A few years ago I stopped using toothpaste. The reasons? I did not want to expose my teeth/body to as much fluoride, also it also would sometimes dry out my mouth causing bad breath. I began using Gum Joy Oil and a few other lesser known dental hygiene tools at home. The Gum Joy Oil has many essential oils including Neem which has been used for a very long time in India to treat a variety of ailments both viral and bacterial. It is very popular in Ayurvedic and Unani for treating a wide variety of afflictions - and happens to clean the teeth in excellent fashion.
Flossing has always been the bane of dental hygiene, its time consuming, can hurt your fingers, messy and all in all not fun. Therefore I resort to using the Plackers brand flossers. they are very strong yet thin and flexible. The handles are ergonomic unike cheaper brands. I like the sideways coping saw angle, as it allows you to get into all the tough nooks and crannies of your mouth.
First I rinse off the tooth brush with hot water to get the bristles warm and pliable. Then I place the tooth brush on the ledge bristles up. Next I take the Plackers brand flosser and apply 1 drop of Gum joy to the thread - directly over the tooth brush bristles. (This prevents oil droplets from landing in the sink and essentially wasting your money.)
Once flossing is complete, time to brush those choppers. You can of course use an electric tooth brush or alternate with a manual tooth brush, but regardless. Use a soft bristle compact head. Ensure that you spend about 2-4 minutes brushing then wash mouth out with some warm water. (I use a double canister carbon charcoal filter attached to the bathroom faucet to avoid chemical nasties from the city supply, also can drink/cook with the filtered water when I run out of spring water .)
Next I break out the tongue cleaner - my brand of choice is actually the disposable Oolit paper versions. I've used other versions and they are just not as comfy or effective. I find that tongue cleaning gives you much confidence when having a close conversation. Having a white tongue is not attractive, smells, off gasses bad breath, and dulls your taste buds immensely.
Wash the tongue cleaner before and after use with hot water - pat dry with a towel if you like. Allow your dental tools to open air dry. Keeping them closed up will cause an undesirable bacteria breeding ground.
Flossing has always been the bane of dental hygiene, its time consuming, can hurt your fingers, messy and all in all not fun. Therefore I resort to using the Plackers brand flossers. they are very strong yet thin and flexible. The handles are ergonomic unike cheaper brands. I like the sideways coping saw angle, as it allows you to get into all the tough nooks and crannies of your mouth.
First I rinse off the tooth brush with hot water to get the bristles warm and pliable. Then I place the tooth brush on the ledge bristles up. Next I take the Plackers brand flosser and apply 1 drop of Gum joy to the thread - directly over the tooth brush bristles. (This prevents oil droplets from landing in the sink and essentially wasting your money.)
Once flossing is complete, time to brush those choppers. You can of course use an electric tooth brush or alternate with a manual tooth brush, but regardless. Use a soft bristle compact head. Ensure that you spend about 2-4 minutes brushing then wash mouth out with some warm water. (I use a double canister carbon charcoal filter attached to the bathroom faucet to avoid chemical nasties from the city supply, also can drink/cook with the filtered water when I run out of spring water .)
Next I break out the tongue cleaner - my brand of choice is actually the disposable Oolit paper versions. I've used other versions and they are just not as comfy or effective. I find that tongue cleaning gives you much confidence when having a close conversation. Having a white tongue is not attractive, smells, off gasses bad breath, and dulls your taste buds immensely.
Wash the tongue cleaner before and after use with hot water - pat dry with a towel if you like. Allow your dental tools to open air dry. Keeping them closed up will cause an undesirable bacteria breeding ground.
Finally, I break out the secret weapon to fight cavities. The GUM Stimulator. The soft rubber tip is pointy, yet soft. It allows you to get in between the gum line and the teeth to remove even more food matter. Just allow the rubber tip to barely go under the gum and watch all of the debris it collects. The most staggering accumulation of debris occurs on when using this tool on the inside of your back molars. The amount of debris that brushing and flossing leaves behind is staggering. Rinse off the yuckies onto a washcloth and rinse thoroughly when done.
If you want to brush quickly one more time it won't hurt - especially if you ate sweets that day.
Following this nightly tooth cleaning regiment will make your teeth healthier and your dental hygiene cleanings will be a snap. Bedtime is when the bacterial mouth wars occur, so good hygiene practices then are paramount.
Note: In the morning I just give the teeth a quick brush and a tongue scrape - if I can sneak in a brushing/flossing after lunch it is not a bad thing either. Keep a few Plackers in your car or purse so you have them at the ready. I also alternate using the Braun electric tooth brush and the Colgate manual version to keep the plaque guessing :)
If you want to brush quickly one more time it won't hurt - especially if you ate sweets that day.
Following this nightly tooth cleaning regiment will make your teeth healthier and your dental hygiene cleanings will be a snap. Bedtime is when the bacterial mouth wars occur, so good hygiene practices then are paramount.
Note: In the morning I just give the teeth a quick brush and a tongue scrape - if I can sneak in a brushing/flossing after lunch it is not a bad thing either. Keep a few Plackers in your car or purse so you have them at the ready. I also alternate using the Braun electric tooth brush and the Colgate manual version to keep the plaque guessing :)
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