Let's get down to some real good instructions here as to what to do. My instructions will have to include a necessary tool, worth more than you'll ever have to pay. I don't know why they call it a floss brush, because there is no brush, but that is what they call it, maybe because it goes in your mouth as easy as a brush. A mirror is not absolutely necessary but I kind of like to use one. It helps to see that you are getting your teeth clean. I mean just seeing what builds up over a couple days and how effectively the floss removes the harmful stuff is pleasing to the eye as well. Before I finally broke down and brought a floss brush I thought just using your hands and a length of floss was all that was necessary but how wrong I was. I still don't know every thing, probably when I finally acquire all the knowledge I need I'll be dead! I had all the warning in the world but it was the floss barrier for me, because I didn't have a floss brush. Very simple, I even saw one that a school mate had when I was in junior high I think but they weren't easily available where I think but they weren't easily available where I shopped as I never ever saw any in the stores I don't think anyway I spent a whole bunch of years without one. I lost a lot of teeth because of improper cleaning and maintenance. Let me just say that floss is next to Godliness to your teeth however, if there is a pit or concave area on the tooth where it can't be seen as in between the molars the floss unfortunately has one flaw it will not clean a concave area or pit. I know this for a fact as I have some teeth exposed by the loss of the tooth next door, well there are some areas that the floss won't reach because of being concave or pitted. I have to use an object with some kind of point to clean the pitted area preferably hard plastic but a stainless dental pick can be used. Let me say right here for the first time that frequent rinses with the mouthfuls of water are also very good especially after consuming some food, snacks, etc. I'm trying to correct myself but in the past I have forgotten about the concave areas as they are hard to see if they are full of deposit material be it hard or relatively soft, when it is removed and cleaned the tooth feels better, less pain or no pain as in one of my teeth right now. A tooth that was almost a goner a couple years ago, I think I'm finally getting a handle on it, that tooth has at least one concave area, pretty big, where the floss doesn't reach, I just yesterday cleaned out the area and noticed an immediate improvement like the next day. Today it feels better today than it has in years, no pain! This tooth is a two-root molar that was rotted and broken away to a point of being about 1/3 missing. I paid a little oriental lady $50.00 to fill the tooth which had been diagnosed by a money grubbing dentist, Iranian, I believe he is, diagnosed the tooth as needing a one root canal $400.00 and with the result of a shaky prognosis also crowning or capping. Well, I saved the tooth by the little old oriental lady but I've had a lot of minor pain because of the pitted or concave area and state of deterioration. It fells right now about 95% healed, even the gums have come back.

Now that I know how important it is to not neglect the concave areas I can look forward to a complete recovery I hope. The little old lady warned me I might have a lot of pain and I could tell the she was thinking that it was kind of a hit and miss situation but I exhibited faith and said before the work was done that "Life is a gamble. We'll take a chance that it will be O.K." I thought just a week or two ago that I was for sure going to lose my right front lower tooth, but I recently did some cleaning of deposits and flossing down the sides and it looks like now I might save the tooth just by proper cleaning. (May 9, 1998) my teeth feel excellent today, I've spent some extra time on cleaning including the known concave areas and the reward was rich indeed. A mouth with clean healthy teeth and clean breath as well, are treasures to behold indeed. I just wish I had known a long time ago what I know now.

To bad that better care and cleaning could reduce the amount of Dental work, you know, "Dentists" would get nervous indeed if suddenly the world just didn't need them as much any more, tsk, tsk. Too bad I guess, but one thing does affect another, there is no way of getting around that. I've just discovered that my two rearward most lower molars all these years have never really been brushed because of being in my gag reflex area. The biting surface is the only surface that got brushed and the flossing was almost none existent. It's amazing how those teeth have survived all these years without proper care and cleaning. I just discovered this because I recently acquired a Reach toothbrush and because of the way it's designed I'm reaching those teeth without much gag reflex going on. I fact I almost blow chunks getting those back teeth. But remember increased cleaning is directly proportional to increased good health. I guess most of my life I figured I should never really get a handle on cleaning my teeth properly. Often I got the floss brush and started some real cleaning my breath was awful for a while because of stirring up all that smelly bacteria and exposing the decaying matter. But flushing with water and cleaning and sometimes dipping the floss in hydrogen peroxide. Under the gums on one tooth I stirred up some canine bacteria. How it took home under my gums I don't know. I know it was canine related because of the canine odor. Hydrogen peroxide on the floss got rid of that colony. Real cleaning with floss is a trip for someone new to the game. It in itself will teach you some things about bacteria. I've been using the stainless steel pick a lot the past couple days. I'm thinking that if the tooth is not too loose or shaky, with the problem being some calcium deposits, then the stainless steel pick is the best thing because floss is almost ineffective on real hard deposits. Did you ever see someone whose teeth were just so damn clean and pearly, healthy, tight looking gums, and you think how lucky that person is because of it. Well when you really sit down with proper light and magnifying mirror and floss brush and really cleaning those teeth you will see how they become pearly, and healthy, right before your eyes. Floss can clean about 75% of the tooth surface, but you need a toothbrush for the other 25% for sure. Cleaning, rinsing Hydrogen peroxide when you need it, picking, brushing, flossing, all are the things you need to know how to do, and do well, and regularly, The reward is enhanced good looks, health, health is wealth.

Clean teeth and fresh breath are almost angelic. I'm sad that I wasn't given proper tools and knowledge at an early age. Because at 55 I just the other day discovered I had been avoiding my back molars with the brush because of gag factor and I thought I was brushing all my teeth. Right now I just flossed and my teeth feel great and look great, the ones I have left, that is.

How in the world any of my teeth have survived such neglect, I don't know but the message is that teeth can take years of improper cleaning and bounce back if gotten to in time but there was an unhealthful condition with a lot of pain of varying degrees that always accompanies improper cleaning. Right now this moment I'm sitting in my boat thinking how I'm neglecting to clean the bottom properly, I think the bottom of the boat will give way eventually to marine growth, so what am I doing: I'd better get a better grip on these little jobs. Taking good care of your teeth is working for yourself with the reward of good health and a lot less pain, and unhappiness, so what is the problem of neglect? Well, maybe circumstances can be a factor but teeth fortunately can take a lot of abuse but they will finally work their way out if they require some attention and are neglected long enough. I'm thinking I could have saved a lot of my losses if I had just responded with the right kind of cleaning procedures. What I did wrong was I responded with heavy steel picking which if the tooth is severely affected already the metal pick is too much especially if you're working blind like in between two teeth what I should have used was floss as in a floss brush, that could possibly have brought them back at least to a picking point. The picking does have to be done if the tooth is to gain good health. Now these concave areas, pits, valleys, that the floss misses have to be attended to well. So the gist can be a little challenging. These instructions should be clear enough, I think. The floss brush was what finally turned the light on for me, because once I started learning by doing I finally felt I had a handle on proper cleaning but for me it took a long time with suffering much pain because each tooth loss is capable of enormous amounts of pain. But pain once suffered is nothing but a faded memory. So pain kills your moment and opens the door for depression. Only a masochist could appreciate pain, so most people avoid pain at all costs, so to speak.

I don't think I mentioned it yet but with healing especially in the mouth comes pain, and I mean real pain, such as in the regeneration of gum tissue. But it will subside, and there will be a growth of some new tissue. Let me say that there is a point of no return for the tooth. If it has digressed to the point of being loose even in the up and down position, I mean like up and down in the socket, I think it's probably beyond the point of no return, but I'm thinking that if the tooth problem, cavity, dirty, deposits, et cetera were eliminated and the tooth could be rendered stationary and properly cleaned and kept clean I feel that the tooth would have a chance of recovery, maybe.

The tooth that the little old oriental lady filled was a little loose and pretty much painful all the time but since its been filled I have been chewing on it raw cucumbers, that sort of texture was about the maximum I could stand but now as I've learned how to take care of this tooth it has a concave area also that has to be cleaned with a pick, I can eat things such as cashews, but they are a little painful, the tooth is still a little loose, but still sensitive I suppose.

If the tooth could be completely immobilized and cleaned properly it would probably tighten up. I think such procedures are available if you can afford the cost and are willing to go through what you will have to endure.

I'll just try and get everything in, every last detail. Remember when that floss goes down between your teeth and comes up flossing then down then up it's like the palm of your hand stroking a friendly dog's head. It's the same thing so don't forget. You'll soon find out if you apply these principles with proper intelligence. I mean your teeth love to be stroked with floss, but be careful and gentle around the gums. You can vary the pressure on the floss according to the situation. Sometimes a little pressure is required to remove build up of deposits. I've told a few people I've met recently that I'm writing a article on cleaning and maintenance of teeth and then asked if they had anything to say. An eighty-five year old lady said she had all her teeth and I asked about floss and she said she never used any just brushed her teeth before bed at night. I said what about in between and she replied, anything would know better than to get in between her teeth, Ha Ha.

Another person said eating raw garlic would save your teeth but I don't think he had very many teeth left, so I guess he found out too late. My article is from me personally being the experimenter until I found the right formula. During the time when I was severely overdoing the picking with steel, I was learning, like new a lot of my healthy teeth have had a lot of steel picking done but they are healthy, new. I think it's a matter of knowing how to use the pick. A tooth that is loose is risky to pick on but a little wobbly is o.k. to pick some if it needs it, but gently please. I give this account to those who would read it with some reserve because of misinterpretation being real indeed. However this account, if used properly, will do the good that is intended. It is meant to be a guide to those who are in need of such guidance. I assume no responsibility for any misuse or misinterpretation. of this material. Rinsing the mouth with hydrogen peroxide is good for healing, but it could be overdone, sometimes the bacteria is infectious and preventing proper healing so there are a lot of factors. I'm still learning so next year I'll probably know a lot more but I'm winding down now as I think I've just about covered the subject and a little more maybe. I haven't run out of words, I mean I could say a lot more but maybe in another article. I myself have used a straight hydrogen peroxide rinse but it might be better if it's diluted with water, another little detail. Anyway, I may have brushed away some new tissue in the making when I last brushed. So it goes in the world where everything is under continual attack from one source or another. I think I'll attack myself with a couple glasses of wine and go out for some recreation.