81–90 of 184 posts
There are also no studies on whether parachutes prevent death when falling from the sky[1], but I'm sure as shit still wearing one when I jump out of a plane! [1] http://www.bmj.com/content/327/7429/1459.long
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Dentists and dental hygienists look into tens of thousands of mouths over the courses of their careers. It's not difficult for them to see that patients who floss have far healthier smiles, in general. That said, they should get more studies done. You could also be a bad flosser, so even the study could be flawed.
Again, there's the comparison of people who sell ice cream and see that when they sell more, there will be more drownings. Correlation does not imply causation. I think it is quite obvious that people who floss also brush their teeth more regularly, and that is enough to give them healthier smiles. (Regarding the benefits of flossing, I'm agnostic.)
They definitely and easily see a difference seen between those who floss and brush and those who just brush.
Also, those who use Sonicare, especially when used properly around the gumlines, also tend to have healthier mouths than those who brush with an old brush.
The one thing that can throw a wrench in this whole thing is smoking. Smokers' mouths are disgusting basically no matter what.
Point being, I love research, but I trust those who put their hands in tens of thousands of mouths more than skeptics on ArsTechnica article comments.
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Dentists and dental hygienists look into tens of thousands of mouths over the courses of their careers. It's not difficult for them to see that patients who floss have far healthier smiles, in general. That said, they should get more studies done. You could also be a bad flosser, so even the study could be flawed.
>healthier smiles You mean healthier teeth?
On the note of tongues, using a tongue scraper is a great way to get rid of nasty bacteria that causes bad breath and spreads to the rest of the teeth/gums. Cheap and effective.
My mother-in-law is a dentist. When she heard I always brush my teeth but rarely floss, she told me flossing is more important than brushing your teeth. For once I didn't get into the science of things, but still I accept that getting old bits of food and other junk away from between my teeth can only be a positive thing. It runs counter to my sceptic nature, I like to question everything, but I'm slowly starting to…
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You might find that if you go to the dentist for teeth cleaning and they clear away all the plaque buildup that you'll be able to get the floss in between your teeth. Like you, I have good teeth (never had a filling) and on average have visited the dentist about once every 10 years. Like you I also used to never be able to get floss in between my teeth, but after a dental checkup some years back the dentist cleared a…
I had the issue that I couldn't floss due to lack of gaps too, I even have a wire behind my bottom teeth keeping them together after having braces when I was younger. This meant I had to visit the dentist if I wanted to clean between my teeth and even after that, normal floss just didn't fit. But now I have discovered floss tape; it's just what it sounds like, a thin strip of tape that you can slide between your teet…
For me the water flossers (oral jet irrigators) are the best solution yet. I was never able to floss correctly with a wire, especially between the teeth in the back row but then my dentist told me about "the jet thing from amazon" and I wish I had it a lot earlier because it's so easy to use and quite efficient. (Just don't jet your gums with the highest power; it can hurt and make your gums bleed)
There are also no studies on whether parachutes prevent death when falling from the sky[1], but I'm sure as shit still wearing one when I jump out of a plane! [1] http://www.bmj.com/content/327/7429/1459.long
Can we agree that the dangers of not flossing and the dangers of leaping from a plane without a parachute have little in common?
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>Anecdote is not evidence. Well that's the problem, we don't have better evidence.
> Well that's the problem, we don't have better evidence. We actually have had it for quite a while. The CAMBRA MOOC is put together by a dentist/statistician and lays out a point system based on correlation between patient behaviors/health and carries. It has been iteratively corrected based on effective and ineffective results when modifying behavior according to the system. Notably in that system, floss is not giv…
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It may well be, but since sugar is an integral part of modern diets that doesn't help us much.
Once you get started, a diet free from refined sugar is not at all as difficult to maintain as you might think.
My mother-in-law is a dentist. When she heard I always brush my teeth but rarely floss, she told me flossing is more important than brushing your teeth. For once I didn't get into the science of things, but still I accept that getting old bits of food and other junk away from between my teeth can only be a positive thing. It runs counter to my sceptic nature, I like to question everything, but I'm slowly starting to…