I thought I would make a thread about toothbrushing. There is a poll, but I also thought we could share our experiences of toothbrushing and offer any tips or solutions we've found to deal with difficulties related to brushing our teeth.
I am forgetful about brushing my teeth, and I find it extremely boring .....but then I spend minimum of 5 minutes brushing my teeth, usually longer.
To deal with the soul-crushing boredom, I do other things while brushing my teeth -- reading or watching video while I brush is the easiest (and least likely to result in putting down the toothbrush and forgetting all about it partway through).
Speaking of forgetful....I meant ot mention when I first wrote this that to deal with the forgetfulness aspect, I try to always brush first thing in the morning after I get up, so I at least brush once per day.
I don't like most toothpaste. The taste and smell have never been big issues for me, but I don't usually like them -- the nasty chemical-smell and lingering chemical aftertaste are very unpleasant.
Also SLS and a couple of the other detergents that are added to toothpaste instead of SLS (for cleansing properties and/or as foaming agents) cause my mouth to burn like fire .....if I use toothpastes with these detergents too often or they are in contact with my mouth for too long it makes the mucosal tissue in my mouth peel off in sheets.
The 2 toothpastes (one is technically a tooth gel ) that I tried that are free of detergents and fluoride actually tasted quite nice to me. (Kiss My Face "Berry Smart" fluoride-free toothpaste and Spry tooth gel in banana strawberry and original/unflavored --the toothpaste was quite gritty but it tasted good.) So if you can't stand the taste of regular toothpastes, one idea is to try to find one that has no detergents and/or no fluoride and see if it's any better.
Another idea is to try children's toothpaste -- I have always found children's toothpaste better tasting than regular/adult toothpastes, and there is usually a wider variety of flavorings than just mint. Children tend to have much more sensitive taste than adults (and be less able to tolerate bad tastes and weird tingly/burning mouth sensations) so manufacturer's put in more effort at making kids' toothpaste less terrible.
Another idea is to just not use any toothpaste. It's mostly the toothbrush bristles that removes plaque, not the toothpaste. I almost never use any toothpaste when I brush my teeth, because for a while I couldn't find any toothpaste I could tolerate, and during that time I discovered that when I don't use toothpaste my teeth end up cleaner. (I sometimes use remineralizing toothpaste/tooth gel as a sort of mouth rinse afterwards, but that is just me.)
If you want extra abrasives to help scrub plaque off, baking soda is one possible alternative. You could also try a little tiny bit of calcium carbonate powder mixed with water or coconut oil (calcium carbonate just tastes like chalk....because it is chalk) but you'd want to be careful about using too much, I think, to avoid damaging your enamel. (Too much toothpaste can also damage the enamal -- calcium carbonate is actually a common abrasive in toothpaste.)
If you have motor coordination issues and can tolerate the noise (and -- forgot this, too -- the vibration), I suggest trying an electric toothbrush. I got an electric toothbrush so I could clean my wisdom teeth better (not because of motor coordination issues), but it is a lot less fiddly to use than a regular one because you don't have to make brushing motions as the same time as you keep the toothbrush at the right position/angle.
I am forgetful about brushing my teeth, and I find it extremely boring .....but then I spend minimum of 5 minutes brushing my teeth, usually longer.
To deal with the soul-crushing boredom, I do other things while brushing my teeth -- reading or watching video while I brush is the easiest (and least likely to result in putting down the toothbrush and forgetting all about it partway through).
Speaking of forgetful....I meant ot mention when I first wrote this that to deal with the forgetfulness aspect, I try to always brush first thing in the morning after I get up, so I at least brush once per day.
I don't like most toothpaste. The taste and smell have never been big issues for me, but I don't usually like them -- the nasty chemical-smell and lingering chemical aftertaste are very unpleasant.
Also SLS and a couple of the other detergents that are added to toothpaste instead of SLS (for cleansing properties and/or as foaming agents) cause my mouth to burn like fire .....if I use toothpastes with these detergents too often or they are in contact with my mouth for too long it makes the mucosal tissue in my mouth peel off in sheets.
The 2 toothpastes (one is technically a tooth gel ) that I tried that are free of detergents and fluoride actually tasted quite nice to me. (Kiss My Face "Berry Smart" fluoride-free toothpaste and Spry tooth gel in banana strawberry and original/unflavored --the toothpaste was quite gritty but it tasted good.) So if you can't stand the taste of regular toothpastes, one idea is to try to find one that has no detergents and/or no fluoride and see if it's any better.
Another idea is to try children's toothpaste -- I have always found children's toothpaste better tasting than regular/adult toothpastes, and there is usually a wider variety of flavorings than just mint. Children tend to have much more sensitive taste than adults (and be less able to tolerate bad tastes and weird tingly/burning mouth sensations) so manufacturer's put in more effort at making kids' toothpaste less terrible.
Another idea is to just not use any toothpaste. It's mostly the toothbrush bristles that removes plaque, not the toothpaste. I almost never use any toothpaste when I brush my teeth, because for a while I couldn't find any toothpaste I could tolerate, and during that time I discovered that when I don't use toothpaste my teeth end up cleaner. (I sometimes use remineralizing toothpaste/tooth gel as a sort of mouth rinse afterwards, but that is just me.)
If you want extra abrasives to help scrub plaque off, baking soda is one possible alternative. You could also try a little tiny bit of calcium carbonate powder mixed with water or coconut oil (calcium carbonate just tastes like chalk....because it is chalk) but you'd want to be careful about using too much, I think, to avoid damaging your enamel. (Too much toothpaste can also damage the enamal -- calcium carbonate is actually a common abrasive in toothpaste.)
If you have motor coordination issues and can tolerate the noise (and -- forgot this, too -- the vibration), I suggest trying an electric toothbrush. I got an electric toothbrush so I could clean my wisdom teeth better (not because of motor coordination issues), but it is a lot less fiddly to use than a regular one because you don't have to make brushing motions as the same time as you keep the toothbrush at the right position/angle.
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