I totally get what you mean about threaders being a hassle, especially after a long day. I’ve actually tried the water flosser plus floss routine, and it does seem to get more gunk out, but sometimes I wonder if I’m just overcomplicating things.
Have you noticed any difference in gum health when you switch methods, or is it mostly about convenience for you? I’m always torn between saving time and making sure I’m not missing anything important.“If you ever feel like the threaders are just too much hassle, no shame in switching it up or keeping things simple.”
I totally relate to the struggle of wanting to do “enough” without making it a whole production every night. My kid has braces, and honestly, we've bounced between threaders, floss picks, and just water flossing when we’re wiped out. I do notice her gums look a bit puffier if we skip the actual floss for too many days, but sometimes convenience wins. I figure as long as we’re not skipping entirely, it’s better than nothing. Don’t beat yourself up over not doing the “perfect” routine every single night... life gets busy!
I get what you’re saying about “convenience wins,” but I’ve actually wondered if the trade-off is worth it in the long run, especially with braces. When my nephew had his on, we tried to stick with the water flosser too, but his ortho kept saying it’s not a full replacement for actual flossing.
I do notice her gums look a bit puffier if we skip the actual floss for too many days, but sometimes convenience wins.
That’s the part that makes me pause. Puffier gums can be an early sign of gingivitis, right? I know life gets busy (and honestly, some nights I just want to skip all of it), but when we started making flossing a “while watching TV” thing instead of a separate chore, it got less annoying. The threaders are a pain, but I think they make a difference.
I guess I just worry that “better than nothing” still might not be enough for some kids, especially if their gums are already reacting. Anyone else ever get pushback from their dentist about relying too much on water flossers?
I totally get where you’re coming from. My ortho was big on “actual” flossing too, even though the water flosser felt like such a game changer at first. Honestly, I tried to convince myself it was enough, but after a couple weeks of skipping the threaders, my gums definitely got more sensitive and puffy. Kind of embarrassing, but I bled a little at my next cleaning and my hygienist gave me “the talk” about not slacking.
I started doing the TV thing too—just threading while watching Netflix so it didn’t feel like such a chore. Still annoying, but way less than standing in front of the mirror forever. The threaders are fiddly, but I swear my gums look way better when I actually use them.
I’ve heard some people say their dentist is fine with just the water flosser, but every ortho and hygienist I’ve seen says it’s more like an add-on than a replacement. Guess it depends on your teeth and how prone you are to gum stuff. For me, skipping real floss just wasn’t worth it in the end.
That’s pretty much been my experience too. I tried relying on just the water flosser for a while, but
—same here. It’s annoying, but the old-fashioned floss still does the trick for me. TV distraction helps a lot, honestly.“my gums definitely got more sensitive and puffy”
