How often do you brush your teeth?
Following yesterday's question about showering, I was really interested in how often everyone brushes their teeth. I know dentists recommend 1-3 times a day, with once being like "you'll be fine if you do it properly," and thrice being like "yo, don't brush too hard because you can damage your enamel," but I also know a lot of people do it more than three times a day and I suspect a lot of people do it less than once a day...
I try to do it twice a day...sometimes I miss my evening brushing because one of our cats sleeps in the bathroom so that she has her own space and if the dog (who wants to eat the cats) is already in the bedroom, sometimes I don't feel like escorting him out first. Not great, but at least I'll get it in the morning. And I do sometimes forget in the morning on weekends, but I try to do it as soon as I realize that I've forgotten, and I try to make sure I don't skip nighttime brushing if I forgot to brush in the morning.
Twice a day with an electric brush. I used to do it really poorly due to mental health issues, but am now finally taking care of myself.
Maintaining is often easier than fixing. Both with cleaning your living space, and being healthy with your body. I've found it useful to think of what my future self would be grateful for the present me.
Same - I switched over to an oral b electric and brush twice a day while flossing once a night.
I don't know how true it is, but I've heard a general rule of thumb is "Brush your teeth at night to keep your teeth. Brush your teeth in the morning to keep your friends."
I brush twice a day with a very soft bristle toothbrush to avoid damaging my gums (I'm getting on in years). I will floss very occasionally, mainly when something is stuck between my teeth. No dental issues so far, thankfully!
You should brush int eh morning to also keep your teeth. From what I hear before you eat (bacteria does build up while you sleep and you want to get rid of it before it gets food to start creating the stuff that rots your teeth. If you brush afterwords the stuff is already on your teeth and softening it a bit and brushing can be more damaging then... or at least it's more likely to be damaging).
I used to do it maybe a couple times a week, but I started doing it consistently (twice a day, at worst once a day) after hearing some stupid inspirational phrase that really stuck with me.
Some "feel good" thread on 4chan had this webm that said something along the lines of "anything worth doing is worth doing badly", so I started to just brush my teeth without really thinking about how long I'm brushing it and all other little details about doing it right. Whenever I don't feel like it, I just think about that phrase. This is very silly, but it worked for me.
"half-assing something is better than full-assing nothing" has been my mantra recently when it comes to cleaning my room.
That's a great phrase. Similar to "fake it till you make it."
And "perfect is the enemy of good".
This is actually the best method for creating habits in my experience. I did some reading on the topic and essentially the method is to start with the most basic thing and expand after it’s in your routine.
Example:
Want to start flossing? Floss one tooth every day. Only do more if you feel like it but always do one. Eventually you just start saying screw it I already have the floss out might as well do them all.
I’m currently trying to do this for stretching and exercising too
Once a day before bed with an electric toothbrush. I am blessed with good teeth, and every checkup (two a year) the dentist says things look great.
I did get one cavity after my teenage sealants wore off on my molars around when I turned 31 (up until then, they were shocked every visit the sealants weren’t worn off already), but I’ve improved my brushing since then based on some of their recommendations.
Why before bed instead of after waking up? I would guess that before bed is better for oral health but after waking up is better for not having bad breath and most people prioritize the more social one
I do the same. I just brush at night with an electric toothbrush. It's my understanding that night time brushing is more important because you are cleaning your teeth of whatever leftover food is stuck in there. Letting it sit in there while you sleep is more likely to lead to cavities. I make sure to floss and finish with mouth wash. Sometimes I use a water pik.
My breath in the morning is fine. My dentist also says good things.
ETA: if I brush in the morning, it's after breakfast
There are other ways of sorting bad breath if it's an issue though
Technically, but gum isn't the best or cheapest option and mouthwash can actually make your breath worse.
Great question! I take 2 hours to drink my one cup of coffee in the morning, so I’m long at work before I get it finished. Coffee and toothpaste tastes bad. :)
There used to be a cinnamon toothpaste on the market that didn't clash with coffee, but it's not great for your teeth to brush them and then douse them with coffee anyway.
I'll be the gross one and say I barely brush my teeth (~1-4 times a month). It was not instilled into me as a child, and I haven't really felt the purpose as an adult to make it a habit. I have yet to see good scientific proof it makes as much of a difference as is claimed (not saying it makes no difference), and instead it's mostly sold as "accepted wisdom", so it's hard for me to care to make that change when there isn't really evidence.
I also try to eat a healthy diet that limits things like processed sugar and non-water beverages. I could be wrong, but it always felt significantly more important about what goes in my mouth than worrying about meticulously cleaning it out.
Never had any problem with dating/friends/work, and have only had 1 cavity/filling in my nearly 40 years of life (which is less than a lot of peers I know who brush multiple times a day). I still go for a cleaning every few years and the dentists normally remark how they're surprised by my mouth with how little I admit to doing maintenance, so haven't really had any reason to change ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ (But, again, my "mouth health" effort is put into what goes in my mouth instead)
Now come over here so I can breathe on your faces.
Not gross and glad to know I’m not alone.
My girlfriend, when she found out, was grossed out until she quickly wasn’t. And I say found out: she had no idea for six months of our relationship.
I brush my teeth when I feel grime on them or on my tongue, which is less than once a month. If I slept particularly badly, I scrape my tongue with my teeth and spit out with a bit of water. Sometimes I also use the strong shower spray as a kind of water pick. In short, very rarely using actual toothpaste or toothbrush.
And my breath is fine, but I suspect it’s because I’ve had years to build up a strong oral microbiome. My mother has incredibly poor teeth so I get checked by dentists yearly like clockwork and, at 32, my teeth are perfect and I’ve never had any issue of any kind.
And unlike you I don’t particularly pay attention to what goes in my mouth, aside from zero sugary sodas (though plenty of Coke Zero).
I am hoping a motivated scientist will one day study my mouth and tell me wtf everyone else is doing wrong to need so much brushing :)
I think honestly brushing teeth does help. But also some people have better teeth then others as well.
I'm a religious twice a dayer now. When I wake up, and before bed.
Unfortunately when I was a kid/teen I was not, and I'm currently paying the price for it. I have several missing/broken teeth and eventually will likely have most of my top teeth removed.. Im currently trying to save up the money to do it.
The real question is whether you brush before or after eating breakfast. It seems to be as divisive as wiping your bum standing vs sitting/crouching!
I'm pretty sure dentists would agree that after would be ideal. Not only will the brushing dislodge any food that might have gotten stuck in there, but it would allow the fluorine in the toothpaste to sit on your teeth longer to better kill any bacteria.
Brushing right after eating might be worse that not brushing at all. I guess you are supposed to wait 30 minutes if you brush afterwards.
https://www.cuimc.columbia.edu/news/brushing-immediately-after-meals-you-may-want-wait
That's only if you are consuming acidic foods or drinks. Personally I don't like acidic things in the morning, but I know that there are a lot of people who have grapefruit or orange juice, and many more who have even more acidic breakfasts.
That's not why I heard why. I heard it is cause bacteria does end up building up while you sleep and if you eat ebfore you brush they then get to digesting the food (and the waste product they put out is what rots your teeth and softens it and why it is bad to brush afterwards). The idea of brushing before is to get rid of that bacteria before they can start eating on the food left in your mouth. Otherwise with your theory there would be no point in brushing in the morning at all (it would be a controversy of if you should brush or not in the morning, not when).
Anyways, I always brushed before even before I heard that and thought afterwards made more sense. Why? Because I knew I'd forget if I waited afterwards and figured doing it before was better than not at all. It was just convenient that it turns out it may be better how I do it.
lol if that were the case, I wouldn't brush my teeth until like 11 am... I take adderall and iron in the morning, and I can't eat for at least half an hour after that because you're not supposed to with iron or adderall. Then, thanks to the adderall, my brain doesn't want food until around 10 am. By the time I'm done making and eating food, based on if its acidic, it would be at least 11 am before I can brush my teeth. Now, I work 95% from home and it's actually feasible that I do that, but if I have to go into the office for any reason, or it's the weekend and I have things to do, that would suck lol.
You are supposed to eat when you take iron, specifically viramin C rich foods which are often highly acidic.
My iron pills are a combo with vitamin C. But I've been told by my doctor to specifically not eat when I take the iron to help with the nausea.
Actually, the consensus is the opposite. It's best to dislodge the bacteria that have accumulated in your mouth overnight before introducing food for them to feed on and proliferate. If you brush before breakfast than simply rinsing with water after breakfast should be plenty to dislodge any food. If you do brush after you eat, it's best to wait about an hour so that the food particles aren't just rubbed around your mouth by the toothbrush.
I horrify my husband with this every day but I brush my teeth before breakfast..
I hate eating breakfast, so I (begrudgingly) drink a caloric shake every morning so I don't faint around noon. Whether or not it tastes like mint is mostly irrelevant, I'm hating every moment of it anyway...
There is a toothpaste that's called like, dragon something, I know it has a picture of a dragon on it. It tastes like berries and has completely fixed my issues with not wanting to brush my teeth before breakfast.
Brushing your teeth before breakfast is likely better for your teeth anyway. You should be horrified at him.
Standing is for people whose parents neglected them and never told them your butt cheeks smush the poop when you stand.
Folding vs crumpling, though...that's a good one. I still remember the first time I heard about the possibility of folding lol I fold these days because it doesn't require as much TP but crumpling still feels like the right thing to do, even though these days the single, unbroken surface of the fold also feels cleaner.
You know, before I started having severe chronic pain, I agreed with you, now the position you have to be in to wipe sitting down sets off my nerve pain and if I don't wipe at least partially standing, I get to lay in bed for the rest of the day in severe pain.
I miss my bidet, but my upstairs neighbors backed their toilet up once and it backed ours up and broke my bidet.
That last part is awful, but a bidet attachment to the toilet may do what you need. Here in the US we don't usually have standalone bidets, so that's the best most of us can do.
I loved my bidet.... before my upstairs neighbors back up their and my toilet by flushing things they shouldn't have been flushing. It backed up and broke my bidet. So we don't have one anymore.
Hubs doesn't want to get another one until we move or they move. I've been looking at houses since that comment lol.
After. Unless you are awake for multiple hours before eating breakfast, why waste the cleanliness only to sully it immediately after?
1-2x daily. And it's silly but cute colored floss with fun fruity scents keeps me motivated to floss daily too 😂
After breakfast or lunch
Water floss, electric toothbrush, mouthwash
Before bed
Floss, electric toothbrush, mouthwash
I've always been intrigued by the waterpik/floss. Is it messy? Why choose it over regular flossing in your morning routine?
I use a water flosser before bed now and it was interesting at first but it became normal like the 4th time. And it's not messy, you keep your mouth mostly closed except for a little gap to let water come out. I have had a couple woopsies where I turned it on setting it down, that thing shoots far!
It is quick and oddly soothing? Idk it helped create the habit of flossing daily and made my gums strong enough to handle the real thing (it has variable pressure that you can slowly increase over time). It’s now always on max setting and feels like a light gum massage and i never took it out of my routine
Water flossing isn't messy, regular flossing is just more effective.
Do you not go out in the morning?
I work from home and don’t always eat breakfast, so usually no
you should do the mouthwash before brushing, or else you're rinsing out the fluoride from the toothpaste.
Thanks for the tip!
Not as often as I wish I would...
I brush at least once every day, which I aim to be sometime between my final meal of the day and going to sleep. This means I am covered right through the night and up until I next eat, which will often be around noon the following day.
I do also like to brush my teeth in the morning, mostly just to freshen up and help alleviate morning breath, but I don't do this consistently. Worst of all, for some reason, on the odd occasion I have breakfast I often forget to brush afterward - when it would have really counted!
I am also a terrible flosser. I will not floss for months on end, and then after the guilt has built enough I will floss fanatically for several weeks in a continuous cycle.
At one point I also used midday teeth brushing after lunch as a tool to curb afternoon snacking, as I'd gotten into a terrible habit of eating snacks right after finishing lunch.
Before bed, before I leave the house in the morning, and whenever my mouth feels gross.
Same here, last thing before going to bed, first thing in the morning (I don't eat breakfast), and then throughout the day here and there whenever I feel like I ate something that's making my mouth feel gross, or if I think I've had too much coffee.
I also floss every night and often times after eating meat.
I once dated a girl who didn't brush at least once a day and it really sped up me wanting to break up, especially in the mornings. It got bad when she mentioned she had a cavity and I just couldn't get it out of my head.
I personally do it at the very least once a day and a couple of years ago I developed a habit of flossing when I'm bored. So whenever I'm sitting down and watching TV, I'll have floss to fidget with lol. It definitely helps getting in the habit of it!
At least twice a day, but usually 3 times. For a while in high school I did this thing where I'd brush my teeth whenever my friend smoked a cigarette, like I'd go outside and stand with her and brush while she smoked, so it became kind of a stress relief thing for me and I was doing it like, 10 times a day. My dentist told me to stop, so I went down to 3, but I still find it soothing and only end up with two if something goes horribly wrong. I also floss every night before bed and sometimes after lunch.
How did you start brushing while she smokes? That seems very unique.
It started off as a dumb joke. I was trying to tease her to encourage her to quit. I don't remember what my actual logic was, it was just a silly thing I thought would mildly annoy her without hurting her feelings. We both ended up liking it and it kept up for a year and a half or so.
First thing after I wake up and before bed. I use an electric toothbrush with soft bristles and floss/ listerine before I brush at night.
Back in college, it was only once a day, at night. I also stopped going to the dentist. Had a couple serious cavities form that eventually needed root canals and crowns. But right before I got those problems checked, I got serious about my dental hygiene. The pain scared me into doing things right. Now my teeth are good and the brushing/flossing are a natural part of my routine.
Damn, as someone struggling with some kind of mental health issue(s?) I feel like an odd one out here
Twice a day when I can, but I've had my fair share of weeks where I slept through the entire day or simply just didn't have the motivation to brush my teeth. Or sometimes I get so invested in something that by the time I brush my teeth it's literally the next day. Or sometimes just straight up getting too randomly paranoid to go to the bathroom, so I just don't. I try to brush at least once on a bad day, when I'm seeing a pattern and know I can't do the bare minimum of twice a day that I used to do when I was younger.
I also am trying to remind myself flossing is better than brushing, and if I can't go to the bathroom for whatever reason, I can stay in my room and floss and ignore brushing completely. Not the most hygienic, but it's better than doing nothing at all.
You're doing what you can, and it sounds like you're doing better than you think you are! Plus, on those do literally nothing days, there is less of a need to brush. Stay strong! It certainly is better to do something than nothing, so just keep trucking and doing your best!
Thank you! Though I still live with my parents and they still force me to try to eat on time. I tend to use up all my energy on finishing lunch and dinner at a reasonable time so I probably still need to brush my teeth
But yeah, echoing what u/introspect said, "anything worth doing is worth doing badly". As long as I'm trying at a reasonable pace I should be okay
I'm in the same boat. I feel really guilty about it, but doing something is better than nothing. I just want you to know that I see you, you're not alone, and I'm proud of you for doing what you can.
Twice a day, in the morning and before bed. Electric Sonicare toothbrush, I swapped to one years a go over a manual brush. They are kind of game changing. If you are on the fence about a nice electric toothbrush just get one, they are awesome.
I must be really good at manual brushing because I would always receive compliments from my dentists until I got an electric brush! That came as quite a surprise! But you're right; for the vast majority of people/brushes, electric is a huge upgrade.
Twice a day with an electric toothbrush, super cheap oral B from Amazon. Also I got a cheap water flosser last year and that has been awesome. I went from having 5-10 cavities a year to maybe 1 every couple years after I switched to an electric toothbrush and flosser.
5-10 a year? I didn't even know that was really possible! What is/was your actual brushing method?
I used to do manual tooth brush only and I probably wasn't putting in much effort. I never did for like 30 years. I always felt like my teeth were "soft" or naturally unhealthy but I can tell putting in this effort has made a difference.
Once a day with brushing unless I have something sugary earlier in the day. I typically floss after every meal.
I brush with an electric toothbrush in the morning, waterpik (with diluted mouthwash) after meals. I intermittently floss, if I eat a meal with meat, especially something like steak where sinew that easily gets stuck, I'll usually floss as soon as I can. I keep a bunch of floss sticks at my desk as it gives me something to fidget with during meetings (Video/audio muted of course). I have an implant and its health is checked every 4 months, my dentist has no complaints about my regime.
I brush every evening before bed (just a normal brush, I can never get used to electric ones), and floss afterwards maybe 2-3 times a week (plus occasional one-offs where I get something stuck and floss right away to get it out). I haven't had any cavities as an adult and my dentist and hygienists have only had positive comments at my 6-month cleanings, so I guess it works for me. I think genetics may play a significant part in how much you need to brush in order to maintain healthy teeth.
Morning for other people, evening for myself.
Sometimes I manage to do it after lunch as well but it depends if I've eaten anything that i feel got stuck in my teeth.
Overall, never ever skip the brushing before going to bed. I don't want to go into detail because I'm in mobile but it's the most important of the moments to brush your teeth.
2x. Brush (with electric toothbrush) morning and night. Floss or occasionally waterpik at night. My dentist says my protocol is working well.
1-3x a day depending on my schedule and what I eat, but I floss probably 3-5x a day because things easily get stuck in my teeth. I'd probably brush every time floss if it wasn't that I have always despised the taste of toothpaste and I don't like having it linger mid day if I can help it. I've tried every variety under the sun, but they all make it nauseous.
Well, I guess you're in luck because brushing more than three times a day is considered to be bad for your teeth. I wonder why toothpaste makes you nauseous though. Does anything else do that?
Nope, and I've tried a bunch of them. I just deal with it at morning and bed time usually, and maybe after lunch if I'm home and I ate something particularly sugary.
I know strongly fluorinated toothpaste makes me nauseous, maybe it's similar?
Electric brushing and flossing twice a day. I also use a tooth pick every time after I eat something.
A few times a day, morning and night with an electric toothbrush, as well as before the gym out of courtesy for my training partners depending on what I’ve been eating that day.
I try to brush twice a day and use my water pick every morning but I usually forget or can't brush/floss in the morning.
I'm in the "icky" camp, with brushing maybe once or twice a month.
I want to get better, but I have some habits I have yet to break. For evening brushing, which is arguably easier for me, I have this habit of having a quick snack or usually a drink literally just before I go to bed. My understanding with brushing is that you're supposed to wait at least 30 minutes or so before consuming something again... my stomach wins this, meaning I'd rather have my snack or drink just before bed.
And morning? Yeah, I have no time. As soon as I finish my morning meal, I literally go out the door for work, having gotten dressed as I eat my breakfast.
As other people in here have noted, anything worth doing is worth doing badly. You don't have to wait 30 minutes. Your oral health will be better if you do something, even if you don't do it at the 100% ideal time.
Similarly, you don't have to brush your teeth after breakfast. It's better to do it after waking up than never for your oral health and to avoid disgusting the people around you at work. Plus, it takes a max of two minutes.
First thing I do when I wake up, last thing I do right before bed. Electric toothbrush, most basic unadorned name-brand toothpaste I can find in the store (used to get the ones that had an actual seal on it by a dental association, but they mysteriously removed it at some point).
Maybe I should do a mid-day one too, but I'm mostly too lazy I suppose. I used to just do it at night, but read somewhere (maybe QI) that in the morning is actually a really important time to do it, because of the bacteria or whatever that accumulates during the night.