flossing question?

[perfect_smile]

Are we supposed to floss between molars if they have bands on them? The bands on my teeth go relatively deep into my gums (I can't see my teeth between band and gums), so should i still floss them?

For this one tooth that has a band around it, it keeps bleeding when I brush. Once when i tried to force floss under the band, it started bleeding severely and smelled horrible! I have a feeling something is wrong with it, and most people will probably recommend that I floss it more. The problem is, I don't know how to floss under a band!!

[mariahfromchicago]

I still floss there...
I recommend you don't floss or brush there, or you brush more gently there.
Definately consult an ortho.

[Zoso]

You should certainly floss around/between molar bands!

We all have very shallow crevices between the teeth and gums. This little space is called the sulcus, and this is the area that we are trying to clean when we floss. Even if the band is pushed down into this, we do need to keep the area free of plaque and bacteria, because if this accumulates on the band, it will irritate the gum tissue.

If your gums bleed when you floss, then you should definitely not let up on brushing and flossing! In many cases the bleeding will just be the result of some minor inflammation of the gums, and careful and thorough cleaning can sometimes be enough to clear up teh problem.

In your case though it sounds as if things have become a bit worse than that, and you have a more significant infection; it's also possible that you could have a loose band and that this has allowed bacteria and debris to accumulate. You should give your orthodontist a call and go in to have him check out what's going on in the area of this particular tooth. It may be necessary to remove the band to let the gums recover - but please don't worry, because even if this turns out to be the case, it should not need to be for long, and should not cause any appreciable delay to your treatment.

[perfect_smile]

Thank you. I will continue flossing and brushing there. I'm not sure if I should tell my orthodontist because she will yell at me for causing her to remove it.

Because I felt blood, I tried to wrap the floss 1/2 way around that tooth to clean the side facing the tongue and covered by the band. When I was pulling, it felt like the tooth broke 1/2 way and the floss could almost go straight through it. There was no pain at all. Am I just imagining things, or do you think there could be a huge hole??

[Sunny]

Perfect Smile it's important you talk to your orthodontist about this and do it soon please. Hopefully it's nothing major and will be easily corrected, but in the rare chance that it's something major, this could affect your orthodontic results and that would be a shame after all this time.

There could be a hole in the tooth, or it could be your imagination. Either way, you need to have this tooth and the gum surrounding it check asap. Healthy gums do not bleed!

Good luck!

[Zoso]

And healthy gums most assuredly do not give off a horrible smell.