I’ve always wondered if I’m the only one who finds those string flossers kind of stressful. My dentist keeps telling me to “just be gentle,” but I swear, my gums have never gotten the memo. Tried using the regular floss with my crowns and bridges—disaster every time. I switched to a water flosser last year after another round of sore gums, but I still worry if it’s really cleaning everything. Is it actually getting all the gunk out, or am I just blasting water around? My hygienist said it’s better than nothing, but I can’t help thinking about plaque hiding in places the jet misses.
I do like that my gums bleed less now, which is a relief. But sometimes I feel like maybe I should be doing both? Or is that overkill? Anyway, glad to hear your orthodontist gave you the thumbs up. Makes me feel a bit less paranoid about skipping the string.
String floss is basically my arch nemesis at this point—always ends up as a wrestling match with my molars. Honestly, water flossers feel way less like dental torture, but yeah, I get the paranoia about whether it’s really zapping all the gunk. I do both sometimes, but only when I’m feeling ambitious (which is...rare). My hygienist said if you’re using the water flosser daily and your gums are happy, you’re probably good. Personally, anything that doesn’t leave my gums looking like a crime scene is a win.
String flossing with braces is basically my own personal horror movie. I swear, half the time I spend more effort trying to get the floss under the wire than actually cleaning anything. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve poked my gums or had that weird “snap” where the floss just launches itself and I’m left with sore gums and a vague sense of defeat.
I got a water flosser after my orthodontist gave me the “gentle nudge” (aka the guilt trip) about plaque around my brackets. At first, I was super skeptical—like, how is a little jet of water supposed to do what floss can’t? But honestly, it’s made things way easier for me. It still feels a bit intense sometimes (I learned the hard way NOT to turn it up to max power), but at least I don’t end up bleeding or feeling like I’ve been in a fight with my mouth.
That said, I still get nervous that maybe it’s not enough. My hygienist told me it’s fine as long as my gums aren’t angry, but every time I see even a tiny bit of pink when I spit, I start worrying again. Maybe that’s just me being anxious, though. Sometimes I’ll use those little interdental brushes too, especially if something feels stuck.
I totally get what you mean about ambition—there are days where just brushing feels like an accomplishment, let alone doing the whole water flosser + string floss combo. But for me, anything that makes the process less stressful (and less bloody) is worth it. If my next cleaning goes well, maybe I’ll finally trust the water jet a bit more… but yeah, old habits (and anxieties) die hard.
I swear, half the time I spend more effort trying to get the floss under the wire than actually cleaning anything.
Totally relate to this—my kid would rather do literally anything else than try to thread floss under braces. We were both getting frustrated (and honestly, I think she was inventing new curse words under her breath). The water flosser has been a game changer for us. I still make her use the interdental brushes every now and then, especially when popcorn sneaks in there. For us, “good enough” is the new perfect... and the gums look way happier these days, so I’ll take it.
String floss and braces—honestly, that combo nearly broke me. My daughter’s orthodontist handed us that little threading tool with a smile, but after a week of nightly battles, the thing felt like a cruel joke. She’d spend ages poking at her wires, getting more and more annoyed, and I’d be hovering nearby, trying to “help” (aka making it worse). At some point, we both just gave up and started using the water flosser daily.
I know there are purists who swear nothing beats string floss for plaque, but in real life? The water jet is the only thing that actually gets used consistently in our house. There’s no way she’d have stuck with string for two years. Her gums stopped bleeding after a month or so, breath smells better, and checkups have been fine—her dentist even commented on how healthy everything looked.
We still keep those tiny interdental brushes around for emergencies (popcorn hulls are evil), but I’m convinced the water flosser is what saved her gums—and my sanity. It’s not perfect, but it’s realistic. If someone out there has a kid who’ll actually thread floss under every wire every night without complaint...I want to know their secret.
I do get why some folks say you should still use string occasionally, though. There’s something about physically scraping the tooth surface that feels more thorough sometimes? But for us, “good enough” is way better than “not at all.” If the water flosser means she actually does it, I’m calling it a win.
Funny thing—I tried it myself (no braces) and now I’m kind of hooked. Feels like a mini power wash for your mouth. Not sure I’ll ever go back to just string flossing again...
