How often do you brush your teeth? Sure, we’ve all been told the ‘twice-a-day’ , but how many of us strictly follow it?

Are there any cultures out there with alternative practices that still maintain good oral health?

I’m intrigued to hear your brushing habits, thoughts on this, and any interesting findings you’ve stumbled upon.

  • pedantichedgehog@sh.itjust.works
    1·
    1 year ago

    I floss and brush religiously every night, have for many years. I had a cavity when I was young and the whole experience was terrible.

    I still ended up with multiple cavities as an adult.

  • valdemar@lemmy.world
    1·
    1 year ago

    I only ever brush before going to bed, never in the mornings.

    I probably started doing this around 6-8 years ago, and have had no problems at my annual check-ups.

    • Thorry84@feddit.nl
      1·
      1 year ago

      Dude your breath probably smells and people are too polite to tell you.

      On your tongue there are a lot of anaerobic microbes (on everybody’s tongue, it isn’t a hygiene thing, they just live there). When you have your mouth closed for a long time, it creates a oxygen poor environment and these microbes thrive in that. They cause bad breath, so after people sleep or simply have their mouth closed for a while, the breath starts to stink. If you look in a mirror and your tongue has a kinda white or brownish tinge, this is because of the microbes. Everybody should brush their teeth and especially their tongue after sleeping. When looking in a mirror the tongue should be entirely pink and look healthy. Clean the tongue as far back as you can, to prevent bad breath.

      If you smoke this isn’t true, your breath will stink no matter what.

      So for your teeth it probably won’t matter much not brushing in the mornings, but for your breath it matters a lot.

    • boogetyboo@aussie.zone
      01·
      1 year ago

      Genuinely feel for people who have to spend time in enclosed spaces with you.

      Congratulations for winning the genetic lottery with the robustness of your teeth, but brushing is also about hygiene. Body odour isn’t physically bad for you, but it is for everyone who has to be near you. Same with your breath.

    • jballs@sh.itjust.works
      14·
      1 year ago

      Same, but I’ve combined my teeth brushing with showering. It gives you a nice excuse to zone out in the shower for just a bit longer.

      • keenanpepper@sopuli.xyz
        1·
        1 year ago

        Pro tip: if you call zoning out “meditating” (because that’s what it is) it makes you feel more put-together and successful. Congrats on your practice of hydrotherapy meditation.

  • KlavKalashj@lemmy.world
    0·
    1 year ago

    Only once per day, in the evening before bed. I have done it all my life(except when I was a kid) and it seems to work for me. Never had any issue with my teeth, at all. I know I should probably do it in the morning aswell, but I cant bother since what I do now works…

    • tomi000@lemmy.world
      0·
      1 year ago

      My gf used to not brush her teeth in the morning and it stank pretty bad, still I was the first to tell her. Chances are, people arent telling you either.

      • KlavKalashj@lemmy.world
        2·
        1 year ago

        My wife is pretty sensitive to smells, so I’m sure she would tell me if that were the case. Also, I practise intermittent fasting, so I don’t eat anything before lunch, maybe that helps…

    • chaorace@lemmy.sdf.orgEnglish
      0·
      1 year ago

      The brushing just before bed is the most important one, so you picked a good bare minimum to uphold. No shade, just curious: how old are your teeth?

      • UnRelatedBurner@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        0·
        1 year ago

        I’m not the guy, but I’d like to challange my English by talking about this topic. I brush my teeth on a “when I remember to” or “when it’s really dirty”. so like twice weekly probably. If I need to apear tidy I ofc brush before it. the only problem with my teeth is that they are not straight, very all over the place actually (hope fully I can get braces soon). Regarding cleannes, (to my knowladge) all my teeth are fine, except of a bit of tartar (hopefully correct word, the hard stuff that acumilates and sticks to your teeth) on two of my teeth. The scary part is thst the dentists I’ve been to did not say anything about it, which leaves me to think they didn’t even see it, that leaves me again to, what else didn’t they notice? The thing that I notice and hints that I should brush is the frequent canker sores (again, let’s hope the right word, little annoying ass white spots that, apears, hurts than dips)

        TL;DR: fine, nothing unfixable, minor annoyance

        • Coreidan@lemmy.worldEnglish
          0·
          1 year ago

          Main reason you need to brush daily is because plaque turns to tarter after about 24-36 hours. Plaque is soft and can be brushed off. Tarter on the other hand is hard as your enamel. Brushing will not remove tarter. Overtime the tarter will build up and get under your gums and cause your teeth to separate from your jaw. It’s why going to the dentist twice a year for a cleaning is so necessary as they will scrape off the tarter that builds up.

          Gum health is another factor that brushing alone will not take care off. Flossing will prevent bacteria growth and infections. That’s another source of how people lose their teeth as they get older.

          Bottom line is without daily oral care you will lose your teeth as you age.

  • 7egend@lemmy.ml
    0·
    1 year ago

    3 times a day.

    I brush after each meal, floss after lunch, and use a waterpik after dinner before brushing.

    Probably excessive, but it’s less than 15 minutes a day total to keep my teeth happy.