I get what you mean about interdental brushes being thorough, but honestly, I still think floss picks have their place. I find interdental brushes a bit uncomfortable sometimes—especially around tighter spaces or sensitive spots. They can feel kinda scratchy, y'know? What helped me was using floss picks first to gently loosen things up a little, then following up carefully with the interdental brush afterward. It sounds like extra work, but it made a noticeable difference for me—less irritation overall and my gums felt healthier after just a week or two. Also, if you're nervous about poking your gums, try angling the brush slightly upward rather than straight in; that helped me avoid accidental jabs. Just something to consider if you're struggling with sensitivity or discomfort... everyone's gums are a bit different after all.
"try angling the brush slightly upward rather than straight in; that helped me avoid accidental jabs."
Huh, that's interesting—I never thought about angling it differently. Does it really help avoid soreness? Might give it a go tonight... anything to stop my gums feeling like pin cushions, lol.
Yeah, angling definitely helps—I noticed a big difference once I started doing it. Also, try easing up on pressure; brushing gently but thoroughly made my gums feel way less irritated. Took me forever to realize that, haha...
I've noticed the same thing with my kid—he used to brush way too hard, thinking it'd clean better. Took a while to convince him otherwise, but once he eased up, his gums improved pretty quickly. One thing I'm still unsure about is flossing technique...do you guys find it makes a difference how gently or firmly you floss? I've tried being extra gentle, but sometimes it feels like it's not thorough enough. Curious if anyone else has experimented with that and noticed any changes.
I've been wondering about flossing pressure too lately. I used to floss pretty aggressively, thinking I had to really get in there to clean properly. But then my gums started feeling sore and even bled a bit, which freaked me out. So I backed off and tried being super gentle, but like you said, it felt like I wasn't getting everything out.
Eventually, I found a middle ground—firm enough to feel effective but gentle enough not to irritate my gums. It took some experimenting, and honestly, I'm still not totally sure if I'm doing it perfectly. But my gums definitely feel better now than when I was going at them like crazy.
I guess it's one of those things where you have to find your own sweet spot... everyone's gums are probably a bit different. Glad your kid's gums improved though—that's encouraging for me too!
