" In light of the results of this comprehensive literature search and critical analysis, it is concluded that a routine instruction to use floss is not supported by scientific evidence."
Conclusions: Interproximal gingival inflammation may be significantly reduced by toothbrushing alone, the effect being significantly enhanced when toothbrushing is combined with dental floss.
On the 'dentists don't really know what they're doing' front, my kid's orthodontist ($$$$) describes himself as a "fencing contractor". Conversely, I got the water flosser tip from an Indonesian dentist who I hired opportunistically on holiday for a clean; he turned up in flip-flops but decanted to bare feet during operating and gave the most sage advice I've ever had in 40+ years of dentists: BUY A WATER FLOSSER. Terimakasih, Doktor!
Me too, had to wait until the 1960's.
The marketing push was really effective, even on black & white TV.
The originals were so powerful that it would rarely leave anything more than floss would leave behind.
I can only imagine the water jet on new units over the decades got so much weaker maybe because somebody did some accidental eye damage or something.
What I like to do once a week is to use it with hot water, not too hot but about like hot coffee or tea which I do not drink.
I believe there are many types of germs that are highly adapted to thrive at your normal body temperature, and do not survive at temperatures too many degrees away from that.
This seems really good for the gums too not just between the teeth, and the modern offerings basically massage the gums when you pound them with the water jet, the old units would have been too painful for that.
Also on a deep minor toothache just getting started, which feels like it is way down between the root & bone, I have sprayed the tooth directly long enough to heat up the whole tooth which seems to work
If I don't floss my breath smells terrible because of bacteria and bacteria causes tooth decay. I'm pretty certain I'm not special.
Some people get lucky, and even with low brushing, won't get cavities.
I refuse to use antibiotic soaps either. I reserve the tools of sterility for the space in front of my laminar flow hood and the like when preparing live cultures for cheeses and brews. I lived where fluoridated water was a practice during my early years when my teeth had formed - as that's actually when the flouride has the most impact...once the teeth are built, there's little effect from consuming flouride on the enamel.
Later in late grade-school I lived in a place where fluoridated water had not happened, and so the school was doing a routine annual flouride mouth rinse-and-spit routine in the class. Was a 'conscientious objector' causing some chagrin for the teachers, they would pass out the little cup of chemical brew and start the timer, while i just stared at the paper cup and got threatened with having to write "I will ...." sentences as punishment. Even that didn't really have any impact on my actions. Adding another hashmark by my name on the blackboard as a tally of pages of meaningless repetitive sentences which I would never actually do or turn in. That had zero leverage against my test scores or passing any subject. So what if I couldn't go out to recess to sweat on a bare dirt playground with zero swings or other appeal. Fine by me.
But, by 3rd grade I already had my own two-stage steromicroscope and was acutely aware of the need for balanced microbiomes in all of life, learning about soil and aquatic microbiomes from my grandfather. So, very much not the normal kid.
All that aside, my gums could use more care, so I'm trying to be more diligent and brush daily with salt, baking soda and the tiniest bit of fennel and mint oil. Its showing some improvement.
Pretty much our overall health depends on various internal and external factors, that includes immunity and external environment, including food we are using, so you have to use your own brains and scientifical methods to figure out what works INDIVIDUALLY for you and “recommended treatment” at this point is nothing else than a belief in religion, because you actually do not understand what it is at this point, as you have not done your research.
>>>but science was invented
Please do not be this condescending "new age moron" teaching others what is science and making cringe to others like me, that hears it. It seems, that YC is plagued with this type of attitude, while actual science starts with curiosity and methods applied and not some belief in religion of Science. It also is a scourge of modern times, that so many professionals, that are doing science result in faking it with hopes of making it eventually, which itself is a complete failure of science as it is very simply a methodology - based on observations and collected knowledge and not a Bible of instructions, that give their holders religious title of Scientist.
If all recommended treatments have been tried with no success, the real solution will have to be something that is not recommended.
With all other things held constant, in such a case the non-recommended approach would have best been the first and only treatment deployed.
It's not the gums that are receding. It's the fucking bone on which the regenerative soft tissue grows on.
It is not sugar that causes dental caries, but bacteria. Flossing that old food out from between teeth is guaranteed to cut down bacteria growth!
Furthermore, my new and wonderful dentist and his hygienists wholeheartedly recommend and encourage the practice.
So perhaps you can excuse me for ignoring a singular “research study”.
> The evidence was limited in applicability and was incomplete. The included studies only presented data on gingivitis, plaque, and adverse events; most did not measure or report other important outcomes such as periodontitis or interproximal caries. … Additional use of floss or interdental brushes compared to toothbrushing alone may reduce gingivitis or plaque, or both, and interdental brushes may be more effective than floss. The evidence is low to very low‐certainty, and the effect sizes observed may not be clinically important.
Not only does flossing remove quite a bit of, er... stuff... that toothbrushing does not seem to get, I have not had a single new cavity in 25 years. The only issues I've had were old fillings falling out, including one that cracked my tooth which required a crown. Not a lot of work considering the time span.
Obviously one person is not "data" but seeing as I am that one person, I'm going to keep flossing.
It's kind of like how science-based lifting is spreading among the bodybuilding community. Is it useful? Absolutely. The issue with it as general advice is that most people don't know how to properly utilize it by missing basic concepts like applying appropriate intensity with solid form.
I don't have to floss in a perfect scenario, but maybe my technique is wrong. Even if I floss after brushing, I'll still find food lodged in between tight spaces. In this case I just floss because then I can at least remove that doubt.