dental care

[maverick]

i learned a little something going to the dentist this week that i wanted to share...

the most bacteria in your mouth is on your tongue.

so start by cleaning your tongue with a tongue cleaner. that gets rid of most of the bacteria that is in your mouth.

do not use your toothbrush to clean your tongue because that will just spread the bacteria from your tongue to your toothbrush to your teeth.

next, floss your teeth. this step can be skipped when you wake up because you would have flossed the night before and haven't yet eaten. but otherwise, flossing is the next step.

i was using a power flosser - it helps you reach the teeth at the back of the mouth. i would just use one attachment for the whole mouth. the dentist scolded me for this - she said you're just spreading the bacteria from one spot to the next unless you're going to use a new little attachment between teach pair of teeth. so regular floss is the way to go.

i was reading about a waterpik - i want to ask my dentist about this, but it sounds like a good next step. basically, it looks like you'd be power washing the space between your teeth and the space between your teeth and your gums.

next, brush your teeth. an electric toothbrush is more effective than a regular toothbrush.

finally, use a mouthwash. the dentist likes listerine and recommends swishing for 30 seconds. i hate it - it stings, and it tastes awful.

the dentist wasn't sold on my preference of natural products like tom's of maine and other options i find at whole foods. but i'd like to look further into this. i really don't like the listerine.

anyhoo, i know this is totally off topic (hence the choice of the "not about bags" forum for this post), but i wanted to share so that all of you may also benefit.

happy dental care!

[Katy]

Thank you! I just added a tongue cleaner and a new toothbrush to my shopping list for this afternoon.

[RedBeard]

I would also recommend Butler Soft Picks:

I use them after flossing and when needed as a toothpick. They have literally saved my gums from disintegration.

I always keep some in a Cordura Organizer Pouch along with other first aid needs. You never know when you'll need an emergency tooth clean.

[Frank II]

Maverick, my brother is a dentist so let me throw out some suggestions:

For mouthwash, check out Biotene. Contains the same active ingredients as Listerine but no alcohol and it tastes good. Crest Pro-Health is also good.

Flossing is key. I use a Reach Access Flosser. Easier to manipulate in the mouth than regular floss.

A power toothbrush is a great idea. Just make sure you change the head at least every three months.

Brushing your tongue is fine. Just make sure you rinse the toothbrush well and add neew toothpaste. (And remind your dentist your tongue comes in contact with your teeth.)

Sadly, natural products have not been proven as effective as the more mainstream ones.

[BPritchard]

Portable irrigator

I've been using a Panasonic Portable irrigator for quite awhile. It is amazing the food particles that are flushed out even after a good brushing with my Oral-B.

The model I use is the Panasonic Portable Oral Irrigator with 165 Tank.

However, I dropped it on the floor and it is not working as well as it did, so I'm getting the new EW-DJ10-A as a replacement.

I've been using rechargeable Sanyo eneloops without any problems.

[maverick]

thank you, folks!

fbrown627, i'm going to pick up biotene on my way home today!

you know, it's funny - i like the fact that i can get ready pretty quickly. but now i take longer with dental care than with everything else i do to get ready.

[KarlJ]

My mouthwash of choice:

1. TheraBreath or Biotene
2. Tom's of Maine
3. Crest Pro-Health

[BPritchard]

My mouthwash of choice is Chevas Regal.
You don't have to spit it out.

[gmanedit]

My teeth are sensitive at the gum line, so I use a soft natural bristle brush, small head. Colgate Total (recommended by my periodontist).

I spend a lot of time brushing: 16 strokes per surface, in a circular motion with light pressure. Instead of counting (1-2-3-4, 2-2-3-4, 3-2-3-4, 4-2-3-4), I listen to music: four bars of 4/4 and move on. With this much brushing, I have to rinse and reload the brush frequently (upper inside, lower inside, upper outside, lower outside).

Then flossing. I use waxed floss, because my teeth are close together.

Final step (periodontist-recommended): going over the margin (where tooth meets gum) with a toothpick.

Yeah, it takes a long time. I usually read while I'm doing it, and run to the bathroom to spit. I tried brushing the tongue, but it makes me gag.

[maverick]

hi folks,

just a quick follow up - when i went to india in late october, i discovered something i vaguely recall using as a child - neem toothpaste.

made from a neem tree, this is a natural approach to dental care.

i've used this neem toothpaste for the last month - actually just squeezed out the last bit of what was left, and i can say that my mouth definitely feels cleaner as a result of using it.

because it had pretty much run out, i had switched back to colgate - and my mouth didn't feel the same. and so, i squeezed out the last bit i could as i look for a source for neem toothpaste here.

there is some information here about neem if you'd like to read up.

i still floss and use a waterpik (though, no waterpik while traveling), but i've stopped using listerine.

i see neem active toothpaste on amazon, but i'm a bit skeptical ordering this online. i'm going to go by a local indian store and see if they carry it and make sure that what i'm getting isn't old stock.

it looks like i'll be checking in my aeronaut on the way back from india - packed with a few tubes of neem toothpaste!