[Closed] Flossing teeth & bleeding gums

Put simply, if you don't floss or brush your teeth you'll get bleeding gums.

So clean your teeth.

I brush twice a day (electric toothbrush) and floss about once a week.

electric toothbrush twice a day and always floss in the evening. I have to be quite rigorous with the cleaning as i;ve had some issues with my back teeth as they are bit gappy. DMy dentist gave me a dressing down for using the " new 3D" heads, apparantly they are shit, so stick with the original flat ish ones..

my dentist says to floss every day...it's such a ball ache.

he can tell if I don't and punishes me by demonstrating how 'it should be done' on me quite roughly 😥

walla - floss with floss, not pubes to avoid ball ache (but full credit for flexibility)

I have to floss daily and I also use those TePe interdental brushes. My teeth are all quite closely stuffed together and I get issues if I don't floss regularly.

It is a major pain the ass to be honest, but I have been a lot more persistent (and consistent) with it in the last few months (I normally do it everyday for the first few weeks after seeing the dentist and then it gradually tails off) and I am definitely noticing an improvement.

Try different flosses to see what works best for you. There's the basic Oral-B stuff, or they do a wider satin floss, which the dentist recommends, but I find cuts in a bit. Tesco do Corsodyl floss which is thicker but works well.
Also get a pack of those interdental brushes and try them. Even after flossing it can be surprising how much stuff they clean out.

not just your dentist Walla! My dentist decided the gum/bone line needed probing - this is piece of metal with graduation lines on, he pushes it through the side of the tooth/gum to see how far down it goes - it ****ING HURTS, the deeper it goes the worse your gum tooth line is.. He then said you should go see my friend the specialised for a one-off deep clean. A few weeks later and a consultation letter arrives £200!!!!!!!!!!! (need some more !!)!!!!!!!! That's before they even do anything...

I went out and bought a cleaning kit from boots and have been rigorously scrapping teeth and stuff for the last 4 months. Hopefully when i go for next check up in April he will either say "oh that's good, the treatment must of worked" and i can turn around and tell him his mate is a charlatan, or he;ll go "did you go?"

It's pissing annoying, i know full well i look after my gob a lot better some people, yet they have no issues at all.. It can be hereditary apparently.

I floss daily, it's really no issue once you have had a bit of practice. I do it because I have to look after my teeth, and also because I think there is nothing more anti social than poor oral hygiene.

Anyone tried the electric water flossers?

Disagree with torsoinalake - it's a PITA if you have crowded teath. My upper jaw is OK as my dad took out a couple of teeth and gave me braces. My lowers are still crowded with some overlap.Flossing is nigh on impossible. The hygenist resorts to metal strips.

torsoinalake - Member

....and also because I think there is nothing more anti social than poor oral hygiene.

blimey - I can think of a few things!

I was told a lot of it is down to:

Sui - Member

.. It can be hereditary apparently.

Murray, have you tried oral b tape? I really struggled to use normal floss but this glides in.

Anyone tried the electric water flossers?

I've got one. It does work pretty well and as I have crowded teeth, it's a lot easier than floss (which is basically impossible for me).

corsodyl toothpaste was recommended by my dentist. It tastes very odd but seems to have helped reduce gum bleeding

re the electric flossers, I bought the water pik and it's a real faff. Apparently the other one (Philips?) is more convenient but I've not tried it.

I got told that I only need to floss the teeth I want to keep. So I do, but not as often a my dentist would liek me to. Currently that's once a week, but I do need to up that to twice or more.

It does not help that my wife is a dental nurse and pesters me about it as well.

I have the Philips Sonicare Airfloss one.

http://www.johnlewis.com/philips-sonicare-hx8211-02-electric-airfloss-system/p615140?sku=232298327&kpid=232298327&s_kenid=338fd5c0-203a-eda9-ab6f-000039011175&s_kwcid=402x34077&tmad=c&tmcampid=73&kpid=232298327

I went out and bought a cleaning kit from boots and have been rigorously scrapping teeth and stuff for the last 4 months. Hopefully when i go for next check up in April he will either say "oh that's good, the treatment must of worked"

Either that or you'll get told off for over-brushing and taking the top layer of enamel off (which is what happened to me).

got out of bed had a wee and normal phlegm out etc

I was papping myself it was something bad

If you have phlegm coming out ,I would get that checked.

You can floss but that doesn't really get the plaque out. These do:

[img] [/img]

Once you've found the right size, buy some and use them you'll be a little surprised at what they will pull out from between your teeth. Rub it between your fingers and smell it for the full shock effect.

If your gums are bleeding try rinsing with Corsodyl, it's miraculous. I use it now a a general antiseptic for all kinds of things like zits and cat scratches.

I have a belief, shared by my cycling buddy who is a gastroenterologist and physician, that your dental hygiene has quite a big effect on your overall health. If your teeth are dirty and teeming with bacteria, what are you swallowing?

If you have phlegm coming out ,I would get that checked.

my mistake not phlegm cos wasn't from lungs or anything like that, snotty and it doesn't help I have blocked ears with about 4 litres of olive oil in both ears ! (syringe on Friday !)

if it was from the lungs then yes id be straight at the docs !

globalti - Member

You can floss but that doesn't really get the plaque out. These do:

You should use both. Those TePe brushes don't get down your gumline around your tooth; they only get into the gaps between your teeth.
They are good, but don't do the whole job. I have to use the red and blue sizes to get between most of my teeth.
If your teeth are really close or overlap (like a couple of mine do) then the brushes are no good as you can't push them through.

My gum was bleeding ever so slightly at the back, dentist told me to use those brushes with a bit of toothpaste on twice a day with regular brushing.

Bleeding gum no more, I've carried on using them but maybe not so often - three or four times per week.

Either that or you'll get told off for over-brushing and taking the top layer of enamel off (which is what happened to me).

damned if you do...

i also use TePe things, but not as often- again with toothpaste on.. surely keeping teeth healthy shouldn't be this much faff.. The adverts will tell you, spend at lest 3-5 minutes brushing - my routine takes 10 mins sometimes..

Murray - Member
Anyone tried the electric water flossers?

Yes got one of the Philips ones in the Amazon black friday sale for £35
Absolutely brilliant, can fill it with mouthwash too, which actually feels really nice, in a weird kind of way

Used it for a week before I had to see hygenist and actually got complimented on how good I was now looking after my teeth (a few years ago I was suffering the starts of quite serious gum disease)

I used to have to floss but rarely did, now I use this twice a day and floss once or twice a week, but the flossing is a bit surplus as the Philips thing does such a good job

Also replaced my old Oral B electric toothbrush (battery had all but gone, needde to be plugged in permanently) with a Philips Sonicare model and think I prefer that to the OralB one

2 mins brushing (or 2 1/2 in 'whitening mode') and another minute with the water flosser is not really that hard or time consuming

Another TePe user here. Use every day (except when a bit tipsy), and now can't stand to go to bed without using them. You've just reminded me to buy some new ones.

Did have gum issues, but got told by dentist last time that "I wasn't going to help pay for her skiing holiday", which was nice.

Thanks Iain - I may treat myself to a Philips one

bleeding gums is "mostly" caused by plaque, which is eating sugary foods, and not brushing properly. (bacteria feed off the sugar, and produce acid as a by-product which irritates your gums, and causes decay.)

normal brushing (soft brush or better still electric toothbrush) flouride toothpaste, just spit don't rinse, and gentle flossing daily should be suffcient.

Put simply, if you don't floss or brush your teeth you'll get bleeding gums.

and keep that up and you'll lose your teeth

I usually floss and TePe my teeth after supper; it helps me to avoid the temptation to snack. Then the old Oral B before bed.

Update for anyone that's interested. I got a Philips Sonicare AirFlosser and have been using it daily for 3 weeks with mouthwash. Teeth feel noticeably cleaner. I flossed this morning using P sticks and could get between all my teeth including the crowded lower ones.

I can't recommend the AirFlosser enough.

I use these every day after eating [url= http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/shop/gb/groceries/dental-floss-oral-hygiene/plackers-mint-flossers-36-sticks ]Plackers Flossers[/url]

Much easier than tape or the string stuff.

Interesting that. I was looking at these a week or so ago, but struggling to see how it would be more effective than a bit of string.

Might have to give one of them a whirl. Seems to be a few different types.

Flossing teeth & bleeding gums

Is that the new Guy Richie file?

struggling to see how it would be more effective than a bit of string.

Not more effective just a lot less faff.

Seems to be a few different types.

Most of them are pretty rubbish.

I have quite tightly spaced teeth and most of them just snap. Those Plackers ones are by far the best.

struggling to see how it would be more effective than a bit of string.

Simply put, if your teeth are closely packed which makes flossing more necessary usually, you can't actually get the bit of string between your teeth which makes it pretty ineffective 🙂 The air flosser cleans the gaps even if the teeth are tight together.

nemesis and gobuchul++

Crowded teeth make flossing a right old pain.

I use a water flosser. Dentist commented on my good oral hygiene last time ..

update here

mine are perfect now, flossing daily no bleeding whatsoever.