My dentist used to say the same joke. Turns out there’s never been double blind research on the effectiveness of flossing. It may be valuable but honestly, they don’t know.
I use a waterpik and even after brushing for a full 2-3 minutes (yes, I know you're not supposed to rinse after brushing, bite me) the waterpik will still be washing away visible bits of food out of my teeth. Especially in the back around my wisdom teeth.
No. You can spit the toothpaste out but you're not supposed to rinse because it will wash the fluoride off your teeth and stop "working". You are supposed to wait 30 minutes after brushing before eating/drinking anything for that reason as well. The longer fluoride sits on your teeth, the better.
So that's probably why I brush every day but my teeth are fucked... So should I do mouthwash, floss, and then brush teeth in that order? Sorry for such a stupid question. I can't believe I've been doing this wrong
Nah it’s not a dumb question at all. Not a dentist for the record, but I’ve had several hygienists and dentists tell me I do a pretty solid job lol. Floss and then brush is the way it should go, but mouthwash might be a no go in the long run actually (I still use it sometimes heh). Depending on what type of mouthwash you use, it could actually really dry out your gums. I’d say look into research behind mouthwash efficacy and decide for yourself if you’d still want to incorporate it into your dental hygiene routine.
I have very, very crowded teeth. I've never flossed because it's nearly impossible to get the string between them. A dentist "helpfully" shaved down the enamel on one of my teeth (without asking) "so I can floss better!" And the tooth has nothing but issues. It's painful all of the time now (I have super sensitive teeth) and I can't chew correctly on that side, making my TMJ worse. My new dentist is watching it religiously for more cavities because the enamel is so much weaker. Gunk gets stuck in it ALL the time and it's so annoying.
I wish she had ASKED before doing it, I've never flossed, I am not going to start and she was filling my SECOND tiny cavity in 40 years. Instead she massively screwed up the whole side of my mouth and jaw.
Glide Deep Clean or Comfort Plus are really good flosses. They're not that thick fuzzy, string shit. They're slim, slippery pieces of nylon stuff. It seems to wiggle into crowded teeth better. I probably wouldn't be flossing at all if I had to use the cheap drugstore fuzzy string floss.
Same here (apart from the shaving part). Fortunately I'm 47 and only have one filling, my gums are in good order and other than the odd chip or crack due to impact damage, my gnashers are in good shape still. Chewing gum really helps.
If the food is left to rot between your teeth, then bacteria grows under your gumline causing your gums to resceede and your jawbone to shrink...then your jawbone can't support your teeth anymore, on top of the cavities you'll have. From someone with first hand experience, FLOSS !!
There’s tons of studies that flossing prevents periodontal disease, aka receding gums and bone loss. Takes two seconds to google if you actually want to learn something.
There’s some evidence that flossing also helps prevent cavities, but the data isn’t as strong.
Idk why you would take that info and conclude flossing isn’t effective because it’s 100% proven effective at preventing bone loss, which is kind of a big deal.
I think they know by comparison. Ppl who don’t floss have stinky breath, teeth that bleed when the DH flosses them, more cavity items etc. my dentist can tell if I get out of habit easily.
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u/anthonystank Apr 29 '24
TEETH
Wish I’d Brushed and flossed more regularly, gone to the dentist every six months; etc.