I avoided floss for years because it hurt and made my gums bleed. I didn’t know how much string to pull, I’d snap it into my gums, and every attempt felt like punishment. A longer strand plus a month of practice finally stopped the bleeding—and I ended up liking a thicker, softer floss called Fluorfloss.

Why I retried flossing after years

My dentist said, “Your interdental spaces are still dirty—please use floss.” I’d been smugly thinking a fine-tip toothbrush was enough because I hadn’t had a new cavity in 10+ years (thanks to ConCool gel) and only brush twice a day.

It had been 3 years since my last visit; a filling fell out so I finally went. While poking my gums with a thin probe, the dentist added, “You also have mild gingivitis.” Wait, I brush hard—why isn’t that enough?

My wife already used floss (and interdental brushes failed)

My wife has always used floss, so it was in the house. I’d try, snap it (“ouch”), then quit. After the dentist scolded me, I bought interdental brushes, but the dentist said they don’t clean as well in tight gaps. The floss net was closing in.

How I made flossing painless

• Pull a longer strand and wrap two turns around each finger for stability
• Ease it between teeth instead of snapping; aim for a gentle “C” curve
• If the strand feels “wasteful,” ignore that feeling—longer is easier
• After ~1 month, even back teeth felt manageable and bleeding stopped

At first the string smelled awful—that was plaque. After a few months of daily flossing, my hygienist said, “Much cleaner; see you in six months.”

Settling on a thicker floss (Fluorfloss)

My spouse used REACH for years, then switched to a premium floss the dentist also used on patients. It’s Fluorfloss, a 250 m spool that looks pricey but costs about the same per use as drugstore floss: roughly ¥3.6 per 30 cm.

Why it felt better:

• Thicker and softer; fills the curve of each tooth
• Dispenser feeds in ~10 cm steps, so it’s easy to pull the right length
• Grabs gunk like a fluffy mop instead of sliding over it

Price check: using 30 cm each time, Fluorfloss costs ~¥3.6 per use. REACH at ¥500/50 m is ~¥3.0. Six sen of difference for the “fancy” spool—so basically the same.

It’s made in Italy—the site even calls it “the country of textiles.” Funny enough, Toyota also started as a textile machine company before making cars (Toyota Industries history), so maybe every industry has its weaving origin story.

Still a bit of a chore—but worth it

I still sigh some nights—“oh right, floss time”—but clean gaps, no bleeding, and praise from the dentist make it stick. If you’ve been avoiding floss, try a longer strand and a softer, thicker type.

Related: Jumping makes my upper molar hurt even without cavities