Do you floss then brush... or brush then floss?

[farmkid]

Floss, then brush. My dentist told me that was the best way because brushing will get rid of all the stuff the floss dislodges. The point of flossing isn't to get rid of food stuck between the teeth, but to clean out the plaque that the brush can't get to.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Floss, brush, rinse, mouthwash.

I suppose my own bit of dental strangeness is that I don't use toothpaste when I brush. I gave it up about a year ago, and my dentist says my teeth have never been cleaner. Go figure.

A lot of toothpastes these days can actually rot your teeth. They almost work too well. They break up the plaque on your teeth, and then they just keep going and break up your enamel.

I've heard that before. I've also heard that toothpastes that use a lot of glycerine as filler can be a bit of a problem because the glycerine supposedly sticks to enamel, and in turn, some foods stick to the glycerine.

I don't know how true that is; I imagine if you're using any toothpaste and being sure to floss and brush thoroughly, you won't have any problems, glycerine or not.

I just decided to try something different at a friend's suggestion, and I've been impressed with the results.

Interesting! Do you just wet the toothbrush, or do you use something else?

I can imagine reactions to this, because mine was similar, but I've been using tooth soap. It sounds like two words that should never go together, but it doesn't really taste like soap, so it's not gross at all.

It's grated into little shreds, and you place one between your molars and bite down on it. Then you brush as you normally would. It foams up, though not as much as toothpaste, and right away, it feels kind of different when you brush.

My teeth felt different almost immediately. After a week or so, they were feeling much cleaner. So I decided to give it a try until my next appointment with my dentist, just to see how well it worked. He was really impressed and said he's going to give it a try. My wife's dentist was also impressed, as her results were similar.

My wife prefers the brand I linked to because the flavors are better. I like this one because it foams up a little more.

They seem a little pricey, but those little containers last a really long time. We've only bought the two containers in the last year or so.

If anyone wants to try it, I suggest making sure you get one with xylitol. I also make sure to use a fluoride rinse at night.