Brushing and bubblegum

I know a lot of people who brush their teeth twice a day but do not floss. Bad move. When asked whether he would want floss or a toothbrush on a desert island, our family dentist chose floss in a heartbeat. It turns out that saliva actually helps prevent cavities by breaking down food on your teeth. However, food will often get stuck between your teeth, and neither saliva nor brushing can get it all out. So really, if you're gonna half-ass it, choose to floss instead of brush.

This brings me to my next point. Even if you don't have toothpaste, you should still brush. While toothpaste does help prevent cavities, the act of physically passing a toothbrush over your teeth actually helps clean plaque off of them.

And finally, that is why sugarless gum is good for you (and the other stuff isn't bad). Chewing gum increasing saliva flow, helping to prevent cavities. Many sugarless gums also have xylitol, which prevents cavities. And my own little theory is that the gum can also help rub off the plaque, although I make no claims about the accuracy of my theory.

Till next time!