[Windswept]

Time for a new poll.

(Your name will not show up.)

[Wraven]

OK where is the poll?

[EDIT]
Ahhhh there it is...
[/EDIT]

[Wraven]

Also, I thought this was going to be a Nine Inch Nails thread.

[Windswept]

Originally Posted by Wraven Also, I thought this was going to be a Nine Inch Nails thread.

heh.

[Paul]

WTF?!?
what happened to my post

[Brad]

Feh. You should have enabled the ability to see who voted.

I brush twice a day, floss regularly (although, I admit I skip flossing sometimes), and swish with minty Listerine daily. I've never had a cavity.

The wee lady just had a dentist appointment (no cavities for her either) and came back with some horror stories from the hygienist. She was complimented for taking such good care of her teeth, but the hygienist told her about how unbelievably common it is for teenagers to brush once every other day, some just once a week. Ugh!!

I can't stand the feeling of a grimy mouth, especially in the morning. Sometimes I'll even get up to brush my teeth when I wake up and then crawl back into bed.

Someone needs to tell those kids that they aren't going to win over any girlfriends/boyfriends with rotten bacteria breath. *shudder*

[Windswept]

Originally Posted by Paul WTF?!? what happened to my post

Sorry, Paul. I screwed up the first poll, and couldn't access the options I needed in order to fix it without completely deleting the poll and thread.

(Excuse: brain still in a fog. Haven't had *nearly* enough coffee yet today. )

[thegelding]

brush once a day (sometimes twice....)

i floss once a week (should do it daily...but lazy)

electric toothbrush at the house

manual toothbrush at the apt (yes i live in two homes...house is walking distance to daughters school and nice quiet neighborhood...apt is near work and funky college neighborhood...i get to walk to work...wife likes it on the weekends to get away from dogs and kids and allows her closeness to campus while she works on her masters...kinda win-win, though spending bucks...might just look for a second house here, but campus prices have gone up and up lately...tiny, run down house within a mile of campus costs more than my nice house that is twice the square footage and in a much nicer/safer neighborhood--that is five miles from campus...sigh...though i do like the energy and funkiness of the campus community)

had a root canal when a filling fell out and i ignored it (college days)...a couple of months after the filling fell out i developed jaw pain...thought it was sinuses as i kept doing a "self-dentistry" test of eating candy and drinking cold sodas to see it that made the tooth hurt...never did so i thought "sinus problems"...but finally went to the dentist and got my first and only root canal....

take better care now and the hygenist always compliments me on my teeth and my care of them...and my nice healthy gums...but she is likely just hitting on me (cuz i is such a stud)


g

kids...take care of your teeth...old and toothless ain't sexy (young and toothless even less)

[Windswept]

Originally Posted by Brad Feh. You should have enabled the ability to see who voted.

I thought the 'truth' would be more likely to emerge in an anonymous poll. Don't you agree, Brad?

I can't bear to go without flossing - after every substantial meal (with beef, chicken, fish, and/or fibrous vegetables).

I hate to be cynical, but I think some dentists don't give their patients enough advice about caring for their teeth. After all, it's in the dentist's financial interest to have people *neglect* rigorous hygiene.

[Luca]

I try to brush and floss once a day, and usually I do, but sometimes I go without. However, I keep a bottle of mouthwash right by the door so if I run out of time to brush in the morning, at least I can get some form of oral hygiene before I leave for work or class.

BTW no cavities here.

[murbot]

I brush twice a day, floss when I remember to, maybe twice a week.

My kids brush their teeth like animals, at least twice a day. I've had a ton of dental work and it's cost me a pretty penny too without a plan. I don't want them going through that. They both have perfect teeth and the dentists always rave about them.

My fucking parents suck ass, the stupid bastards, for not making me brush my teeth as a kid. I'd fucking brag about not brushing my teeth and the fact that I still didn't get cavities. Sounds stupid, but I was a kid. They're dumb. My parents shouldn't have been.

When I think about it I usually spend the next few days hating my parents and wishing bad things on them. The fuckers.

So yeah, brush your teeth.

[alcimedes]

up until a year ago, i'd never had a cavity in over 25 years. i brush twice a day, floss about once a day, use mouthwash a few times a week.

still not sure i actually had a cavity. dentist i went to was shady as hell, and botched the filling. think they just wanted to jack my dental care for money. asswipes.

[Brad]

Too true about that (the truth), Carol.

I wonder... how many folks here grew up and had people come to your elementary schools to show you the importance of proper dental care? I clearly remember in first and second grade a hygienist visiting my classes for a lecture and afterwards we each got a little cup of fluoride rinse stuff and a toothbrush and pack of floss.

[Wrao]

I have had a filling on nearly every tooth(and these are the old school metallic fillings, not the new invisible stuff). As a child I was very negligent with my teeth, but now I brush twice a day and floss fairly regularly, in addition to that I always rinse with mouthwash and I generally have good oral hygiene these days.

[Ebby]

Flossing: I don't remember to do it often. Basically when something is stuck in my teeth (Popcorn, mango, etc.) I will, but then I forget until something reminds me. (Like this thread)

<- Done flossing

[Maciej]

I still don't have a cavity. You should have put something about braces in the poll, I don't have the straightest teeth, but I don't think I need braces, altho the insurance would pay for it, I don't think I'm going to do it... It really isn't a problem, and no one thinks I need them, just that I could get them - which confuses me lol.

[Windswept]

Originally Posted by murbot My fucking parents suck ass, the stupid bastards, for not making me brush my teeth as a kid. I'd fucking brag about not brushing my teeth and the fact that I still didn't get cavities. Sounds stupid, but I was a kid. They're dumb. My parents shouldn't have been.

Yeah, I wish my parents had been more insistent on a daily basis. But I was the type of kid that if you 'bugged' me about doing something, then I *really* wouldn't want to do it. (haha...I'm *still* that way. )

The flossing thing... I have three spots that I just *have* to deal with after most meals. I know food will get caught in those spots, and that bothers me a lot; so ignoring them is more trouble than it's worth. It's good in a way, because 'all' my teeth get clean - due to of those spots. The "silver lining" thing, I guess.

[EmC]

This is one of those things that I am weird about. I have my own tube of toothpaste that no one else in my house is alowed to use (I've seen people touch the tube with their toothbrush, undoubtedly lots of people do this.) I use a paper towel to dry my toothbrush and I store it away from everyone elses, in my room. The thought of my toothbrush sitting in the bathroom while people are going one and two, and flushing and showering, all that stuff is in the small particles of water that are floating around your bathroom. Blech! Think about, maybe we should add another option to the poll.

I brush with a toothbruch covered in other peoples fecal matter."

[Brad]

Originally Posted by EmC The thought of my toothbrush sitting in the bathroom while people are going one and two, and flushing and showering, all that stuff is in the small particles of water that are floating around your bathroom. Blech!

Actually...

There was an episode of Myth Busters where they tackled this very problem. Whether the toothbrushes were stored above the toilet, in the shower, in a medicine cabinet, or in a separate room altogether, they all exhibited the same level of fecal colonies when tested.

MMM-MMM-MMM!

[Windswept]

Originally Posted by Brad Actually... There was an episode of Myth Busters where they tackled this very problem. Whether the toothbrushes were stored above the toilet, in the shower, in a medicine cabinet, or in a separate room altogether, they all exhibited the same level of fecal colonies when tested. MMM-MMM-MMM!

You're kidding, right?

[Brad]

Nope. I'm totally serious.

Granted, worrying about this is about on par with worrying about breathing in any old bacteria or mold spores that are floating through the air. They're always there and there's nothing you can really do about 'em. Besides, we all are exposed to these kinds of things since birth and they don't hurt us one bit.

[Kickaha]

Nope. They weren't exactly *high* levels, but what they showed was that the aerated spray from the toilet doesn't *ADD* anything to the toothbrushes, unless you like dunk them in the bowl.

E.coli.... it's eeeeeeeverywhere....

[murbot]

Toilets are gross. I had to move my magazine rack further away from it because the mags were getting overspray. Apparently I'm a high velocity urinator. Lots 'o backsplash.

I tend to push it out fast, because otherwise I won't beat the toilet.

[Kickaha]

Originally Posted by Brad Nope. I'm totally serious. Granted, worrying about this is about on par with worrying about breathing in any old bacteria or mold spores that are floating through the air. They're always there and there's nothing you can really do about 'em. Besides, we all are exposed to these kinds of things since birth and they don't hurt us one bit.

In fact, a lot of studies have shown a link between lack-of-exposure as kids and allergies, asthma, and general weak immune systems as adults.

I grew up in a rural area, playing out in the mud and dirt, where the animals did roam. We'd come in *covered* in orchard mud, which if you haven't ever experienced it, smells like rotting food... which it is, really. It'd be all over us, in our hair, our clothes... our mouths...

Which explains (to me) why I can eat just about anything and not get sick from it. The only times I've gotten ill from food poisoning are: tuna salad that was a month old in my mom's fridge (I was visiting, didn't know), combined with heat exhaustion on a sailboat; bad sushi followed by trying to outdrink a Hungarian band. (They all thought I was a lightweight, and kept badgering me for the rest of the weekend that I needed to 'practice'. Yeah, you just wait until next time when I bring the tequila and limes, motherfsckers, and we'll see who needs to 'practice'...) I've eaten green and pink sliced chicken, fruit that was damned near alcoholic, all manner of strange things in bizarre places where the health inspector doesn't exist, etc, etc. Only those two problems.

I also tend to dodge most illnesses that come around, but those that hit me lay me out flat for a couple of days.

Right. Teeth. Um... I've got em!

[johnq]

I keep my toothpaste in my room so no one "borrows" it, and I also keep my toothbrush in my room too so no one uses it. That's a hepatitis/HIV threat in my book, I don't care what the science says. I know my gum bleeds a little on occasion, I won't presume my roommates are any different.

Other than that I'm not at all germophobic. (sp?)

[InactionMan]

Brush twice a day, use listerine lots. I'm a heavy smoker and a very heavy coffee drinker so skipping a brushing results in sexy yellow teeth. No cavities/fillings. Though when I was a kid my teeth were absolute rubbish, not entirely my fault. When I was 5 or 6 I flipped over the handle bars on my bike and landed teeth first on the curb. Picture that scene in American History X when Ed Norton gives that guy a smilie face. That was me.

Yeah, so it pretty much destroyed my front teeth and lead to some nasty gum infections. My gums got so infected my dentist had to yank a few teeth out....without any anesthetic.

Any my teeth are kind of crooked but I didn't want braces so whatever, crooked teeth rule. (There not really that crooked, just not freakishly straight)

[Windswept]

Originally Posted by Brad Nope. I'm totally serious. Granted, worrying about this is about on par with worrying about breathing in any old bacteria or mold spores that are floating through the air. They're always there and there's nothing you can really do about 'em. Besides, we all are exposed to these kinds of things since birth and they don't hurt us one bit.

Actually, Brad, about a month ago I bought two of those Ionic Breeze room air purifiers from Sharper Image. Have you seen those commercials?

Well, when you call in from the tv commercial, they tell you right away about their newest model, the Ionic Breeze GP (with germicidal protection). I thought, oh, what the hell; I'll get the newest model. Anyway, these things are designed to run 24/7 and are cleaned periodically by taking out these metal grids and wiping them down.

I'm pretty skeptical about stuff, but these things actually seem to work - over a period of time. They collect dust, allergens, fireplace soot, etc. The first few days I thought they were a wash-out, but eventually I realized my nasal passages were clear and not congested. I'm pretty satisfied, really. Especially because this area of the country has a considerable amount of dust in the air from time to time.

The germicidal protection is supposedly accomplished by a special light. I guess this kind of technology is used in hospitals and stuff. I'm pretty happy with the results so far. They also send for free three small plug-in units (normally $70 each) for bathrooms, and one for the car. Don't know how well they work on the problem you mentioned. I imagine they're better than 'nothing'.

[Mac+]

brush and floss daily (sometimes twice)
use a regular toothbrush
no fillings or cavities

go to the dentist once a year (great healthplan - the checkup does not cost a thing ... they encourage all members to visit annually by providing member reward points - after all, if the members look after their health it is in the Health Funds' best interest)

mouthwash occasionally, but not regularly ... although this thread has got me thinking about it now as another part of the daily routine!

furry tongue/slimy teeth feeling is teh suxors <- wow, I'm too old ... but that's my first use of l33t.

[Kickaha]

And of course there's the pretty well established casual link between gingivitis and heart disease... nothing causal proven, just casual correlation. The theory is that the mild infection harbored in the mouth moves through the bloodstream and inflames the arteries, and the body's reaction is what initiates the buildup of arterial plaque. (Of course, it could be that some third situation sets up a chemical environment that helps both...) It'll be interesting to see what comes of the causal studies.

great poll, need to floss more, my mouth is a dental students land mine