Proper sequence of floss, brush, & mouthwash and other dental stuff

In My Humble Opinion
1

  1. What is the proper sequence of flossing, toothbrushing, and mouthwashing?

  2. If you were in a hurry and had to pick between a half-assed toothbrushing and a mouthwash, which is better for your mouth?

2

  1. Brush first. This gets rid of the larger pieces of crud and buildup that would otherwise possibly get pushed up into your gums if you flossed first. So, brush first, floss, then use mouthwash if you feel you must.

  2. I’d go with the half-assed brushing every time. Mouthwashes are usually nothing more than a cover-up for breath odors which often are partly caused by decaying food particles left on or between the teeth. Have you ever smelled that junk that comes out on the dental floss? Nasty stuff, that. And when you don’t brush or floss you’re breathing out those fumes to everyone in the vicinity.

3

  1. According to my dentist and hygienist the order of flossing and brushing doesn’t matter. Mouthwash (strong, germ-killing, high-alcohol like Listerine) comes last.

  2. Half-assed toothbrushing every time. Gotta get the plaque off there to have any chance at all of not stinking for the next few hours. Mouthwash only works for about 20 minutes if you haven’t brushed away the crud.

4

Brush, then floss, because that’s how every hygienist I’ve ever had has done it. I don’t bother with mouthwash at all, usually. If you are healthy and your teeth are clean, I don’t think it’s really necessary.

Half-assed brushing, for the above reason.

5

All at once.

6

I brush, then floss, then use a Rotadent.

Also, on advice of my dentist, I use a toothpick once a day to gently sweep my teeth at the gumlines. My gums have improved considerably over the past year using these techniques. No more bleeding or tenderness, and my hygenist is so proud of my progress.

7

I floss whenever I feel like it, usually while watching TV. May not be the “proper way” but at least I do it every day. I brush well in the morning and before bed including my tongue and I don’t use mouthwash.

Go with the brushing and get the crud off your teeth.

8

Like tremorviolet, I clean my teeth every day while watching tv. For that purpose I keep a couple of pins in a pin cushion near the couch. Hey, as long as no-one sees me doing it…

What** tremorviolet** says about brushing one’s tongue bears repeating. My dentist says brushing or scraping the tongue is a much, much more effective way to prevent and/or cure bad breath then mouthwash is.

9

I brush, floss and finish with mouthwash, if I feel like it. (Feel like using mouthwash, that is)

I’d go for half-assed brushing and focus on the tongue, because that makes your breath better and tends to remove any nasty taste in your mouth. Besides, mouthwash doesn’t do much for plaque and that stuff gets more potent the longer it sits there. Something to do with anaerobic respiration by the bacteria, if I recall correctly.