My kid has braces right now, and I swear, flossing them is like trying to thread a needle with oven mitts on. The first week, she looked at me like I’d asked her to perform open heart surgery every night before bed. We tried those little floss threaders—she got more floss stuck in her brackets than between her teeth, and I’m pretty sure half of it is still hiding somewhere in there.
Honestly, the bleeding freaked me out at first too. I remember thinking, “Great, now I’ve traumatized her and she’ll never floss again.” But her orthodontist said the same thing—it’s just your gums waking up, not the end of the world. Still, it’s hard not to panic when you see a mouthful of pink foam.
I caved and bought one of those water flossers after reading a bunch of posts here. I kind of expected miracles, but what I got was a kid who nearly power-washed the bathroom mirror off the wall. She actually thinks it’s hilarious now, and while it hasn’t made flossing foolproof, at least she doesn’t dread it. Some nights we still have to go in with regular floss for the stubborn bits, but at least it’s not a full-on battle anymore.
One thing that surprised me—her smile really did start looking better after a few months of sticking with it. Less redness around the gums, and she actually shows off her teeth now instead of hiding them. I guess sometimes all those annoying routines actually pay off, even if they make you feel like a dental drill sergeant for a while.
This made me laugh—my mom used to call flossing my braces “her nightly wrestling match.” I totally get the oven mitts analogy. Those floss threaders are basically dental booby traps, right? I remember finding bits of floss stuck in my brackets days later, too.
The bleeding part freaked me out as well when I first got my braces. My gums looked so angry, and I was convinced I was doing something wrong. Turns out, just like your orthodontist said, it’s pretty normal at first. Mine calmed down after a couple weeks once I got into a routine.
Water flossers were a game changer for me. Not perfect, but way better than fiddling with regular floss every night. And yeah, the bathroom mirror took a beating for a while... but honestly, if it gets kids (or teens, or adults) to actually clean around their braces, I call that a win.
It’s really encouraging to hear your daughter’s smile is already looking healthier. That’s what kept me going—seeing less swelling and finally feeling confident about my teeth again. It’s not easy sticking to all those routines, but you’re right, it actually does pay off. Sometimes I still feel like I’m being a little over-the-top with my own dental care, but I’d rather that than end up with more problems down the line.
Hang in there! You’re definitely not alone in feeling like a dental drill sergeant. It gets easier, and the results are worth the hassle—even if you have to rescue the occasional rogue piece of floss from the brackets.
Hang in there! You’re definitely not alone in feeling like a dental drill sergeant. It gets easier, and the results are worth the hassle—even if you have to rescue the occasional rogue piece of floss from the brackets.
This really hit home for me. I remember when my grandkids first got their braces, and I’d help them with flossing—felt like I needed an engineering degree just to get the threaders through. The bleeding worried me too, but you’re right, it’s usually just the gums getting used to all the new attention. They toughen up with time.
I’ll admit, I was skeptical about water flossers at first (seemed like a gadgety fad), but after a few weeks, it was clear they made things less of a battle. The mess on the mirror was a small price to pay for fewer complaints from the kids.
Honestly, being “over-the-top” about dental care is never a bad thing in my book. I’ve seen what happens when folks let things slide, and it’s not pretty. You’re doing great—sometimes the hassle now saves a lot of pain (and money) later on. Keep at it, and don’t stress the occasional mishap. We’ve all fished out floss from somewhere unexpected...
I totally get the “engineering degree” vibe—when I first got my braces, I swear it took me longer to floss than to eat dinner. My mom used to joke about charging me rent for the bathroom. I was stubborn about sticking to regular floss, but after a few too many poked gums, I caved and tried a water flosser. Messy? For sure. But my gums stopped bleeding and my ortho actually noticed the difference at my next checkup. All that hassle really does pay off, even if the mirror looks like a crime scene some nights.
Flossing with braces really does feel like you need a manual, doesn’t it? My kid’s only had them for a few months, and I swear I spend half the night worrying if we’re doing enough. We tried the regular floss at first, but it was just too much—he’d either skip corners or poke his gums, and then I’d feel guilty for not helping more.
Water flosser seems like it could be worth the mess, but I keep wondering—is it really getting everything out from under the wires? I keep picturing food stuck somewhere we can’t see and causing problems later. Have you noticed any downsides, like more plaque or anything? I’m always anxious about missing something, especially since his ortho warned us about white spots.
The bleeding gums thing is real though. I thought we were doing it wrong at first, but maybe that’s just part of the process until things get healthier. Does it ever feel like you’re overdoing it, or is that just me being paranoid?
