TIL my coworker was right about flossing being a waste of time for some people

I've been a dental hygienist for like 8 years and I always told patients that flossing is non-negotiable. Then last month my coworker Sarah pulled me aside after I gave a lecture to a patient about gum disease. She said 'you know for people with really tight contacts, floss does almost nothing and it actually makes them bleed more.' I was so annoyed at first because I thought she was undermining me. But I actually looked it up and she's 100% right for certain tooth gaps. I switched to recommending those little interdental brushes for patients with tight spaces and their gums look way better at follow ups. Has anyone else gotten feedback that totally changed how you give advice in your field?

3 comments

3 Comments

hugoj121mo ago

Man my buddy Dave the dentist had this same wake up call a couple years ago. He kept pushing regular floss on a patient with teeth so tight he could barely get the floss in there without sawing his gums up. Guy came back after three months with more bleeding than before and Dave felt like an idiot. Switched him to those little rubber pick things and within a month the bleeding stopped and his gums looked way pinker. Dave still pushes floss for people with gaps but he's real chill about it now and always asks them if the floss actually fits before he lectures them.

finley_gonzalez491mo ago

Oh man that's EXACTLY what happened to me. I had the same issue with my bottom teeth being so tight that regular floss shredded my gums. My dentist was like "you're not doing it right" but I KNEW better. @hugoj12 your buddy Dave sounds like a good dude for actually listening to the patient. I switched to those little rubber picks too and within like two weeks my gums stopped bleeding when I brushed. Now I just use the floss picks for the gaps and the rubber ones for the tight spots. It's not about being lazy it's about what Actually works for your mouth.

oliverhernandez1mo ago

yeah @hugoj12 it's wild how much we just assume the "right way" is the only way. it's everywhere not just dental stuff. i see it all the time with people giving advice on like... cleaning your house or fixing a car or even how to raise kids. everyone thinks their method is the gold standard until someone actually stops and tries something different. it's like we're all scared to admit we might be wrong about something we've been telling people for years. your buddy dave sounds like a good dude for actually listening to the patient and changing his approach. most people double down instead of going "huh maybe i missed something".