Straws As Dental Hygiene Implements

[puff_not_snuff]

Am I just out of my mind or are straws one of the most effective unconventional dental hygiene implements? I mean... I brush two times a day minimum and with pretty good skill and floss (maybe not as much as I should) but my teeth never feel as clean as after being stuck in traffic with a straw.

File under: gross "life hacks".

 

[brian64]

Am I just out of my mind or are straws one of the most effective unconventional dental hygiene implements?

These aren't necessarily mutually exclusive.

 

[anotherbob]

I don't know but everytime I see a dentist they tell me I have great teeth, I don't follow their advice. I brush once a day and floss when I feel it's time. Maybe I am on to something or maybe I just have special teeth.

 

[warren]

Thank your genes!

 

[jaytex1969]

I try to keep a coil of floss stashed in the wallet for that urgently annoying morsel that occasionally shows up.

Sometimes I lose it or fail to replace it. It bothers the devil out of me to have something stuck in one of the front areas and exerting unusual pressure, so I have used all manner of inappropriate items as "floss".

The thing I discovered that is almost always around and fairly successful is a plain old plastic bag. Something similar to the type of plastic that a loaf of bread comes in. (cheap bread, not the artisan stuff in the crinkly wrapper) Just grab the edge an inch or two apart and it seems to do the trick.

Disposable shopping bag type of plastic is not as good. The bread type plastic is just a bit thicker and has a bit of "stretch" that helps out.

I also had an annoying situation one time that compelled me to carve a toothpick out of a credit card. That worked pretty good, too.

 

[puff_not_snuff]

Speaking of floss I was at a Starbucks a few weeks ago sitting there trying to read a book, Celine's Journey to the End of the Night to be exact, and their was this youngish girl there working on her computer. The computer itself was on one of those stands that raises it 1' off the table if that tells you anything about her. Anyways, she was flossin' away right there in the middle of the Starbucks, although she was sort of cupping her hands in front of her mouth while doing so, but still... Well, anyways I am good at throwing these looks at disgust at people on command which I put my energy into for 10mins or so. I believe she picked-up on my revulsion but it didn't at all deter her from finishing up her going back all the way to the molars.

 

[TheWhale13]

I think that tooth health is mostly genetic. Stone age people didn't floss yet had decent teeth. Maybe it's the diet of today that ruins teeth?

 

[puff_not_snuff]

I think that tooth health is mostly genetic. Stone age people didn't floss yet had decent teeth. Maybe it's the diet of today that ruins teeth?

Are you implying that they didn't eat Capt'n Crunch in the stone age?

 

[mawnansmiff]

In the past I've been known to split a matchstick with my thumbnail to serve the purpose of emergency dental probe.

I can't use regular dental floss for some reason but I do have those plastic hacksaw shaped things with floss attached, they work a treat.



Regards,

Jay.

 

[CoffeeAndBourbon]

Are you implying that they didn't eat Capt'n Crunch in the stone age?

No man, they had Fruity Pebbles

 

[puff_not_snuff]

In the past I've been known to split a matchstick with my thumbnail to serve the purpose of emergency dental probe.

I can't use regular dental floss for some reason but I do have those plastic hacksaw shaped things with floss attached, they work a treat.

View attachment 160864

Regards,

Jay.

I don't like those personally and I really hate seeing them strewn about by people too lazy to make it to a trash can. Not suggesting you are one of those types.

 

[Egg Shen]

Speaking of floss I was at a Starbucks a few weeks ago sitting there trying to read a book, Celine's Journey to the End of the Night to be exact, and their was this youngish girl there working on her computer. The computer itself was on one of those stands that raises it 1' off the table if that tells you anything about her. Anyways, she was flossin' away right there in the middle of the Starbucks, although she was sort of cupping her hands in front of her mouth while doing so, but still... Well, anyways I am good at throwing these looks at disgust at people on command which I put my energy into for 10mins or so. I believe she picked-up on my revulsion but it didn't at all deter her from finishing up her going back all the way to the molars.

Damn I’m not easily offended but this is verging on uncouth. Where did she set the floss after polishing up the last molar?

This might need its own thread with voting buttons on everyone’s perceived level of offense.

 

[Pipeoff]

Thin pipe cleaners work best for me !

 

[puff_not_snuff]

Damn I’m not easily offended but this is verging on uncouth. Where did she set the floss after polishing up the last molar?

This might need its own thread with voting buttons on everyone’s perceived level of offense.

Yea I mean, every Starbucks has a bathroom... who the hell wants people watching them flossing? Maybe it's some kind of kink I am unaware of...

 

[PoplarWight]

I picked up a set of dental hygienist tools at walgreens a while back, it contains the metal instruments (the things the hygienist tortures you with), but there is also a rubber "pick" in there. It's the best thing I've found for getting under the gums. I didn't get chewed out about flossing the last time I went, which has never happened, so I guess it works.

 

[beefeater33]

I haven't had a straw in my mouth since 1990.................

 

[Richmond B. Funkenhouser]

I hate using a straw to drink.. I do my best to avoid it.

Hell yea straws make good tooth picks..

Also business cards, I used to buy a box of business cards then look at them and confront the fact that half would be to hand out and the other half would be toothpicks.

Those foil cigar packs are A1 toothpicks.. probably the actual best dental hygiene tool around, though.

 

[kcghost]

I have no problem with a regular old toothpick. What kind of straw did you mean: the kind you drink thru or the kind you pick out of a field?