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I mean, it's advice from someone on the internet, are there any studies to back it up? Edit: I missed the study linked at the bottom. I floss after brushing, just because brushing removes a lot of particles. If I floss before, there is just so much more flossing I need to do to get everything out. I learned another thing recently, to use a proper brushing technique, I think it's the modified Bass technique. I also ma…
I cannot recommend enough Jordan Expand floss. There are probably other brands that have these but that’s just the one I know.
The amount of shit this floss scrapes out is like an order of magnitude more than regular floss. Going back to plain floss feels like you’re not even flossing, it just glides over without really doing anything.
Brush first thing in the morning (before your first meal/drink, other than water), and last thing at night (well after your last meal).
Plaque acid is at its lowest, so this approach results in the least damage to enamel from brushing. (Amongst other reasons.)
For a similar reason, only have a thorough brush in the morning, and a mild brush in the evening.
I thought the ideal order was brush, floss, mouthwash.
Using mouthwash every time is not ideal because most mouthwashes disrupt your oral microbiome which will result in undesired side-effects like teeth staining etc.
What does an "oral microbiome" even mean? I understand what it means in the literal sense, but would a person's mouth be dysfunctional if it were hypothetically devoid of microbes? Is there an accepted healthy oral microbiome composition?
Did they teach it the other way around somewhere? Here (Germany) I've been told floss before brush for as long as I can remember...
When I get my teeth cleaned at the dentist, flossing is the last thing done. So I assume people internalize that
Is there empirical evidence that this order is more effective?
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29741239/
I was a bit confused about why it would matter, but then realized I brush, then floss, then use a fluoride rinse, which isn't really addressed by the study. If you didn't use a rinse or a fluoride floss, presumably the toothpaste from brushing would be more likely to get into the areas between your teeth after flossing.
If you use a fluoride rinse or fluoride floss I'm not sure it would matter much, or brushing first might even be better, because it would remove material to make flossing more effective. Maybe?
I'm surprised that this isn't self-evident. Flossing dislodges stuff from between your teeth. Brushing beforehand means you don't have an opportunity to remove that stuff.