Flossing

Brushing+flossing

Put the floss right near your toothbrush
Write it down on a post-it and put that near your toothbrush
Do it first thing in the AM when brushing your teeth, that way it's over and done with first thing
The first few times will be cumbersome and your gums might be sore, but after a few days you will get faster and more efficient at flossing, and your gums will adjust.

Additional Mouth Hygiene...

Oil Pulling = Oil pulling is another option to explore adding to your mouth health arsenal used in Ayurvedic medicine. *It acts as an alternative/replacement for mouthwash.
Benefits = In addition to the benefits you gain above with flossing. One of the biggest differences people note is that their teeth whiten dramatically after 30 days of this method.
Directions = You take 1Tbsp of organic extra virgin coconut oil, and swirl it around your mouth like you would your mouthwash for 10-20 minutes, then after this amount of time you spit it out. *Do not swallow, as you will have extracted all the bad bacteria from your mouth into the oil.
Tips = Do this practice in the AM before you brush your teeth or have a drink of water. Then once complete, brush your teeth as normal.

Tongue Scraper =This is another tool that is a game changer for dental health.
Why = While you sleep, a layer of bacteria forms on the surface of your tongue.
Benefit = Scraping off this layer first thing in the morning jumps you 5 steps ahead on effective bacteria removal from your mouth. What might normally take a good 1-2 minutes of brushing is instead accomplished in 3/4 scrapes of the tongue/10 seconds and is a more effective method.
Directions = Before you start any of the above methods in your morning routine, just grab your spoon and scrape that furry layer on your tongue and spit out. Do this 3-4x times.
Product = There are lots of fancy products on the market but I go old school and use a good ol' spoon.

Toothpaste = Tom's of Maine has a natural line *I use "Tom's of Maine Simply White Cool Mint"
Mouthwash = Tom's of Maine also has a natural fluoride free non-alcoholic line *I use "Tom's of Maine Wicked Fresh Cool Mountain Mint"
Oil Pulling = organic extra virgin coconut oil is a good option
Floss = There are a few non-toxic and environmentally friendly options on the market now. I have not found one I use regularly/am comfortable recommending, but I will update this page if/when I do. For now, I use the standard floss you get most times at the dentist for free.
Toothbrush = Same goes for toothbrush
Tongue Scraper = As stated above, a good ol' spoon

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