whats your toothcare routine?

[steveo3002]

I have decided i ought to put a little more effort into teeth cleaning /mouth hygiene etc

whats your one tip for improved care?

are expensive toothpastes worth the money ?

I'm 50 with no cavity's , seeing the hygienist twice a year but looking to keep things nicer in between visits

[craigjm]

steveo3002 said:

are expensive toothpastes worth the money ?

Difficult to say really you will have the same argument here as between normal fuel and premium fuel. Add in mouthwash and the argument becomes akin to fuel additives or not.

I jest of course. To me the expensive toothpastes tend to do things you might not want and they can’t really prove like tooth whitening. I just use a decent brand paste, twice a day and mouthwash in addition in the evening

[mike74]

Even though I'm not a smoker I always use the Addis smokers toothbrush, using any other brushes even "extra firm" ones just feel like I'm rubbing my teeth rather than properly brushing them.

[sleepezy]

craigjm said:

... and mouthwash in addition in the evening

I had very strict instructions from my hygienist not to do this after brushing as it washes off all the fluoride (?).

OP, speaking as someone who is having their knuckles very much rapped at the moment by my dentist, a hygienist and an implant specialist their advice:

1 use an electric toothbrush at least twice a day
2 use interdental toothbrushes, I have a tailored selection of 3 different sizes
3 use a specific small headed brush to focus on the gum/tooth area

I suspect 2 is specific to the health of your gums and 3 as I am having some work done; suspect your hygienist is best placed to advise.

And be careful flossing, I managed to damage gums doing so!

Interestingly no one has asked what toothpaste I am using. I think my dental group has shares in Tepe...

[BoRED S2upid]

sleepezy said:

I had very strict instructions from my hygienist not to do this after brushing as it washes off all the fluoride (?).

OP, speaking as someone who is having their knuckles very much rapped at the moment by my dentist, a hygienist and an implant specialist their advice:

1 use an electric toothbrush at least twice a day
2 use interdental toothbrushes, I have a tailored selection of 3 different sizes
3 use a specific small headed brush to focus on the gum/tooth area

I suspect 2 is specific to the health of your gums and 3 as I am having some work done; suspect your hygienist is best placed to advise.

And be careful flossing, I managed to damage gums doing so!

Interestingly no one has asked what toothpaste I am using. I think my dental group has shares in Tepe...

Likewise. Mouthwash should basically just be used as mouth freshener and definitely not straight after brushing. This is why they suggest kids don’t rinse you want the fluoride on the teeth longer.

Minefield that’s forever changing.

[craigjm]

sleepezy said:

I had very strict instructions from my hygienist not to do this after brushing as it washes off all the fluoride (?).

I use it before the brushing. One of my friends is a dentist and told me to use it in that way. Into the bathroom, mouthwash, rest of evening routine and then brush

[steveo3002]

mike74 said:

Even though I'm not a smoker I always use the Addis smokers toothbrush, using any other brushes even "extra firm" ones just feel like I'm rubbing my teeth rather than properly brushing them.

ive always liked a firm toothbrush, like you say the soft one dont seem to give that clean feeling , although reading around is aggressive brushing causing gum regression? seems you can have decent teeth but the gums /bone give up and they fall out anyway

[Kirkmoly]

sleepezy said:

I had very strict instructions from my hygienist not to do this after brushing as it washes off all the fluoride (?).

OP, speaking as someone who is having their knuckles very much rapped at the moment by my dentist, a hygienist and an implant specialist their advice:

1 use an electric toothbrush at least twice a day
2 use interdental toothbrushes, I have a tailored selection of 3 different sizes
3 use a specific small headed brush to focus on the gum/tooth area

I suspect 2 is specific to the health of your gums and 3 as I am having some work done; suspect your hygienist is best placed to advise.

And be careful flossing, I managed to damage gums doing so!

Interestingly no one has asked what toothpaste I am using. I think my dental group has shares in Tepe...

Agree with all of this.

Even rinsing with water after brushing significantly impairs the efficacy of toothpaste. Spit but don’t rinse. Use an interdental brush between the teeth you want to keep.

As for the best toothpaste. If you have gingivitis, a paste with chlorhex could be needed temporarily. For general use a stannous fluoride formulation or one containing a broad spectrum anti-bac are worth the extra money. The gold standard for general use though is a paste with novamin, because of the remineralisation properties.

[sleepezy]

@craig Fair enough, I didn't read your first post that way

Edited by sleepezy on Wednesday 4th January 21:19

[Kirkmoly]

steveo3002 said:

ive always liked a firm toothbrush, like you say the soft one dont seem to give that clean feeling , although reading around is aggressive brushing causing gum regression? seems you can have decent teeth but the gums /bone give up and they fall out anyway

Gently does it. Fingertip pressure with a sensitive brush head is enough. Just change the head frequently.

[craigjm]

sleepezy said:

@craig Fair enough, I didn't read your first post that way

Edited by sleepezy on Wednesday 4th January 21:19

No worries I wasn’t particularly clear

[gazza285]

EmailAddress said:

I was once given this analogy and as a PH'er it stuck with me.

Teeth are the same as your favourite car. Would you clean it once a month, use a harsh scrubber to get the filth off and scour until the bird droppings are gone, neglecting the arches, the salt, the acid rain...

Or would you clean gently, everyday, maintaining the level of cleanliness. Keeping the hidden grooves clear of muck, using a paste that feeds and protects, removing detritus and acidic contaminants before bed. Looking after the soft bits, getting any dinks sorted before they became an issue.

...

Sounds like a Sniff Petrol character.

[Simon_GH]

Electric toothbrush in the morning.

Nighttime - interdental brushes, mouthwash before electric toothbrush and leave the toothpaste residue on my teeth.

Advice from dentist and hygienist.

[steveo3002]

EmailAddress said:

I was once given this analogy and as a PH'er it stuck with me.

Teeth are the same as your favourite car. Would you clean it once a month, use a harsh scrubber to get the filth off and scour until the bird droppings are gone, neglecting the arches, the salt, the acid rain...

Or would you clean gently, everyday, maintaining the level of cleanliness. Keeping the hidden grooves clear of muck, using a paste that feeds and protects, removing detritus and acidic contaminants before bed. Looking after the soft bits, getting any dinks sorted before they became an issue.

...

while i wanted to step up from the wash once a year , i dont want to be the guy with the magnifier and 5k tub of wax either

[steveo3002]

so whats a good mouthwash to look out for ?

are you using mouthwash at a different time to brushing if we dont want to wash the flouride off...say brush morning and night and mouthwash mid day?