Also At the Dentists...

[packbat]

I finally got my question answered! It had been vexing me for some time, and finally at my appointment a couple days ago I worked up the courage to ask.

The answer is: Floss first, because the brushing will clear away the dislodged matter. However, it doesn't really matter, because you'll be rinsing out your mouth anyway.

Packbat ... out!

Edit: chanlemur reports that his dentist recommended the opposite, on the grounds that the floss may carry fluoridated residue from the brushing into the gaps between the teeth. Please, ask your dentist that we may clear up this controversy!

Comments

[chanlemur.livejournal.com]

See, that's weird, because my dentist recommended the opposite, with the thought that fluoridated residue from the brushing could be distributed to the interdental spaces by the floss. Go figure.

[packbat.livejournal.com]

...wow. Someone else asked the same question.

Well, as it happens, I personally believed that I should floss last, as the brushing could force foreign matter into the interstices between the teeth. Do you think maybe they're making it up too?

[chanlemur.livejournal.com]

Oh, sure. It's probably a safe assumption that anyone you deal with on a daily basis is, on the average, half-assing it and making it up as they go along just about as much as you are. Not a comforting thought, when you're talking about the guy who's poking around in your mouth with the sharp little hunks of metal, some of which have motors attached.

[packbat.livejournal.com]

Well, no. But it would be better to know, wouldn't it? Sorta like eating the fish spines.