Caught this article saying that flossing every day might not be as crucial as we've been told forever. Apparently, some researchers are saying a few times a week could be enough for most people? Honestly, I've always felt guilty missing a day, but now I'm wondering if that's just dentist guilt-tripping me. Anyone else seen this or changed their routine because of it? Curious if anyone's actually had issues from not flossing daily, or if it's just hype.
I used to stress about my kid missing a night of flossing, especially after the dentist gave us that “every day is best” talk. But honestly, life gets busy and sometimes it just doesn’t happen. We started aiming for 3-4 times a week instead, and at our last checkup, the hygienist said his gums looked healthy. Maybe some people need to be stricter, but for us, easing up a bit hasn’t made a difference. Less guilt, less nagging—everyone’s happier.
Less guilt, less nagging—everyone’s happier.
Honestly, this is exactly what I needed to hear. I’ve been the person panicking over every missed floss, imagining instant cavities or some sort of dental doom. But if your kid’s gums are still healthy with a more relaxed routine, maybe I can chill out a bit too. Life’s stressful enough without turning bedtime into a dental boot camp, right? I’ll still try to keep up, but I’m starting to think the occasional skip won’t send me straight to the root canal chair...
I get where you’re coming from—a missed floss here and there used to make me feel like I was failing at parenting. But honestly, stressing out every night just made everyone miserable. What’s worked for us is aiming for consistency, but not beating ourselves up over the occasional skip. Teeth don’t fall out overnight...and a happier bedtime routine is worth a lot.
Honestly, I started flossing more because of braces, not because my dentist nagged me. Before that, I’d skip days all the time—some weeks I’d only remember twice, maybe three times tops. Didn’t notice any real difference, except maybe my gums bled a bit more at cleanings. Now with all the wires and stuff, it’s just a pain to get in there, so I do what I can. The orthodontist says “daily is ideal,” but I can’t tell if he really means it or if it’s just the standard line.
The guilt thing is real, though. Dental guilt is weirdly strong. But like you said, nobody’s teeth have fallen out yet from missing a day or two. My mom’s in her 60s, barely flosses, still has all her teeth. I guess some people just get lucky with genetics.
I did ask my hygienist about those studies and she said there’s probably some truth to it—if you’re brushing well and your gums aren’t inflamed, missing a day isn’t a disaster. She did mention that if you have braces or tight contacts between teeth, you’re at higher risk for stuff getting stuck, so maybe it matters more then.
Bottom line for me: I try to keep up with it, but if I’m exhausted or just forget, I don’t stress about it anymore. Not sure if that’s the healthiest mindset, but my teeth seem fine so far.
