Floss, people
I would like to take this opportunity to reinforce an important message: brushing your teeth alone is not enough.
Tonight when I flossed my teeth (before brushing, of course) I removed no less than seven pieces of roast meat. The worst part is that some of those specimens were from my mid-morning roast beef sandwich, and not dinner :(
That might be the most awful thing ive heard all morning :P
I always flossed after brushing followed by mouthwash. The internet seems to be split on the before/after question with before advocates suggesting that fluoride in toothpaste penetrates between the teeth better. After advocates suggest that before means that particles get pushed back between the teeth during brushing. Emma, what do dentists say? other than Oral B floss is best.
I’d expect that before is better because it loosens up the shit for your brush to collect. Mouthwash afterwards is a good idea to clean out the remaining bits though, but I’m not sure what the actual dental benefits are other than that.
There are 2 separate schools of thought on flossing and brushing order, but I tend to agree with the first one here because it’s what I’ve heard a few periodontists recommend, and they’re plaque gurus. The first theory hinges on the fact that plaque is a biofilm. This means it’s not just a whole pile of bacteria. They live together in a mini ecosystem which is multi layered, so a biofilm is difficult to kill with chemicals because it only affects the newest surface layer. All the old gunk at the base gets to keep on living undisturbed. With this in mind, it’s best to floss first, mechanically removing the biofilm from between teeth, so then the antibacterial chemicals in toothpaste, (fluoride, and triclosan in Colgate Total), are able to tidy up what’s left of the bugs. The second theory is that it’s better to brush first, and now that I think about it I can’t actually remember the explanation for this one. It’s something lame, like brushing gets most of the plaque and then you can just tidy up the rest with the floss. Either way, I don’t think there’s any evidence to show that doing either will result in less oral disease. As long as you’re flossing at some point, it’s better than not flossing. I often tell my patients to floss at any time of the day it suits them, even if it’s not when they brush. Then at least they’re doing it.
Oh, and for the record Jack, I really hate Oral B floss. Colgate Total all the way, because it doesn’t shred and slides in and out easily :) Having said that, I actually use the Oral B Hummingbird because I’m slack with flossing and need a toy as a motivator. I use this in the shower while waiting for the conditioner, so I don’t even floss at the same time as I brush.
If Matt has spent the last few years with bits of rotting meat between his teeth all day, I feel sorry for Maggie. She has to kiss that mouth.
Em, if my memory serves me well, you said in the past that flossing after brushing pushes leftover toothpaste in between your teeth.