Water flossing vs string flossing post treatment

Hi 

I've been told by dental consultant it's essential that I floss daily now and for the rest of my life due to the potential risk of bone death if tooth is extracted after radiotherapy.

I've tried string flossing and I'm really struggling with it , is water flossing good enough without string flossing? 

I'm told plaque mixed with sugar turns to acid and puts holes in your teeth and that's why flossing must be done.

I've had my teeth restorations done pre treatment which was a filling redone and a old root of a previously extracted tooth needed removed. The dentist also done a couple of smooth overs scale and polish. I explained I will be wanting either a dental implant or bridge done later on after treatment and apparently implants are a big risk but as its the other side of my mouth it might be possible 

Should I be asking the NHS to do it now before treatment starts free of charge or is that being cheeky?

  • No one ever mentioned flossing to me only to use the high floride toothpaste. I was offered implants as an option before and after treatment both with the NHS

  • Not a dentist, and never have been, but worked for years in a dental set up. Good oral hygiene is all that is needed.

    A lot of people only ever clean 3 sides of their teeth (outer, inner and top), when in actual fact, you need to clean the part between the teeth too. This can be achieved with floss, a water pick or an interdental brush. The problem with actual floss, a lot of people do it incorrectly. So it requires more effort, so to speak.

    Something that is important, and it's something a lot of people do, is never rinse/drink for 30 mins after you have brushed your teeth. That includes using mouthwash. It takes around 30 mins for the toothpaste to remineralise your teeth. and when you rinse or use mouthwash, you're washing that toothpaste right off. You should never brush your teeth either until 30 mins after eating or drinking acidic drinks. Every time you eat, it softens the teeth and brushing them too quickly is bad for enamel.

    What i do:

    Use mouth wash 30 mins prior to brushing

    Brush and floss teeth

    After 30 mins, can drink water or if in the morning, can eat or drink anything.