Ask Lemmy

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.

All the advances in toothcare seems to be around fancier electric brushes or other gadgets, but regardless we've never been able to move away from 'brush for 2 minutes'. I want some fancy device I just bite down on and it zaps my whole mouth clean in 5 seconds.

I spoke with a dental hygienist in a hot tub once (that’s how you know this information is solid). She did say to avoid rinsing or mouthwash after brushing with fluoride toothpaste. She also wasn’t a huge fan of alcohol mouthwash in general as it kills both good and bad bacteria. Too bad because I really do enjoy the “burn” feeling when I use it.

Electric toothbrush. The hygenist often says she can tell I tell I take care of my teeth, but really, I usually only brush and floss once a day.

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.

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

• 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.

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.

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.

Try not to accidentally lose your gum shield in a scrum, ruck or maul.

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.

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.

Tips I have learned over the years. In priority order.

1. 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.
2. Brush daily.
3. If you cannot brush one day at least use a flouride mouthwash.
4. Do not use water on your toothbrush. Something in water hinders the effectiveness of flouride.
5. Do not rinse your mouth with water after brushing. Leave that toothpaste on your teeth.
6. Buy a water pik and use it. They clean better than flossing.