"Honestly, the mouthwash idea is pretty clever; wish I'd thought of that sooner."
Yeah, mouthwash can be handy, but aren't you worried about overusing it? My dentist warned me that too much mouthwash—especially the stronger antiseptic ones—can dry out your mouth and actually make staining worse in the long run. I've found plain old water swishing after meals works surprisingly well. Maybe simpler is better sometimes...? Curious if anyone else has heard similar advice from their dentist.
"Maybe simpler is better sometimes...?"
Totally agree with this! I've been through braces and all sorts of orthodontic treatments, so trust me, I've tried just about everything to keep stains away. Mouthwash definitely has its perks, but you're right—overdoing it can cause more trouble than it's worth. My orthodontist actually mentioned something similar about strong antiseptic rinses drying out your mouth and potentially making stains worse over time.
Honestly, I used to be obsessed with whitening products and mouthwashes, thinking they'd magically keep my teeth spotless. But after a while, I noticed my mouth felt dry and uncomfortable, especially when I was using them multiple times a day. Eventually, my ortho suggested just rinsing with water after meals and snacks instead. At first, I was skeptical—like how could plain water possibly work as well as those fancy products? But surprisingly enough, it really made a difference. My teeth felt cleaner throughout the day, and the dryness went away pretty quickly too.
Don't get me wrong; I still use mouthwash occasionally—especially if I've had coffee or tea—but moderation seems key here. It's reassuring to see others have heard similar advice from their dentists too. Sometimes we overlook the simplest solutions because they seem too easy or obvious...but hey, if it works, why complicate things?
Anyway, props to whoever originally suggested the mouthwash trick—it is clever! Just remember not to go overboard with it.
Totally with you on the simpler-is-better idea. I've been pretty anxious about keeping stains away since I'm new to the whole dental treatment thing, and honestly, the more products I tried, the more stressed out I got. Recently, my dentist also said just water rinses are surprisingly effective...I was super skeptical at first too, but turns out she was right. Sometimes I wonder if all these fancy products just make things worse in the long run? Glad I'm not alone in thinking this way.
I get where you're coming from—there's so much hype around whitening toothpastes and rinses, but honestly, I've seen better results just sticking to the basics. I tried a handful of those “advanced” stain removers and felt like my teeth actually got more sensitive over time. Water rinses after coffee or wine have helped a ton for me, and it takes way less effort. Sometimes it feels like the more products you throw at your teeth, the more complicated things get... simplicity really does seem to win out.
Definitely agree on the simplicity thing—my orthodontist always says less is more, especially with braces. I tried a whitening rinse once and it made my gums super irritated... not fun. Water rinsing after coffee has worked way better for me too, and I don’t have to worry about weird reactions or extra sensitivity. Sometimes it feels like all those fancy products just complicate what should be pretty basic care.
