There’s a dentist who says we’ve all been brushing our teeth wrong our whole lives. And I know it seems crazy to take this one guy’s advice over every other dentist in history, but let’s just hear this lunatic out, okay?
Most people brush, floss, then rinse. Or brush, rinse, then floss. Right?
Well, Dr. Matthew Lloyd is a dentist in England, and he says you should do the whole thing in reverse: Floss first to get food particles loose . . . then rinse with mouthwash . . . then brush your teeth.
“It’s better to remove plaque and food debris with floss before rinsing the bacteria away with mouth wash.
“Ideally, you should finish your oral care routine by brushing your teeth. That way, the toothpaste says in contact with your teeth and gums for longer and will provide better protection.”
While we’re on the tooth brushing subject. A lot of people think it’s a good idea to brush after a meal, but you’re doing more harm than good…
According to the Mayo Clinic, if you’ve consumed anything acidic, you should avoid brushing your teeth for at least 30 minutes. Foods containing citric acid, like oranges, grapefruits and lemons, and even tomatoes weaken tooth enamel. Brushing too soon will damage the enamel in its weakened state.
