Ed Ranks Activity Orders for Dental Hygeine Care

Ah, the good ol' brush-a-roo!

Dentists recommend that people should brush, floss, and use mouthwash. Not necessarily in that order. Or maybe in that order. So what is the proper order? Perhaps you heard a dentist suggest one order to you. Well guess what! Nobody agrees. Not dentists, and definitely not the internet.

Some think that the order doesn't matter at all, and that the simple fact that you're doing all three is what's important. Others are vehement that a particular order is the only way to go. So let's rank them!

7. Any Order of Brush-Floss-Wash, Followed by Orange Juice

• Never do this.

6. Brush, Mouthwash, Floss

• Advantage: I'm not sure there is an advantage here. This order seems weird as hell.
• Disadvantage:As with any order that has mouthwash after brushing, the wash will wash away a significant amount of the fluoride from the toothpaste.

5. Mouthwash, Brush, Floss

• Advantage: I'm still not a fan of flossing last, but whatever. Maybe it makes sense to some people.
• Disadvantage: As I'll say several times in this, any order which includes brushing after the wash means that you brush away the lingering antiseptic and other properties of the wash.

4. Brush, Floss, Mouthwash

• Advantage: This clean most of your teeth first, then gets out the hard bits in-between, and washes all that plague and gunk out at the end, leaving a fresh taste in your mouth.
• Disadvantage: Using mouthwash last also washes away a good deal of the fluoride from the toothpaste that was supposed to stay on your teeth after brushing. Also, it leaves antiseptic in your mouth that might kill good bacteria.

3. Floss, Brush, Mouthwash

• Advantage: Flossing is the hardest part that people are most likely to skip. Doing it first is a good way to make sure it gets done at all, before you get too lazy with cleaning your teeth.
• Disadvantage: As with any order that has mouthwash after brushing, the wash will wash away a significant amount of the fluoride from the toothpaste. Mouthwash kills bacteria too, which is nominally good. However, it can kill both good and bad bacteria, and the mouth needs good bacteria. Having the mouthwash linger in and continue to kill bacteria might not be the best idea.

2. Mouthwash, Floss, Brush

• Advantage: An initial wash kills bacteria and freshens your mouth, then you progress to the more difficult flossing, and finish it all with a brushing. The toothpaste at the end will leave fluoride in your mouth over night, which helps your teeth.
• Disadvantage: Brushing after washing gets rid of some of the lingering benefits of the wash. Plus this order would leave toothpaste taste in your mouth all night, which is a little gross, right?

1. Floss, Mouthwash, Brush

• Advantage: Flossing is the hardest part that people are most likely to skip. Doing it first is a good way to make sure it gets done, before you get too lazy with cleaning your teeth.
• Disadvantage: The twin of Floss-Brush-Wash, and not without problems itself. Just as washing after brushing will take away some of the fluoride from the toothpaste, brushing after washing will take away the benefits of washing. It's a coin toss, I suppose.