My teeth are in good health and I take good care of them, yet I always get this plaque buildup no matter what I try.
I’ve tried different brushes, toothpastes, and flossing methods to no avail. Mouthwash is too harsh on my mouth and peels my skin off so I avoid that.
I haven’t tried waterpicks or electric brushes yet. Did you? Did they work for you? Have you succeeded in preventing plaque and if so, how???
i_am_hungry ( @i_am_hungry@meganice.online ) English33•8 months agoFloss and electric toothbrush, brush twice a day, works wonders. One of those brushes that make sure you brush each quarter for 30 seconds for a total of 2 minutes.
pokkiff ( @pokkiff@lemmy.sdf.org ) English22•8 months agoConsider chewing Xylitol gum after eating. Xylitol directly fucks up the bacteria that cause tooth decay. Make sure to get a brand that is mostly Xylitol (I like Pur).
However, be careful if you have a dog, because xylitol is super poisonous to dogs!
Good suggestion, thanks!
MrFunnyMoustache ( @MrFunnyMoustache@lemmy.ml ) 8•8 months agoI used to have this problem. I can’t use wire floss because there is no gap between my teeth… I started using water flossing (basically a pressure washer for your teeth) and paired with an electric toothbrush it worked wonders.
Other notes for a better dental care routine:
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Use toothpaste with fluoride.
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If you are using the water flossing method, do it before brushing your teeth.
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Don’t rinse your mouth after brushing; this is especially useful for brushing your teeth before going to sleep. Don’t drink water afterwards, do it before if you want (obviously if you are feeling dehydrated, drink water, but otherwise let the fluoride do it’s thing).
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federalreverse-old ( @federalreverse@feddit.de ) 6•8 months agoElectric brushes usually help with that. Do go for a brand like Braun or Philips though, otherwise it’s easy to end up with a toothbrush with non-existent or low-quality replacement heads. You don’t need an expensive model from those brands. Those work about as well as the cheaper models and only include more frills, and their replacement heads are often more expensive too. The only feature I actually find helpful is the 30-second/2-minute timer which most models have nowadays.
m-p{3} ( @mp3@lemmy.ca ) 3•8 months agoAlso you don’t need to buy multiple electric brushes, the replacement heads often if not always comes with colored rings you can put on. You can just have a different head for each person that you swap when needed.
I buy a new pack and replace all the heads every season.
lol3droflxp ( @lol3droflxp@kbin.social ) 6•8 months agoElectric brushes (with regularly changed tips) can be amazing. There are also some inexpensive ultrasonic ones and I’m absolutely happy with mine. It’s a whole other level than handbrushes.
Hazzia ( @Hazzia@discuss.tchncs.de ) 5•8 months agoFor a non-boring answer:
Introduce alcohol producing microbes into your mouth to replace the plaque-producing variety
(not recommended)
That was interesting ha
I think between a candidiasis and plaque I’ll keep the plaque, at least I have it somewhat under control
Dagwood222 ( @Dagwood222@lemm.ee ) 5•8 months agoHave you asked your dentist?
I’ve been to a few over the years. I get two types of answers: “because you don’t floss” (I floss), and “this is normal, you just come for an annual cleanup”.
I wonder if it’s really just normal and everyone here in the comments has plaque that gets cleaned up professionally every year, or maybe there are people who have near zero plaque from whom I can learn a thing or two.
Dagwood222 ( @Dagwood222@lemm.ee ) 4•8 months agoI’d trust my dentist over any rando on the interwebs. And yes, a yearly cleaning seems like a good idea.
I’m asking if people had any success with a similar problem on a personal level. It’s a great way to find out what is the norm and what is achievable
Dagwood222 ( @Dagwood222@lemm.ee ) 2•8 months agoThe thing is, everyone is different, and what works for you might kill me.
shawp ( @shawp@programming.dev ) 5•8 months agoWaterpicks for me have been amazing! I got one for like 30 USD and I use it once or twice a week. It makes my teeth feel so much cleaner and I feel like they stay cleaner too. It also gets stuff stuck between your teeth instantly without having to do weird flossing gymnastics. I’ve always sucked at flossing but with the waterpick I actually use it regularly.
Might be time to give these a try!
Kwakigra ( @Kwakigra@beehaw.org ) 4•8 months agoSince I’ve been sanitizing my brush head in hydrogen peroxide after each use to avoid re-introducing bacteria into my mouth it’s made a significant difference in the quality of my brushing and minimizing plaque formation. Also, the main area to aim for specifically for plaque is where the gum meets the tooth rather than just all over the tooth hitting the gum incidentally.
JakenVeina ( @JakenVeina@lemm.ee ) 3•8 months agoI’m sorry, mouthwash peels your skin off?!
The skin inside my mouth yes.
https://www.ijcasereportsandimages.com/archive/article-full-text/101184Z01CE2020
That’s the best reference I can find on a quick Google search, it even has images in case you wonder. I’m fine with toothpastes because I rinse thoroughly after brushing, but mouthwash needs no rinsing to be effective and after a week or so of regular use the inside of my mouth gets very irritated and sore.
catfish ( @catfish@lemmy.ml ) 3•8 months agoUse a toothpaste or mouthwash containing https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorhexidine
intensely_human ( @intensely_human@lemm.ee ) 3•8 months agoYou need to figure out why mouthwash peels your skin off.
That is not normal and is almost certainly related somehow to the plaque buildup.
Sodium Lauryl Sulphate, I posted a link to someone here about it. Some people are just too sensitive to it
Remy Rose ( @MxRemy@lemmy.one ) English2•8 months agoI spent several years intermittent fasting, only eating between 6pm and 10pm. I didn’t do it for my teeth but it did help keep them much cleaner, probably obvious in retrospect. It’s not a healthy diet in a lot of other ways though.
Call me Lenny/Leni ( @shinigamiookamiryuu@lemm.ee ) English2•8 months agoGet a good toothpaste, brush twice a day, change my toothbrush once a month (whether it’s electronic never changed my success rate), and go to the dentist twice a year. My dentist says I have model teeth.
You don’t floss and you don’t get plaque?
Call me Lenny/Leni ( @shinigamiookamiryuu@lemm.ee ) English3•8 months agoForgot to mention that. Yes I floss every now and then.
Cheers!
jalatani ( @jalatani@lemm.ee ) 2•8 months agoFor me I use Phillips soniccare tooth brush which is infinitely better than a manual one. Have you tried your luck with iodine mouthwash? It’s more expensive and tastes gross but it’s really good for gingivitis and doesn’t burn. Also if you aren’t already, flossing everyday and maybe after each meal if needed is important. Floss has to be reaching below the gums to pull out the trapped food and not just in between the teeth.
kgbbot ( @kgbbot@lemmy.ca ) 2•8 months agoI just learned this the other day and that along with the purple Listerine…my gums are not bleeding after flossing for the first time in years…and I’ve got good teeth…just too much tartar build up because I was flossing wrong. I’m going to try the hydrogen peroxide thing too.