Hi guys!
Up until recently I’ve been eating only 3 meals a day, and thus brushing my teeths 3 times a day. I’ve also been to my dentist a few days ago, and he told me I have initial tooth decay in 3 places. Now I’ve started eating 6 times a day, and he told me I should brush after EVERY meal, but I’m not really sure that brushing so often is good for your teeth. How many times do you guys brush your teeth?
Well, since I know something about teeth, I’d like to jump in here. (I’m a dentist and in about a month I’ll also be an orthodontist).
(Note my name; it isn’t because I’m funny, although I do say the odd ha-ha now and then).
Brushing twice a day is the minimum you should do. Flossing once a day is essential if you have a few “small” cavities. I have no ability to say what “small” is, without seeing your xrays. If your dentist is okay with watching them, then normal oral hygiene is all that’s recommended.
Brushing after each meal, for people who eat multiple small meals throughout the day, is not required, nor is it even possible for those of us with busy lives.
The main reason for brushing twice a day is more for prevention of gum disease than cavities. If you have small decay between your teeth, then flossing will assist in keeping them at bay. I’d suggest you purchase an over-the-counter daily fluoride rinse to use, to supplement your brushing and flossing. Use as directed. Don’t worry about over-exposure to fluoride, unless you’re eating an entire tube of toothpaste with each meal. (which, as far as I know, is not part of John Berardi’s Lean Eating Plan).
One other point. Most people on this board don’t eat the crap that is easily metabolized by oral bacteria (streptococcus mutans) to cause cavities, so I doubt you are at much risk of decay. However, people with Bulemia do cause massive tooth erosion which makes you more susceptible to decay, so that sort of factors in to this discussion group.
Another point is (and I hesitate to post this): Do you trust your dentist? If they would like to watch small decay and take another look, both visually and with xrays in 6-12 months, I’d be comfortable with that. But the dentist:population ratio is so bad in the United States, that I’d guess that at least 30 % of the dental work that gets done is not only unnecessary but also harmful. Many are worse than the most unethical auto mechanics. You have no idea what they are doing, and after an hour of laying there, some people just want to pay the bill and get the heck out. Like I said, trust is essential. Always get a second opinion if you want. Your xrays don’t need to be re-taken if it’s in a short time frame, they just get shipped to the dentist who’s providing the 2nd opinion as a professional courtesy. IF the original dentist refuses, thats about the biggest warning sign of a scam that you can get.
Hopefully I’ve answered your questions. Brush as normal. Three times is plenty. Don’t overdo it or you’ll just cause gum tissue recession and then have painful, sensitive teeth.
One final note. I was in the gym the other day, and noticed almost every guy who had bad lifting-form also clenched the shit out of his teeth. STOP IT!! Lower the weights, get your form in order, and quit cracking the shit out of your back teeth. They suffer micro-fractures that will just explode next time you eat so much as a soft bun. And they suck to fix them. So either quit clenching like a fool, or at least wear a CUSTOM made mouthguard. Please.
Sorry for the long post.
I’m available for advice through the PM tool as well.
Have a good, dentally happy day.
Doctor D.
Excessive brushing will wear away your teeth…especially if you use a hard bristle brush. Brushing 6 times a day is ridiculous. Twice, maybe 3 times per day max. Chew sugarless gum the rest of the time to keep the salivia moving through your mouth. Also, make sure to floss several times per week.
My classmate was kind enough to pose for a quick photo to show his nicely lined up Mormon teeth. He’s shy so I cut out any identifying features. Here’s proof though that I know what I’m talking about.
I agree with the dentist… lolol
Lack of eating sugar/processed foods plus brushing 2-3x/day and flossing daily is surely enough.
I usually brush once a day in the morning. Sometimes every other day if my mouth feels clean. I also rarely floss. Been doing this for as long as I can remember, and I have zero cavities.
I think eating right is the biggest key here, but brushing 6 times a day sounds like it would irritate the gums.
Neil
Also, it’s interesting to note that many traditional cultures did not brush their teeth yet had very few cavities.
Neil
This thread SHOULD BE on the T&N board. Very informative and stuff that all of us should understand. I have always been concerned about if my brushing 3X and flossing once per day was good enough considering I eat 7-8 times per day. Thank you Smile for the info. I chew sugarless gum between meals, as well. I understand Xylitol is the ingredient we should be looking for on the label.
not to highjack thread…but, man…what great arch form your friend has SmileCreator! Gorgeous Gingiva too.
Neil:
Traditional cultures didn’t have the massive amounts of crap carbs and sugars in their diets. You’re exactly correct. The Australian Aborigines are the perfect example. Rough diet, no bad foods, and they have the “perfect” bite, as well as little if any decay. But where there’s sugar, there’s cavities.
CGB: Xylitol is correct. Chewing gum increases salivary flow, which has a natural cleansing effect as well.
Whoever said that they rarely brush or floss: That’s great! I’ve had a few patients who never get cavities. They have a naturally good saliva, with less bacterial population or sometimes less virulent strains of S. mutans. So it’s very possible to be a bad oral hygiene practitioner, and not have any problems. BUT, if you want to get kissed more, at least brush now and then.
later, gents and vixes…
cgb:
I doubt that it’d fit into the T&N board admin’s requirements.
However, if asked nicely I’ll write a few articles on having a healthy smile to go with that spectacular body you’re all creating, such as “Bleaching 101”, “Grinding and Clenching = Aids”, etc.
see ya later.
doctor tooth
Neil, some of us naturally seem to avoid tooth decay. Others aren’t so lucky. I feel that once a day is less than optimal for most. At the very least, brushing helps reduce bad breath to some extent and makes your mouth feel clean, which is important to me. Girls like it, too.
Smile, I’d like it to be on the T&N board simply so that people will see it. Many of us come to Off Topic less than the other boards. It’s more on topic than some of the other stuff that makes it. Intersting stuff.
I brush once in the morning, never floss unless something is stuck somewhere and go years sometimes between cleanings and never had a cavity. One dentist told me cavities are caused by bacteria so some people might be more immune to it than others. Not sure if thats true or not I’m just saying what a doctor told me. I also drink lots of water so that might be another reason.
TheSmileCreator,
Yeah, no sugar or processed foods. I just remembered about post-workout sugar, so maybe post-workout brushing would be best. But I sure hope no one here is eating sugar/processed foods.
Neil
I brush three times a day and floss at least twice. I’m big on dental hygiene. It’s a big turn off to me if a chick doesn’t take care of her mouth. I think the ladies feel the same way about us.
Eric,
I don’t think you can say that bacteria alone causes cavities. Just look at any traditional culture and they didn’t have problems with tooth decay despite a lack of brushing. I think the native Swiss had a green slime on their teeth, yet they had few cavities.
I think cavities seem to be greatly influenced by nutrition. The whole sugar causing cavities might be more of an issue of eating too much sugar usually means a lack of nutrients in the diet. I don’t know how much of an affect brushing has, but I’m sure it helps, and it might be a good idea to brush after the post-workout drink since that’s when most of us get our sugar. But yeah, the whole breath thing makes brushing a no-brainer 
Neil
Eric S: Yes, your dentist is correct. Bacteria eat the leftover sugars/carbs in our mouth, and their metabolic processes basically end up resulting in bacterial “urine” which produces the cavity. Everyone has bacteria in the mouth or you’d be in serious trouble (i.e. you’d be dead). But some are more nasty in some people.
Cupcake has only “good” bacteria, the kind that fight evil, terrorist producing bacteria…
As an addendum to my last post:
You need
- the right bacteria
- the right host (a susceptible human)
- the right substrate
If all things are in place, voila: decay. Sorry to be anal about dental.
NeilG,
You might get away only brushing once a day or once every other day and not develop cavities, but no one ever said your breath won’t smell like shit when you do that!
I’ll stick to brushing 2-3 times a day and flossing once a day. I like clean teeth and fresh breath.
I’m also big on dental hygiene. Don’t bring your funky mouth near me, snaggletooth!