[masraum]

Originally Posted by Evans, Marv

I brush twice a day. Throughout the day I use those plastic tooth picks with the point on one end and the feathery thing on the other. I use one after eating anything during the day and am at the point where I can hardly stand anything in my teeth. I also use that mouth wash that moistens your mouth instead of those harsh, perfumed ones. Being older, I found my mouth dries out and the mouth wash I use now has helped big time in terms of keeping my mouth moist and breath a lot fresher.

Biotene? I used that for a while, mostly because I don't like the harsh mouthwashes that are mostly alcohol. I've since switched to a mainstream that is alcohol free.

Mouthwashes (or gum or anything really) that have Xylitol as a sweetener actually fight cavities because they kill the bacteria. Xylitol is a sweetener that comes from either the Nordic furniture industry (birch trees) or some of it is coming from corn. It's a "natural" sweetener like maple syrup, but it has far fewer calories than regular sugar, so the bacteria eats it like it's sugar, but then basically starves to death. At least, that's what all of the documentation says.

I tried those plastic toothpicks with the soft rubbery, feathery stuff on them and didn't like them. I've gone to these things.

I like them better. At work, I usually eat an apple or two per day after I've eaten other things. The apple gets small stuff out of my teeth and then I use the floss-pick to get the apple bits out. It may not be as good as brushing, but it's better than nothing.

Everyone knows that you're supposed to use a soft bristle brush, right?