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rustybolt | 4 months ago

I stubbornly floss every day and every yearly checkup my dentist tells me it does not help and recommends me to stop doing it.

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AznHisoka|4 months ago

Maybe your dentist just needs more business? Im half kidding but i once had a dentist that told me I had 4 cavities that needed to be fixed, but when I to a 2nd dentist, she spotted zero cavities

whateveracct|4 months ago

Some dentists are way too aggressive about fillings. My dentist keeps a watch on smaller cavities and if they aren't progressing terribly they hold off.

troupo|4 months ago

IIRC there were studies saying that flossing isn't as great as people suppose it is.

My completely uneducated guess is that it's marginally useful for people with good teeth (shape, spacing) because debris doesn't accumulate as easily, and brushes are effective.

For my case (crooked teeth, very narrow gaps) it's a great helper to get out the debris, morsels of food etc. that the brush can't get out.

alabhyajindal|4 months ago

I have had the exact same experience. Always worth it to get a second opinion before any dental work.

ses1984|4 months ago

Well based on the amount of shit I dig out even if I floss after, and it’s effect on my breath, ima keep doing it.

rustybolt|4 months ago

Yes, that's exactly my reasoning. Even if it doesn't help for anything, it just feels satisfying and more clean. Kind of like picking your nails.

gdulli|4 months ago

If you floss too hard or aggressively then that can be bad for your teeth/gums. If you floss only rarely causing your gums to bleed when you do and you don't wash or brush away the dried blood, that can also be bad. But I don't believe that any dentist in good faith would advise not to floss, if done properly.

dexwiz|4 months ago

Some people do over floss and it can cause permanent gum damage. I assume that is a tiny fraction though.

jpalawaga|4 months ago

there are studies that show that flossing with the wrong technique doesn't do much. and it's meh on cavity prevention. what it does do is prevent gingival inflammation, which can be good for gum health, especially if you're prone to getting food caught in there.