I get where you’re coming from—sometimes I’ll forget a night or two and then feel guilty, like I need to “make up for it” by doubling down the next day. But honestly, I’ve never noticed any difference either, except maybe my mouth feels a bit weird if I overdo it. My dentist said something similar to yours: it’s more about building a habit than trying to cram in extra fluoride when you remember.
I had a stretch where I was using both a prescription toothpaste and the rinse every night because I thought more would be better. Ended up with some gum tenderness that freaked me out a bit. Backed off to just the paste most nights, and things calmed down pretty quickly. Now if I miss a day, I just pick up where I left off and try not to stress about it—seems to work fine.
I totally get the tech brain urge to optimize everything, but teeth seem stubbornly old-school about needing steady routines. The placebo thing is funny too—I sometimes wonder if my teeth are actually less sensitive or if I’m just convincing myself they are because I’m finally doing what the dentist said.
Anyway, you’re definitely not alone in forgetting or feeling like you need to catch up. For me, it’s helped to keep things simple—one product at a time, and not sweating the occasional missed day. If you’re seeing improvements in sensitivity, even if it’s partly placebo, that’s still a win in my book. Consistency over perfection seems like the way to go.
- Totally relate to the urge to “make up” for missed nights. I used to get stressed about it too, but honestly, I never saw any real difference when I doubled up. My gums would just feel a bit off, kind of sore sometimes.
- It’s funny how easy it is to overthink this stuff. I’ve been there—trying to optimize my routine, using every product under the sun. Ended up with irritated gums and a lot of wasted money.
- My dentist told me pretty much the same thing: skip a day, just move on. No need to compensate or go overboard. Teeth really do seem to prefer chill routines over hardcore optimization.
- Placebo or not, if your teeth feel better, that’s a win. Sometimes I think half the battle is just feeling like you’re doing something good for yourself.
- Keeping it simple has worked best for me. One product, steady routine, and not beating myself up if I miss a day or two. Progress over perfection, for sure.
You’re definitely not alone in this—sounds like you’re on the right track.
