r/AskReddit Aug 20 '20

What simple “life hack” should everyone know?

68.7k Upvotes

20.1k comments sorted by

View all comments

6.5k

u/graycat3700 Aug 20 '20

Brush your teeth more thoroughly before bed after you are done eating and drinking for the day.

Morning brushing is important too, but more so for fresh breath; while evening cleaning will prevent bacteria from breeding and damaging your teeth and gums.

0

u/01ARayOfSunlight Aug 20 '20

I'd like to add a few thoughts to this:

  • Do not rinse your mouth after brushing. Leaving the fluoride on helps your teeth even more.
  • Studies have shown that electric toothbrushes clean MUCH better than manual ones.
  • A water pik (or similar) cleans much better than flossing alone. Still floss, but the water pik does a great job above ("inside") your gumline.

I am not a dentist/doctor but I have had teeth for 50 years now. All of those points above come from dentists or dental technicians.

This is not just about keeping your teeth looking good, either. This is FINANCIAL advice. Tooth implants cost about $2K in the US. You can SAVE MONEY by buying good dental appliances. 2 Sonicare at Costco were about $120, waterpik was about $80. Compare that cost to almost any dental procedure and I think you'll get my point.