I didn’t brush my teeth as a child and teen because I had energy issues and I struggled to actually do them; I still struggle to do it today.

I rarely floss because it seems like a lot of work for seemingly little gains.

I got plaque again after getting teeth cleaned some weeks ago. I guess my teeth is screwed…

  • @triplenadir@lemmygrad.ml
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    42 years ago

    Be kind to yourself for what you do manage, look for any ways you can make things easier for yourself. Can you keep your toothbrush, and a bottle of water and something to spit into, near where you sleep, if you don’t usually get to the bathroom before sleeping? Or if you do make it there, could you get out your toothbrush and toothpaste in advance, when you’ve got more energy, so there’s not so many steps when you’re in there when you’re tired? Do you have mouthwash, as a quick fix if you’re too shattered for brushing and flossing?

    On flossing, I couldn’t motivate to floss my whole life, same as you, waste of time - I wasn’t getting cavities, and when I flossed my gums would bleed and when I didn’t they didn’t, so it felt totally counterintuitive.

    Since I got a filling a couple of years ago I’ve been trying to find something that works, before I need more.

    I’d seen the disposable single use picks with a piece of floss, but I couldn’t feel goodabout that much plastic waste, and it was still too hard to reach back teeth when I tried a couple.

    Then I got a kit like this, it was the equivalent of about $4:

    Between the two different sizes, the whole process is closer to 2 minutes va closer to 10 with floss (I’m sure both would be quicker with practice), I’ve seen blood a lot less, there’s a satisfying amount of gunk that comes out even after brushing well, and I tell myself (hopefully accurately) that any time I manage to use them, even if it’s only once a week, is a favour to myself vs before, when literally the only times those places got regularly cleaned was at the dentist.

    • AmiceseOP
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      2 years ago

      “Can you keep your toothbrush, and a bottle of water and something to spit into, near where you sleep, if you don’t usually get to the bathroom before sleeping?”

      Yes.

      “Or if you do make it there,”

      I usually don’t.

      “could you get out your toothbrush and toothpaste in advance, when you’ve got more energy, so there’s not so many steps when you’re in there when you’re tired?”

      Probably. I haven’t tried that out though.

      “Do you have mouthwash, as a quick fix if you’re too shattered for brushing and flossing?”

      Yes, but I’m uncertain if the mouthwash actually does anything.