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

AznHisoka 11mo 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 11mo 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.
- alabhyajindal 11mo ago
  I have had the exact same experience. Always worth it to get a second opinion before any dental work.
- aaronbrethorst 11mo ago
  That's absolutely happening. https://jacobin.com/2025/07/private-equity-dental-care-health https://jacobin.com/2025/07/private-equity-dental-care-healt...
- troupo 11mo 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.
  - dsego 11mo ago
    I shared this with HN on many occasions. My wife has crowded teeth, doesn't floss, barely touches her waterpik, doesn't use any proper brushing technique. She probably had a couple of fillings done since I met her 20 years ago. In the meantime I have cavities almost every year, one root canal and a dental implant on a previosly failed root canal. I flossed since university and use mouth rinses and electric toothbrushes and so on. Except for genetics, there are a few differences in our habits throughout the years. I would always brush in the evenings but I was neglecting mornings (somehow I internalized something that a teacher once said that brushing in the morning is silly because you haven't eaten anything). I also drink way too much coffee which is acidic, she doesn't drink any. And lastly, I would at times avoid dentist appointments for years, which probably didn't help. Edit: I forgot to mention, when I was younger, I used to snore and breathe through my mouth a lot. I think this has also negatively affected my teeth.
    - troupo 11mo ago
      Oh, genetics trump everything.
    - jemmyw 11mo ago
      You started out good with what seemed like an easy comparison, she doesn't floss, you do, she still has better teeth. But then you go on to show all the other differences, especially not always brushing twice a day, different diet, avoiding dentist, and its hard to understand the point of your post. My wife and I have an almost identical routine and diet, we use the same brand electric brushes, always twice a day, and usually have coffee together. However, she's not had many dental problems, but I've had to go to the dentist tons this year. Oh, incidentally I also knocked my front teeth out in a cycling accident.
      - dsego 11mo ago
        You're right, I lost the plot. I still think it's mostly genetics, just because her hygiene and frequency of dentist visits are comparable to mine. I wish I was keeping record though, because little things can add up. I obviously placed low priority on morning brushing but on the other hand she never flosses, and here we're discussing the minute details of flossing technique.
ses1984 11mo 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 11mo 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.
dexwiz 11mo ago
Some people do over floss and it can cause permanent gum damage. I assume that is a tiny fraction though.
jpalawaga 11mo 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.
gdulli 11mo 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.

AznHisoka 11mo 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 11mo 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.
alabhyajindal 11mo ago
I have had the exact same experience. Always worth it to get a second opinion before any dental work.
aaronbrethorst 11mo ago
That's absolutely happening. https://jacobin.com/2025/07/private-equity-dental-care-health https://jacobin.com/2025/07/private-equity-dental-care-healt...
troupo 11mo 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.
- dsego 11mo ago
  I shared this with HN on many occasions. My wife has crowded teeth, doesn't floss, barely touches her waterpik, doesn't use any proper brushing technique. She probably had a couple of fillings done since I met her 20 years ago. In the meantime I have cavities almost every year, one root canal and a dental implant on a previosly failed root canal. I flossed since university and use mouth rinses and electric toothbrushes and so on. Except for genetics, there are a few differences in our habits throughout the years. I would always brush in the evenings but I was neglecting mornings (somehow I internalized something that a teacher once said that brushing in the morning is silly because you haven't eaten anything). I also drink way too much coffee which is acidic, she doesn't drink any. And lastly, I would at times avoid dentist appointments for years, which probably didn't help. Edit: I forgot to mention, when I was younger, I used to snore and breathe through my mouth a lot. I think this has also negatively affected my teeth.
  - troupo 11mo ago
    Oh, genetics trump everything.
  - jemmyw 11mo ago
    You started out good with what seemed like an easy comparison, she doesn't floss, you do, she still has better teeth. But then you go on to show all the other differences, especially not always brushing twice a day, different diet, avoiding dentist, and its hard to understand the point of your post. My wife and I have an almost identical routine and diet, we use the same brand electric brushes, always twice a day, and usually have coffee together. However, she's not had many dental problems, but I've had to go to the dentist tons this year. Oh, incidentally I also knocked my front teeth out in a cycling accident.
    - dsego 11mo ago
      You're right, I lost the plot. I still think it's mostly genetics, just because her hygiene and frequency of dentist visits are comparable to mine. I wish I was keeping record though, because little things can add up. I obviously placed low priority on morning brushing but on the other hand she never flosses, and here we're discussing the minute details of flossing technique.

ses1984 11mo 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 11mo 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.

dexwiz 11mo ago

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

jpalawaga 11mo 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.

gdulli 11mo 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.