It’s rare that someone enjoys flossing. Sure, the satisfaction of knowing every nook and cranny of your mouth is clean and debris-free is immense, but the act itself? Boring at best, tedious at worst. Fortunately, one of the great marvels of living in the time we do is that there are a number of gadgets on the market to make flossing easy and fun — yes, fun. Start your morning with a smile and get your kids flossing like champs with any of these five flossing devices.
1. Gumchucks
Want to feel like a ninja? Gumchucks are the flossing device of choice for sneaking into the hidden spots between your teeth and gums and getting out as much gunk as you can. These devices look like miniature nunchakus — two handles with a string of floss in between, allowing you to make the recommended C-shape between your teeth without having to try too hard. Their quirky design, fun marketing and efficacy at flossing hard-to-reach places like your back molars make these devices a hit among all age groups.
2. Flossers with Shaped Handles
There are a variety of flossers with shaped handles to choose from, like the SmileCare sealife flossers to the GUM flossers that are colored and shaped like Crayola crayons. Although not environmentally friendly, being a single-use item made with a plastic handle, these fun devices are a great way to get kids excited about flossing. If you’re concerned about the environmental impact, consider using them as a reward for your child brushing their teeth as they should or for special occasions. Reusable floss handles — albeit usually lacking the fun designs — are available to string and re-string to your heart’s content, providing ease of use for eco-conscious mamas.
3. Different-Flavored Floss
While flavor is not a device per se, it’s uncommon to see dental floss that’s any flavor besides mint, cinnamon or boring and waxy unflavored options. And variety, being the spice of life, can be just the ticket to making flossing fun — and easier, if you happen to despise the more common flavors available. Look for flavors that are appealing — everything from standard fruit flavors to more exotic and tempting concoctions like cupcake-frosting-flavored dental floss exist if you search hard enough.
4. Floss Fish
If you or your loved one happens to have braces, you might be wondering why flossing is so much of a hassle. The Floss Fish is designed to take the feeling of swimming against the tide out of your flossing routine. Instead of fumbling and trying to thread floss under wires, the Floss Fish allows those who opted for braces (versus Invisalign) to floss more quickly and easily. And while neither flossing nor braces are the very picture of fun, this tool makes it much quicker to get on with your day.
5. Floss Dispensers
If the floss itself isn’t fun, and the act of flossing isn’t fun, then surely the container it comes in can be fun, right? No need to keep your floss in a boring pouch or rectangular box anymore — you can find dental floss holders shaped like everything from adorable little spiders just itching to help you keep your mouth clean to borderline-raunchy canine posteriors who promise a tail-wagging time when you floss your teeth. Pair a floss dispenser with a uniquely flavored floss of your choice, and you’re sure to have fun keeping plaque at bay.
Flossing Can Be Fun and Easy
Just because flossing can be boring doesn’t mean it should be. While it will never be the most intellectually stimulating activity on the planet, you can make the task a little less miserable by choosing tools and supplies that you enjoy. The more pleasant the experience is, the more likely you are to do it as often as you should. Every member of your family can benefit from adding a little fun to their flossing routine, from youngest to eldest. Give them a reason to smile by upgrading the tools you use to take care of those smiles.
Remember that flossing is only one part of a healthy care regimen for your teeth and overall oral health. One of the most important parts of that routine is making it into the office for regular cleanings and checkups.
We at the offices of Drs. Krieger and Hur know that flossing can be time-consuming and boring. Rather than waste any more of your time, we’ve made it easy to book your appointment. Simply give us a call at 201-560-0606 or click here to send us an email and get your spot set up today.
