Tools and Products for tooth and gum hygiene

[LuigiLikesPizza]

It seems I need to step up my oral hygiene... my gums seem to be more prone to gingivitis as I age.

I follow my current dental office protocol....drugstore toothpaste and floss.

Do any of you use an irrigator? does that seem to help?

My dental hygienist mentioned adding Listerine to the reservoir for extra bug killing.

Thoughts? any of you keep gingivitis or perio problems at bay through something I have not yet heard of? Thanks

[abner kravitz]

I am a big believer in a waterpik with a listerine/water mix. Use generic listerine and you won't go broke.

[davep]

Adding an irrigator to my routine made a huge difference in gum health for me. I had two gum surgeries before a hygienist recommended one, I highly recommend it to anyone with gum issues! I do tend to add a little Listerine to the reservoir.

I use this Waterpik:
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00HFQQ0VU/ ... UTF8&psc=1

[260chrisb]

I am a big believer in a waterpik with a listerine/water mix. Use generic listerine and you won't go broke.

This is great advice and I think you'll find that using a Waterpik with or without a form of Listerine will do wonders for the overall health of your mouth. I've used one for 4 years and wish I had used one for the previous 20 years. I've got to the point that I can't just brush anymore. In addition I use a battery powered spin brush.

[Retiredron]

I brush with Listerine or equivalent every night. It has really helped.

[TomatoTomahto]

I am a big believer in a waterpik with a listerine/water mix. Use generic listerine and you won't go broke.

This is great advice and I think you'll find that using a Waterpik with or without a form of Listerine will do wonders for the overall health of your mouth. I've used one for 4 years and wish I had used one for the previous 20 years. I've got to the point that I can't just brush anymore. In addition I use a battery powered spin brush.

Yeah, wish I’d used them a few decades earlier than I did. Some of my teeth are difficult to floss.

[JediMisty]

It seems I need to step up my oral hygiene... my gums seem to be more prone to gingivitis as I age.

I follow my current dental office protocol....drugstore toothpaste and floss.

Do any of you use an irrigator? does that seem to help?

My dental hygienist mentioned adding Listerine to the reservoir for extra bug killing.

Thoughts? any of you keep gingivitis or perio problems at bay through something I have not yet heard of? Thanks

You didn't mention the toothpaste. My dentist recommends paradontax. The active ingredient is 0.454% stannous fluoride, which is also present in crest pro-health and crest gum detoxify. I use whichever I can get on sale. First, I brush with an electric toothbrush. Then use the irrigator. Then, use listerine to brush from a little cup (to avoid contamination of the bottle). I'm supposed to use a tiny brush to insert between each tooth with listerine, but I don't. This is what my dentist recommended after two gum surgeries. Twice a day from now on. It's worked. No more surgeries since I started.

[Bogle7]

Some reading for you
https://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada ... keyes-dies

[livesoft]

Floss is inexpensive. I have found that a Reach Flosser where you do not have to wrap floss thread around your fingers nor put your fingers in your mouth nor even use a mirror to be my flossing method of choice:
https://www.target.com/p/listerine-ultr ... A-15828026

All of my teeth are difficult to floss until I started using this device more than a decade ago. Yes, I still have all of my teeth.

You can floss while driving or backpacking with this bit of kit. No electricity needed. It also works as a tongue scraper.

[marcwd]

I recommend the use of a Waterpik with a 5 to 1 ratio of water to 3% hydrogen peroxide. This is in addition to proper brushing and flossing.

I’ve used a Waterpik in this manner now for 13 years because of a comment here on this very forum from someone who worked in a dental office. The results completely turned around my long-time intractable periodontal condition. My periodontist and hygienist were stunned.

[kimura king]

Every time I walk by the waterpick at Costco I want to buy it but I'm too cheap. I think I will finally break and buy the darn thing next time.

[JPH]

The evidence for all such things is surprisingly limited. Keep in mind that dental plaque is not a disease, and plaque removal does not equal disease prevention. Look for evidence where disease (caries, Periodontitis) is impacted.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30968949/

[LadyGeek]

This thread has run its course and is locked (medical advice). The reasons medical advice is not permitted in this forum:

1. This is an anonymous internet forum. It is not possible to verify anyone's identity (nor do we want to). Credentials also imply accurate advice, which may not always be the case.
2. There can be disagreement among experts, which can be harmful if someone is basing a medical decision on the advice.
3. A member's description may be incomplete.
4. Readers will misinterpret the member's description.
5. Readers will misinterpret the given advice.

Since real harm can be done, we do not permit medical advice and is the reason for the first sentence in: Medical Issues

Questions on medical issues are beyond the scope of the forum. If you are looking for medical information online, I suggest you start with the Medical Library Association's User's Guide to Finding and Evaluating Health Information on the Web which, in addition to providing guidance on evaluating health information, includes a list of their top recommended sites.