that's for sure... Hang in there, sounds like you're already on the right track!
Interesting to hear your experience with interdental brushes—I actually had a slightly different outcome. My dentist also recommended those tiny brushes, and I gave them a solid try for a few weeks, but honestly found them pretty awkward around my implants. Felt like I was poking around blindly half the time, and never really got comfortable with it. Eventually, I ended up switching back to floss threaders (the old-school kind). Yeah, they're a bit tedious, but once you get the hang of threading them through, they seem to do the trick much better for me personally. My dentist says my implants look great now, so I'm sticking with what's working. Guess it just goes to show there's no one-size-fits-all solution with dental care... Glad you found something that clicks for you though.
