I Brush And Floss. Now What?

Let’s say that you’ve got the classics covered: you brush at least twice per day and use a toothpaste with all the trimmings, you floss at least once per day, and you visit the dentist every six months like clockwork. But is that all you have to do? There are a wide variety of dental hygiene products out there but how much more help do you really need?

Mouthwash

If there’s any additional step to daily dental care, it’s mouthwash. There’s a wide variety of mouthwashes to choose from, but the single biggest decision is probably whether you go with a mouthwash that uses alcohol to kill bacteria or a mouthwash that uses an antibacterial chemical.

Either way, while mouthwash does promote healthy gums, it also kills a lot of the helpful bacteria that live in your mouth, and alcohol-based mouthwashes can cause dry mouth and the occasional mouth ulcer. Water-based mouthwashes don’t have this problem, but they do use an antibacterial medication which can cause resistant strains to appear if overused.

Electric Toothbrush

If you have trouble maintaining a good rhythm and pace while you brush, an electric toothbrush can do it for you. As an added bonus, if you usually don’t have the patience to keep brushing for as long as your dentist recommends, most electric brushes will beep or pulse to let you know when you’ve done enough brushing.

Floss Pick

Instead of flossing with just a waxed piece of string, floss picks put the floss on a special pick which makes it easier to squeeze between the back teeth and doesn’t cut off the circulation to your fingers. Some come with fancy designs and special handles, but others are cheap and disposable, making their price competitive with basic floss.

Teeth are important to everyone, which is why it’s important for everyone to keep up some basic dental hygiene. But while this does mean taking a few minutes out of your potentially busy schedule, with the right tools you can make your daily chore a more interesting and efficient experience.