This is weird but important piece! Thank you. I get a cleaning every 4 months, alternating between dentist & periodontist. I don’t want another gum graft! 😬
The water flosser has really helped me do a better job.
I keep dental Plackers in my car, flossing every time I get in to drive. The Plackers need only one hand to use and are discreet. It was one of the best habits I ever developed. My dentist is always amazed at how healthy my teeth are!
I finally switched to an electric toothbrush, a few years ago. Will now look into the water flosser; if it's as much better than thread flossing as the e toothbrush is to manual brushing, I'm sold.
Thread flossing is great. Waterpik is better. And both---removing plaque between the teeth and below the gumline, which is what Waterpiks help do--are vastly more beneficial than your electric toothbrush. Not that it's bad; it's not. But it's nowhere near enough.
Dentists should stop prioritizing electric toothbrushes and start pushing floss and WaterPiks as the primary propaganda.
Wow... who knew? Poste Haste to the Waterpik sales counter! Grateful for this information, Josh, as I agree that a healthy mouth is primary to both looks and longevity!
The toothbrush is only as good as its operator. An electric toothbrush only takes the motion out of your hand. People do not brush long enough, and they brush the same surfaces over and over, completely missing the gum line. You can do that with a 150$ Sonicare, or a 1.50$ GUM manual toothbrush. I work for a periodontist and people don’t end up in my chair for root planing appointments because they haven’t bought the latest expensive gadget. It’s not rocket science. Brush at the gum line ALL TEETH for two minutes twice a day with a fluoridated toothpaste, do not rinse the toothpaste off, and floss once daily, SCRAPING UP AND DOWN AGAINST THE TOOTH . Don’t just wiggle it between the teeth to remove impacted food. That’s pretty much the jist. Sorry for all caps but people try to make it so difficult and I get tired. Thanks again Josh…. I feel like I got an extra day off!!!
Thank you Josh! I am a dental hygienist( 38 years) and you have done my job for me today. I always tell my patients if I had to choose between taking a toothbrush or floss on a desert island, I would choose floss. The bacteria removed by floss is the very virulent type that causes periodontal disease unless it’s removed. Unfortunately, people don’t listen to me. Sigh🙄.
I was never able to floss well enough to make a difference (small mouth, crowded teeth). I had lifelong bad teeth, poor dental care, eating disorders and a teeth grinding habit. Multiple lost teeth, bridges, cavities, gum surgeries. Finally got FULL dental implants last year.
It’s no longer possible to floss as there are no spaces between teeth, but in addition to brushing I use the water flosser after every brush now. In my annual teeth cleaning visit I was FINALLY told I did a great job cleaning my teeth over several months!
Question: if losing teeth are seen as being associated with death, does that mean I’m now Born Again???
I've been blessed that so far, with the teeth issues I've had, I've avoided the periodontal issues. I do floss every night. Husband has issues that he healed, too. Water pick is his nightly ritual. He doesn't have a single cavity in his head at age 62. We see a biologic dentist and his practice uses ozonated water during his now 3x year cleanings. He also flosses with floss coated wirh ozonated oil. Dentist used ozone gas to heal up his pockets at the beginning instead of antibiotics.
Great job healing yourself! Good for your heart, too. ❤️
Thanks for this. I have wrestled with gum disease and bone loss most of my adult life. I think having diabetes may have magnified it. I remember I had to get a tooth extracted and I was crying in the chair, I felt so bad, as though I had failed my body. There is some Hindu principle where there is a goddess within our body and eventually she leaves if we don't take care of that precious vessel. Anyway, I have worked through some of that shame and try to be pragmatic. It is frustrating. I do the deep cleaning every two years, the antibiotic, and laser treatement. I get cleaned every 90 days. My tech is awesome I have been seeing her for 15 years. The dentist has recommended gum surgery and I guess I am going to go for it even though it is expensive. Thanks for posting this, I almost kept scrolling.
Fear of losing teeth (not baby teeth) and clowns are sources of my childhood nightmares. I have a cleaning tomorrow, so I can gain some comfort. I went several years missing my two front baby teeth when they were pulled early due to an unfortunate mishap involving my older sister throwing a blanket on me and a coffee table.
And in terms of bad dreams, at 52, I still dream I forgot to attend a college class, and finals are approaching. My wife does too. Apparently, I grew out of the dreams where I forget my high school locker combination. I had those dreams well into my 30s.
Thanks for the encouragement Josh. My deep root scaling appt is in 2 and 1/2 weeks. Started using Water Pik last month -- your admonition helps me keep the faith. And the teeth.
I have hypodontia. I have been born with three teeth missing. All on the same upper right side. We do not stress often enough how poverty with lack of nutrition plus environmental factors can genetically be passed on generation to generation. And really ruin bone and teeth health.
In addition to what you said I would also recommend a solid tooth friendly nutritional program to maximize vitamin D and K and minerals: healthy fats, fermented foods, bone broth.
Yes! Solid nutritional advice for overall health too. I'd add collagen to this list. There's some in bone broth, for sure, but we all need more than we get due to the lack of eating the collagen-rich parts of the animals such as the eyeballs. So find a great source of collagen too!
I take collagen too.. but good collagen is expensive. Eyeballs… never heard of eating them. I try to add liver and hearts to my diet. In general I try to eat real food instead of supplements. This means I cook with real bones and offal. Often these are cheaper “meat” alternatives anyways.
My ex-husband’s mother grew up in the American expat community in Saudi Arabia (her dad worked for Aramco) and can tell a compelling and hilarious story about a formal dinner at which she was expected to eat sheep’s eyeball soup.
Great piece Josh! 2 Dentists in my family. I use a Waterpik 2x a day at least. Brush, Waterpik close to the gum line then floss. The buildup of plaque is heavier on the bottom front teeth because that is where a saliva gland is. Thanks for posting this valuable information.
I had terrible gum health for years leading to a runaway infection that got into my jawbone, eventually leading to full extractions, implant surgery, temporary dentures etc. pretty soon I’ll have paid upward of 40k.
<Sigh> You should probably have set up an Amazon affiliate account before this post — I just ordered a Waterpik and six extra tips for the rest of my family. I figure if I’m going to commit to it, I can at least get the enjoyment of harassing them as well. In general I have good teeth — 66 years old and still have all of them minus the wisdom teeth that were pulled more than 50 years ago. But I do hate string flossing and will leap at any excuse to skip it “just this once.”
Yes. Brush, floss, WaterPik. Perfect teeth every checkup. I recommend putting an anti-bacterial mouthwash in the reservoir with the water. I add an amount I’d use if just using the mouthwash alone…
My husband always teases me about my constant cleanings, i go 3x’s a year, and I floss with gum picks, regular dental string and my go-to power flosser attached to my electric toothbrush. I'm 60 and my hubby is 65 guess who has better oral health 🙋♀️, I find it satisfying to use the water flosser, it digs out food lodged in the crevices of course that catch-all tooth drives me insane. Good oral hygiene is a must and must be taught from a young age, I told myself years ago I would never want partial plates of a full set of dentures I've been fortunate to have all my own teeth and a healthy smile. Great blog today, thanks for addressing this topic because its important.
Josh, I’m going to floss right now. 😂
No seriously.
Brb.
Good. Do it!
Ouch!....one's just fallen out.
This is weird but important piece! Thank you. I get a cleaning every 4 months, alternating between dentist & periodontist. I don’t want another gum graft! 😬
The water flosser has really helped me do a better job.
I keep dental Plackers in my car, flossing every time I get in to drive. The Plackers need only one hand to use and are discreet. It was one of the best habits I ever developed. My dentist is always amazed at how healthy my teeth are!
I finally switched to an electric toothbrush, a few years ago. Will now look into the water flosser; if it's as much better than thread flossing as the e toothbrush is to manual brushing, I'm sold.
Thread flossing is great. Waterpik is better. And both---removing plaque between the teeth and below the gumline, which is what Waterpiks help do--are vastly more beneficial than your electric toothbrush. Not that it's bad; it's not. But it's nowhere near enough.
Dentists should stop prioritizing electric toothbrushes and start pushing floss and WaterPiks as the primary propaganda.
Wow... who knew? Poste Haste to the Waterpik sales counter! Grateful for this information, Josh, as I agree that a healthy mouth is primary to both looks and longevity!
Josh, what do you mean by this "And both---removing below the gumline...?"
Typo. Original now fixed.
The toothbrush is only as good as its operator. An electric toothbrush only takes the motion out of your hand. People do not brush long enough, and they brush the same surfaces over and over, completely missing the gum line. You can do that with a 150$ Sonicare, or a 1.50$ GUM manual toothbrush. I work for a periodontist and people don’t end up in my chair for root planing appointments because they haven’t bought the latest expensive gadget. It’s not rocket science. Brush at the gum line ALL TEETH for two minutes twice a day with a fluoridated toothpaste, do not rinse the toothpaste off, and floss once daily, SCRAPING UP AND DOWN AGAINST THE TOOTH . Don’t just wiggle it between the teeth to remove impacted food. That’s pretty much the jist. Sorry for all caps but people try to make it so difficult and I get tired. Thanks again Josh…. I feel like I got an extra day off!!!
Thank you Josh! I am a dental hygienist( 38 years) and you have done my job for me today. I always tell my patients if I had to choose between taking a toothbrush or floss on a desert island, I would choose floss. The bacteria removed by floss is the very virulent type that causes periodontal disease unless it’s removed. Unfortunately, people don’t listen to me. Sigh🙄.
I was never able to floss well enough to make a difference (small mouth, crowded teeth). I had lifelong bad teeth, poor dental care, eating disorders and a teeth grinding habit. Multiple lost teeth, bridges, cavities, gum surgeries. Finally got FULL dental implants last year.
It’s no longer possible to floss as there are no spaces between teeth, but in addition to brushing I use the water flosser after every brush now. In my annual teeth cleaning visit I was FINALLY told I did a great job cleaning my teeth over several months!
Question: if losing teeth are seen as being associated with death, does that mean I’m now Born Again???
I've been blessed that so far, with the teeth issues I've had, I've avoided the periodontal issues. I do floss every night. Husband has issues that he healed, too. Water pick is his nightly ritual. He doesn't have a single cavity in his head at age 62. We see a biologic dentist and his practice uses ozonated water during his now 3x year cleanings. He also flosses with floss coated wirh ozonated oil. Dentist used ozone gas to heal up his pockets at the beginning instead of antibiotics.
Great job healing yourself! Good for your heart, too. ❤️
Thanks for this. I have wrestled with gum disease and bone loss most of my adult life. I think having diabetes may have magnified it. I remember I had to get a tooth extracted and I was crying in the chair, I felt so bad, as though I had failed my body. There is some Hindu principle where there is a goddess within our body and eventually she leaves if we don't take care of that precious vessel. Anyway, I have worked through some of that shame and try to be pragmatic. It is frustrating. I do the deep cleaning every two years, the antibiotic, and laser treatement. I get cleaned every 90 days. My tech is awesome I have been seeing her for 15 years. The dentist has recommended gum surgery and I guess I am going to go for it even though it is expensive. Thanks for posting this, I almost kept scrolling.
Fear of losing teeth (not baby teeth) and clowns are sources of my childhood nightmares. I have a cleaning tomorrow, so I can gain some comfort. I went several years missing my two front baby teeth when they were pulled early due to an unfortunate mishap involving my older sister throwing a blanket on me and a coffee table.
And in terms of bad dreams, at 52, I still dream I forgot to attend a college class, and finals are approaching. My wife does too. Apparently, I grew out of the dreams where I forget my high school locker combination. I had those dreams well into my 30s.
Thanks for the encouragement Josh. My deep root scaling appt is in 2 and 1/2 weeks. Started using Water Pik last month -- your admonition helps me keep the faith. And the teeth.
You’re doing the right thing; I’m so glad. You will not regret this.
I have hypodontia. I have been born with three teeth missing. All on the same upper right side. We do not stress often enough how poverty with lack of nutrition plus environmental factors can genetically be passed on generation to generation. And really ruin bone and teeth health.
In addition to what you said I would also recommend a solid tooth friendly nutritional program to maximize vitamin D and K and minerals: healthy fats, fermented foods, bone broth.
Yes! Solid nutritional advice for overall health too. I'd add collagen to this list. There's some in bone broth, for sure, but we all need more than we get due to the lack of eating the collagen-rich parts of the animals such as the eyeballs. So find a great source of collagen too!
I take collagen too.. but good collagen is expensive. Eyeballs… never heard of eating them. I try to add liver and hearts to my diet. In general I try to eat real food instead of supplements. This means I cook with real bones and offal. Often these are cheaper “meat” alternatives anyways.
My ex-husband’s mother grew up in the American expat community in Saudi Arabia (her dad worked for Aramco) and can tell a compelling and hilarious story about a formal dinner at which she was expected to eat sheep’s eyeball soup.
Great piece Josh! 2 Dentists in my family. I use a Waterpik 2x a day at least. Brush, Waterpik close to the gum line then floss. The buildup of plaque is heavier on the bottom front teeth because that is where a saliva gland is. Thanks for posting this valuable information.
Josh speaks the truth.
I had terrible gum health for years leading to a runaway infection that got into my jawbone, eventually leading to full extractions, implant surgery, temporary dentures etc. pretty soon I’ll have paid upward of 40k.
and yes, I brushed my teeth but never flossed…
<Sigh> You should probably have set up an Amazon affiliate account before this post — I just ordered a Waterpik and six extra tips for the rest of my family. I figure if I’m going to commit to it, I can at least get the enjoyment of harassing them as well. In general I have good teeth — 66 years old and still have all of them minus the wisdom teeth that were pulled more than 50 years ago. But I do hate string flossing and will leap at any excuse to skip it “just this once.”
Yes. Brush, floss, WaterPik. Perfect teeth every checkup. I recommend putting an anti-bacterial mouthwash in the reservoir with the water. I add an amount I’d use if just using the mouthwash alone…
My husband always teases me about my constant cleanings, i go 3x’s a year, and I floss with gum picks, regular dental string and my go-to power flosser attached to my electric toothbrush. I'm 60 and my hubby is 65 guess who has better oral health 🙋♀️, I find it satisfying to use the water flosser, it digs out food lodged in the crevices of course that catch-all tooth drives me insane. Good oral hygiene is a must and must be taught from a young age, I told myself years ago I would never want partial plates of a full set of dentures I've been fortunate to have all my own teeth and a healthy smile. Great blog today, thanks for addressing this topic because its important.
Whenever I can brush after every meal and floss at least once a day. Result excellent teeth.