teeth

[Kookaburra]

What if I only drink juice the whole day? Do I still need to floss?

[Oscar]

For perfect cleaning, yes.

[RRM]

And you would want to use toothpicks,
to massage your gums in order to keep them in good shape.

[Kookaburra]

For perfect cleaning, yes.

Hmm that's interesting.

That's because I thought that since there's no food debris stuck between the teeth, there's nothing to floss out.

[Kookaburra]

And you would want to use toothpicks,
to massage your gums in order to keep them in good shape.

Eh toothpicks have a pointed end. Won't they hurt the gums instead?

[RRM]

You point the pointed end in that small space between two teeth, with 'the back' towards the gums (the wider side up when doing your upper teeth).
Push it in and pull out a bit repeatedly, as far as it goes naturally, pressing 'the back' against the gums a bit to massage them.

[Kookaburra]

Does flossing widen the gap between the teeth?

[Oscar]

Nope.

[abicahsoul]

Sorry for just throwing myself in, but flossing is always a great idea! It is good for the gums, prevents teethloss in the long run. Also an alternative are small in-between-brushes or picks, looks like toothpicks but have brushing tips or some profile - I favor the ones in soft plastic by GUM with profile.. Look at the pharmacy or in the shops, what kind of gum n tooth health stuff do they offer?
But I have a question:
I know you are not fans of toothpaste, I have one that's kind of alternative, I wonder what you think of the contents: calcium carbonate, vegetable glycerin, deionized water, eco-harvest melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) oil, sodium bicarbonate, chondrus, crispus (carrageenan), sodium bicarbonate, sodium lauryl sulfate, sea salt, and either Zingiber officinale (ginger) root oil, or Azadirachta (Neem) oil ? There are also other versions with fennel or wintergreen. But I only like ginger or fennel. Of course I don't eat it.. )
How is the position on fluoride? (the above mentioned toothpaste is fluoride free btw..)

[Oscar]

The traditional role of toothpastes is purely cosmetic, in aiding to the cleaning with an abrasive component and producing fresh breath. Only special toothpastes might (I don't think there has been any kind of long-term study on this) do more than that. In any case the use of toothpaste is still highly debatable. In any case, cleaning of teeth is primarily a mechanical process.

We shouldn't need fluoride other than naturally occurring in our food, but when there are teeth problems (e.g. due to our teeth being in bad condition and not able to withstand the weak acids in fruit) it might be helpful to temporarily use fluoride (ask your dentist).

[Kookaburra]

Do I have to floss if I only eat oranges?

[RRM]

Yes, but you can also use tooth picks.

[Kookaburra]

Well, fiber isn't the problem when we're talking about caries/enamel erosion, it's acid.

If fiber isn't the problem, then why floss if you only eat oranges?

[abicahsoul]

sorry again for interrupting: but sugar in your mouth will stick between teeth, and bacteria will also build up between teeth.. and increase risk for cavities where the brush don't reach, and also gums are not happy with bacteria buildups inbetween.. acid and sugar that stays.. acid breaks down protective layer of teeth, and sugar promotes bacteria - and they also likes to hang around those parts of the teeth that are not easily accessed by your brush.. Or at least this is how I have understood things, but I think I got this more or less right..

EDIT: it is also a good idea to not do much abrasive brushing straight after acidic / OJ intake.. since the enamel seems to be a bit porous then, better wait 20-30 minutes.. that's what I learned.. it also makes sense I think

[Oscar]

Well abicahsoul pretty much summed it up.