"I've tried floss picks, but sometimes they feel awkward around my back molars... maybe it's just me though."
Nah, it's not just you. Floss picks always felt clumsy to me too, especially in those tricky back corners. Honestly, interdental brushes didn't do much for me either—I found traditional floss wrapped around my fingers gave better control once I got the hang of it. Took some practice though...
Nah, it's not just you.
Have you tried using a water flosser instead? I used to struggle with floss picks too—felt like I was gonna pop a bracket off every time. Water flossers seem gentler, but I'm still cautious... anyone else nervous about damaging their braces?
Water flossers are gentler for sure, but honestly, my daughter still managed to pop a bracket loose with one. Maybe it's more about technique than the tool itself... we're back to careful threading floss now, just to be safe.
I totally get the anxiety around popping brackets—I had braces put on for the first time as an adult, and I was paranoid about damaging them. Funny enough, my orthodontist actually recommended a water flosser because I was struggling so much with threading floss. But she did warn me that it's all about the angle and pressure. At first, I was way too aggressive, thinking more pressure meant cleaner teeth (spoiler: it doesn't). After loosening a bracket myself—cue panic—I learned to dial back the intensity and angle the jet more gently along the gumline rather than directly at the brackets.
Honestly though, even after mastering technique, I still alternate between careful threading floss and the water flosser depending on how sensitive my teeth feel that day. Maybe your daughter could try again with a lower setting and gentler approach? Or stick with traditional floss if that's working better for now... braces maintenance is definitely a trial-and-error journey.
Haha, I feel this! When I first got braces, I splurged on a fancy water flosser thinking it'd be a miracle worker. Turns out, my cheapo drugstore floss picks worked way better (and no brackets popped yet...). Sometimes simpler really is better.
