Brushing teeth 5 times a day

[HairyKnobsAndBroomsticks]

I was just checking the prices on my dentist's website. I came across a questions and answers section where it says that the staff all brush their teeth 5 times per day. If I cleaned my teeth every time I ate something, I would never be out of the bathroom.

Maybe my dentist is brushing five times a day as he is a smoker. I was having a filling done the other day and he left me for five minutes for the anaesthetic to work and came back smelling of smoke.

We're the same age and do the same things (and flossing) but I've got multiple fillings thanks to weak teeth. Annoys me as I take good care of my teeth!

I had a friend who did actually brush her teeth about five times a day. Her dentist told her she was wearing away her enamel.

Mine are awful, have been since childhood when the dentist said I had soft weak baby teeth. I had about 7 fillings, got pregnant and have another 4 since plus 2 extractions! I am 38. I might as well have been issued with false teeth at 21.

🤣🤣I have a weird addiction to brushing my teeth (don't judge me!!) and from about age 15 have brushed them in excess of 10 times a day!! Suffice to say, I've never had any dental work, fillings etc.. and am now late 40s! Have lovely teeth!!! (But I never floss etc.. so hygienist still has work to do!!) No-one in RL knows this secret!!! (DH kind.of.does know, but never says anything!!)

I just love the minty taste in my mouth (better than chocolate, almost!) and there are certain times I feel compelled to brush them - when I first wake up, before breakfast (food doesn't taste right to me without a clean mouth!!), after breakfast, before work, after work, before taking kids to after school activities, after returning from after-school activities, before dinner, after dinner, before evening cup of tea, before bed. On a weekend I also brush before and after lunch and at random points in the day!!

I know its weird! But it's never caused me any problems (except I did freak out once when I forgot my toothbrush on holiday and had to buy one before I could relax!!)

(Can't believe I'm admitting this!! Must name change now!!)

@DashboardConfessional I have lots of fillings too. I'm currently having all my silver fillings replaced with white ones. I do look after my teeth fairly well but I always seem to need something done at the dentist.

Yearly checks are advised for other reasons too , mouth cancer detection being one

I brush my teeth about 4 times a day. From when I had braces and had to brush after eating. Now it feels horrible to go all day without brushing my teeth.

I don't know what it is about dentists but whatever you do it's never good enough.

You could be flossing until your gums bleed and gargling mouthwash every 20 minutes and they'd still give you the reproachful lecture about hygiene.

@HairyKnobsAndBroomsticks Like you I really look after my teeth, and am the absolute teeth police in my house, and I'm the one with fillings and a recent horrendous tooth ache which resulted in emergency treatment, root canal and crown. And a £1000 dentist bill 😫

Yes private dentistry isn't cheap, my NHS dentist left the practice after lockdown so I now have no choice.