🦷 ‘Do I really need to floss?’ and other questions

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View this email online Happy Friday! Whether you’re someone who goes to the dentist twice a year… or my partner who hasn’t been in a literal decade, this newsletter is for you.  In 2020, over a third of US adults didn’t get a dental exam or cleaning. Listen, I get it. There’s a lot of anxiety involved. You don’t always know what’s going to happen, if it might hurt, and how much it’s going to cost. And you definitely don’t want to be judged for the state of your teeth.  Aja Drain recently covered dental health for Life Kit, and I was surprised (read: embarrassed) by how much I didn’t know. I’ve always assumed cavities were a fact of life, but Dr. Mark Burhenne, a dentist for 35 years, says they’re mostly preventable. Or did you know that the mechanical motion of brushing is more important than the toothpaste? Apparently if your brushing technique is good, just brushing with water can be enough. (Big toothpaste is fuming.) Happy Friday everyone,  Whether you’re someone who goes to the dentist twice a year… or my partner who hasn’t been in a literal decade, this newsletter is for you.  In 2020, over a third of US adults didn’t get a dental exam or cleaning. Listen, I get it. There’s a lot of anxiety involved. You don’t always know what’s going to happen, if it might hurt, and how much it’s going to cost. And you definitely don’t want to be judged for the state of your teeth.  Aja Drain recently covered dental health for Life Kit, and I was surprised (read: embarrassed) by how much I didn’t know. I’ve always assumed cavities were a fact of life, but Dr. Mark Burhenne, a dentist for 35 years, says they’re mostly preventable. Or did you know that the mechanical motion of brushing is more important than the toothpaste? Apparently if your brushing technique is good, just brushing with water can be enough. (Big toothpaste is fuming.) Newsletter continues after sponsor message Here are a few more tidbits from the experts. 1. How often should I brush my teeth (really)? You should brush your teeth twice a day for two minutes. Technique matters! Brush each tooth and slightly sweep the gum line with your brush at a 45-degree angle.  2. Is there an ideal time of day to brush?  Brush your teeth first thing in the morning, before eating breakfast. “If you're brushing after a meal, that produces an acid attack in the mouth,” Dr. Burhenne says. The acid from the meal softens the enamel, so if you brush too soon you could damage that typically hard, shiny protective layer in its weakened state. Brushing first thing in the morning breaks up the biofilm and gets it ready to remineralize your teeth. (If you want to learn more about tooth biofilm, check out the episode!) If you do happen to eat first, make sure you wait at least 30 minutes before brushing. 3. Do I really need to floss? You may not want to hear it, but the answer is yes; according to the ADA — you should be flossing at least once a day. Dr. Burhenne recommends flossing before brushing to open up areas you may not be able to clean with just the toothbrush. If you see blood as you’re flossing or brushing, Burhenne says that’s usually not from brushing too hard. He says that’s an early stage of gum disease – gingivitis. 4. How do I whiten my teeth? White teeth might look good, but they aren’t necessarily a marker of dental health. Although you should be aiming to reduce plaque on your teeth, teeth aren’t naturally white as snow.  If you still want to whiten, be wary. Burhenne says the charcoal and whitening toothpaste you might find at the drugstore are abrasive, and can make your teeth sensitive and potentially wear your teeth and gum line down. The ADA discourages using home remedies like brushing teeth with lemon juice or rubbing vinegar on your teeth.  At-home whitening strips and other products can be ok, but be careful, says Burhenne. He recommends whitening products with carbamide peroxide concentrations of 10% or less. “The best way to whiten is slowly with a low strength gel, not a high strength gel, and with a tray that … covers just the teeth and not the gums,” Burhenne says. Whitening tray and gel procedures can be done at home, but also by a professional.  5. Do I really have to go to the dentist? While proactive care at home can help keep your teeth healthy, yes -- you still should  see a dentist, says Alicia Murria, a dental hygienist based in Washington, D.C., and founder of Hygienists for Humanity. Dentists and hygienists provide X-rays examining the enamel, dentin layer (the main supporting layer of the tooth, made of tiny tubes under the enamel), and pulp chambers (the soft centers of your teeth). Murria says professionals clean more effectively in areas you may struggle to reach and can help you with more complicated dental problems, like impacted wisdom teeth, receding gums, or cavities. If financial barriers are an issue, both Burhenne and Murria recommend looking for dental schools, federally qualified health centers, and mobile dental clinics in your area for low-cost/no insurance options. More information on affordable options can be found on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website. Aja’s reporting taught me a lot, and I don’t know about you but I feel the urge to go brush... right now. I am hopeful that all of this will convince my partner to make an appointment. Fingers crossed. Dr. Burhenne shared this piece of parting wisdom: “It's never as bad as you think it is, but the sooner you come in, the better it will be.” Cheers y’all, Julia Access Sponsor-Free Episodes Want to support our show? Try a subscription to Life Kit+ and get all the tips and tricks you love sponsor-free! Learn more at plus.npr.org/lifekit.  Learn More ✉ In case you missed it: Dear Life Kit,   My husband is living under a self-imposed COVID lockdown. I'm ready to move on. How much precaution is too much? 📨 Read the answer given by infectious disease epidemiologist Jessica Malaty Rivera. Photograph by Pam Menegakis/Unsplash; Photo illustration by Becky Harlan/NPR ✏ There's more than one way to do something 👖 Do smaller loads of laundry 🧠 It's OK to say 'I don't know’ These pearls of wisdom are from: 10 pieces of well-worn life advice you may need to hear right now. It's your turn! What's your favorite piece of advice? Call 202.216.9823 and leave us a voicemail with your best advice, your name, phone number, and where you're from.    You could hear yourself in an upcoming episode! Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. What do you think of today's email? 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