Which one actually gets your teeth cleaner: blasting with water or good ol’ string floss?

I hear you on the less blood, less drama part - my gums are a lot calmer since I switched to a water flosser too. Still, I’m convinced string floss gets in those tight spaces where water just can’t. Anyone else notice plaque still sneaks in between a couple teeth even with the water jet? Maybe it’s just my old dental work making things tricky...

Still, I’m convinced string floss gets in those tight spaces where water just can’t. Anyone else notice plaque still sneaks in between a couple teeth even with the water jet? Maybe it’s just my old dental work making things tricky...

I get what you mean about the water flosser not always getting everything. I bought one thinking it’d be like a pressure washer for my mouth, but honestly, I still find gunk stuck in between my molars if I skip regular floss. I’ve got a couple old fillings that seem to collect more stuff than the rest of my teeth, so maybe that’s part of it?

I’ll admit, the water flosser is way less hassle (and feels kinda cool), but when I run string floss through after, sometimes there’s still bits coming out. Guess it’s kinda like using a carwash and then realizing you missed spots on your rims or something. Not sure if it’s user error or just the way my teeth are set up.

I’m sticking with both for now - water for daily use, string for backup detail work. Feels extra, but hey, less dentist drama later hopefully.

I’m in braces right now, so threading regular floss is a hassle - I use those little floss threaders and it still takes forever. Water flosser definitely saves time, but I notice if I skip string floss for even a couple days, my gums get sore in certain spots. Maybe it’s just the brackets trapping more stuff? Has anyone with orthodontic work found a method that actually gets all the gunk out, or is it always a combo job?

I’ve been through the braces game twice, and honestly, I never found a single thing that did it all. Water flossers are awesome for blasting out the obvious stuff - especially after eating something like popcorn or leafy greens that wedge everywhere - but I always felt like string floss (with those annoying threaders) was the only way to really get under the wires and between teeth. If I got lazy with the string for more than a day or two, my gums would puff up, especially around the back molars.

I tried those little interdental brushes too, but they didn’t fit everywhere and sometimes just bent out of shape. It does seem like the brackets trap more junk, so I think it’s just one of those “combo job” situations - at least if you want to avoid sore gums and extra cleanings at the dentist. The process is definitely a pain, but after getting my braces off and seeing how healthy my gums were, I was glad I kept up with both. Ever try waxed floss? Slides a bit easier, in my experience.

Water flossers are awesome for blasting out the obvious stuff...but I always felt like string floss (with those annoying threaders) was the only way to really get under the wires and between teeth.

I get nervous about missing spots, so I’m not sure water flossers actually do enough. Even without braces, I feel like they just move things around instead of pulling stuff out. Didn’t your dentist ever mention if water alone is enough? I’ve tried waxed floss and unwaxed, but honestly, both seem to shred sometimes. Maybe my teeth are just too tight together... Anyone else end up with bleeding gums even when they’re careful?