Earlier quoted context omitted.
You're right, I lost the plot. I still think it's mostly genetics, just because her hygiene and frequency of dentist visits are comparable to mine. I wish I was keeping record though, because little things can add up. I obviously placed low priority on morning brushing but on the other hand she never flosses, and here we're discussing the minute details of flossing technique.
I read an article a few years ago about what brushing actually does for your teeth and why it works. The premise was that brushing applies fluoride and removes the bacterial film that eventually turns into plaque - and that about 2 minutes of brushing a day would be sufficient if we were perfect at brushing. Doing it twice a day ensures that you get good coverage. It also went into the best brushing technique etc. Si…
Re: Floss Before Brushing
#81I've recently realized how much technique matters, I was advised to use the modified bass technique (and also an inter-dental brush around the implant). My aggressive brushing used to cause my gums to recede, even with expensive soft toothbrushes, but I think it's improving since adopting the new technique.
Sorry to hear about your painful experience. I do a lot of cycling and my greatest fear is falling and hurting my teeth. Actually, my implant is a result of me not taking out a molar that had a root canal a decade ago and was getting inflamed a lot. Should've extracted it much earlier, because the recurring inflammation ate away the bone. I was lucky they had enough bone to work with, needed to wait half a year for it to heal and grow after extraction (there is still a visible depression in the gumline). I do floss, but one minor annoyance is that it catches on these ridges where my filling are, I even managed to break a piece once, so I'm a bit more hesitant about scraping with the floss.