Not sure if this is 100% scientifically backed but I read a bit by a dental hygienist on a forum that you shouldn’t rinse when brushing with proper toothpaste because it can help remineralize the teeth if when its not rinsed away after
Its annoying but its a good way to cut down on mindless snacking at the very least for me so its something I do sometimes. Hope its not voodoo
Get an electric toothbrush. Don’t push hard, just slowly move it and hold it gently against your teeth / gums in each spot.
If you hate flossing like I do, a waterpik is helpful.
Brush twice a day.
Don’t rinse after brushing like you said.
Waterpik is not a replacement for flossing, fyi
No but it’s better than nothing.
Doesn’t the WaterPik sort of negate the don’t rinse thing, or are you saying less is more in terms of water getting in the way of remineralization and you net benefit from using that for flossing. I definitely prefer it over physical flossUse flosser first, THEN brush without rinsing. Got it 😁
Waterpik is nifty, but I found a solution that works well in conjunction with it, but without the frustration of flossing . Gum Proxabrush are little brushes that go between your teeth to scrub out the gunk. My hygienist was saying they work better than floss. I’ve really liked them.
My teeth are so tight I can sometimes barely get floss down between them. A brush would have no chance of cleaning the whole sides of the teeth.
Waterpik, both between the teeth and then the low power gum one, followed by rinsing with Listerine complete, takes such good care of my gingivitis that I don’t even need to get cleanings for plaque anymore. I might scrape some off every 6 months or a year if even. I used to get migraines from it daily, then needed cleaning every 6 months. Total game changer
Waterpik Sonic Fusion. I brush before bed, and wake up feeling almost “from the dentist” clean. Also the whole thing has timers so I don’t have to worry about that.
- have flossers you like in your EDC bag, use them whenever you have time. GUM flossers are my favorite
- avoid sugar in your diet, but if you can’t - brush after eating sugar
- avoid brushing teeth / flossing immediately before and after sex. The cleaning process can cause micro abrasians in your gums.
- get a nice tongue scraper and make it part of your daily routine, for better breath.
How do my gums know if I’m having sex?
If you engage in any oral fluid exchange (kissing, licking, oral sex) then there will be small microscopic souvenirs floating around in your mouth for some time. Your body, and your skin, have natural defenses, so this isn’t a huge deal usually.
If you have cuts in your skin, or direct pathways from the outside to the inside, then any of your souvenirs could get directly introduced into your bloodstream, reducing your natural immunity defenses. Unnecessarily.
Brushing your teeth, and flossing your teeth, can cause abrasions and bleeding, even microscopic un-noticeable bleeding, which is enough for a pathogen to transverse the blood barrier.
So to be safe, don’t brush your teeth, don’t floss your teeth, immediately before or after sex
Or during.
Can we stop with the kink shaming?
Tongue scraper is fantastic. Got a cheap metal one online for less than $5, works great and is easy to clean.
I’ve generally read that you should avoid brushing for about 30-60 minutes after eating anything, since the acidity of your mouth is elevated and that softens your teeth more than normal.
cmv if you have different data I guess
Rinsing with salt water seems to work well for me. I have no idea what the science says about it though. But there is some talk in new treatments about ionizing stimulating healing, and I wouldn’t be surprised if salt water does a bit of that too.?
I also wouldn’t be surprised if it helps remineralize. Very subjectively it feels like it does a little, but it’s easy to fool oneself with wishful thinking. Preferably have a dentist monitor results.My hygienist recommended that I use salt water instead of mouthwash, so I’d think you’re probably barking up the right tree
I am allergic to some types of mouthwash so I was told to use salt water but not as often as you’d use regular mouthwash (only every few days) because it’s rougher on your teeth or some such, I can’t remember the reasoning.
My dental hygienist told me not to rinse. “You’re paying for the fluoride, why wash it away?” Makes sense. The dentist told me not to use mouthwash, because it upsets the mouth’s natural pH.
My biggest find lately is silicon toothpick thingies - interdental brushes. They get to crevices floss can’t reach.
I wish there was like a netting thing that you wedged in before eating and then after just removed along with all the plaque
I guess now we know why it doesn’t exist
Lol, thats amazing! But why, I don’t totally see the problem?
Oh, it gives some physical shudders and looks terrifying to me :-). That felt pretty strong so I had thought that it might be a reaction most folk have.
Nah, I would pay money for that shit and it would eliminate damn flossing for the most part :)
Like a dental damn for oral
Listerine seems to help remove plaque effectively. Since start using it in the middle of the night when I wake up, not getting regularly cleaned doesn’t seem to be a problem anymore. This is coupled with flossing and thorough brushing of course.
Haven’t there been talks of a link between mouthwash and throat/mouth cancer?
There seem to be published scientific paper that some scientists disagreed. There are alcohol-free mouthwashes too.
Yep, you shouldn’t rinse your mouth, because a proper toothpaste has fluoride, which helps remineralize enamel. Keep in mind it won’t restore already decayed enamel though.
Anyway, I am not that sure about electric toothbrushes. At least it’s not necessary. On Wednesday when I’ve been on dental check-up, I asked my dentist whether electric toothbrush would be a good idea. She said “Well… it can be… but you already do pretty good job of cleaning your teeth, so I just recommend you stick to that.” I just use a regular toothbrush. However, just the brushing does take me a while. About 10-12 minutes. Yeah.
Well, something that could be a tip is xylitol chewing gum. Most sugar-free gums use xylitol. It is artificial sweetener that’s actually good for teeth. It helps remineralize teeth like fluoride, remove plaque build up, and it kills acid-producing bacteria. That is because the bacteria consumes it like regular sugar, but it can’t process it, so it just dies. You can also buy xylitol as a powder, because it’s, well, a sweetener.
Now to the disadvantages of xylitol: Consuming larger amounts (I think it’s just around 25g) can cause diarrhea and cramps. It is also extremely toxic to dogs. Just 100mg/1kg can cause them seizures and 500mg/1kg can cause death. Obviously that’s just approximate, so keep your dog away from xylitol.
Disclaimer: I am not a professional in this field.
10-12 minutes??? You’re going to get toothbrush abraisions
Electric toothbrushes are excellent for stimulating the gums and keeping them in good order so they don’t recede. The Sonicare are especially good for this reason.
I do the xylitol gum! I think countries in asia regularly markets this as part of good dental hygiene for those reasons you listed. Some of the gum containers advertise, white healthy teeth. Not sure why the US doesn’t promote xylitol gum more.
The USA wants sick and diseased citizens because it’s good for the economy.
Tips I have learned over the years. In priority order.
- Buy a sonicare toothbrush. They are supposed to be better than even Oral B because of the sound waves they produce. May seem expensive but far cheaper than almost any dental procedure. Studies have shown that electric toothbrushes clean better than manual.
- Brush daily.
- If you cannot brush one day at least use a flouride mouthwash.
- Do not use water on your toothbrush. Something in water hinders the effectiveness of flouride.
- Do not rinse your mouth with water after brushing. Leave that toothpaste on your teeth.
- Buy a water pik and use it. They clean better than flossing.
Wondering if you have a source on 6. My hygienist said they’re better than nothing, but flossing is still better than water piks.
Can confirm 1. At least for me it worked great. They make a lot less noice then the oral-b with the rotating head and the head is a lot smaller. The smaller head enables me to reach all teeth.
Do not use water on your toothbrush. Something in water hinders the effectiveness of flouride.
TIL, thank you.
No it’s a lie, the government actually adds fluoride to tap water.
Yeah you swallow all that sweet fluoride, tin, titanium and other shit in your toothpaste. I’ve never had a cavity and will continue to rinse
It’s a very small quantity of stuff that your body can easily manage to break down or expel. And you not having a cavity ever is just survivorship bias.
There’s a number for poison control on the tube if you do not want to rinse
I have never seen this but I may not have noticed - is this an American thing?
In any case, that’s only there in case a child gulps down the whole tube, which might indeed be bad. Doesn’t mean a small quantity is bad.
Yes actually. In some European and Asian countries they don’t add fluoride but dental health is still better than Americans
Just like everything else, things are poisonous based on the quantity consumed.
If you’re downing entire tubes of toothpaste yeah you’re going to make yourself sick.
Avoid as much sucrose as possible. It is the #1 cause of tooth decay.
Don’t drink Jack and Cokes for 20 years and not brush your teeth before you pass out. Dentures suck.
Try not to accidentally lose your gum shield in a scrum, ruck or maul.
Have you gone down the Novamin rabbit hole?
Its good shit right? I use that sensodyne stuff
This is for all my floss-averse people out there: put floss plackers in your car. I floss way more this way than in front of my sink. Yes, not optimal dental hygiene but there’s just something that just clicks in my head and makes me want to do it when driving around vs literally any other time.
bro… PLEASE do not do anything but driving while driving!!!
I do this
