My hygienist said as long as you’re using fluoride and not scrubbing like you’re sanding a deck, you’re good.
That cracked me up—pretty sure my old brushing style qualified as deck sanding. I’ll admit, I fell for the charcoal hype too, but all it did was mess up my sink. Has anyone actually had luck with those “sensitive” pastes, or is it just another marketing gimmick?
pretty sure my old brushing style qualified as deck sanding
Haha, I’ve seen some folks nearly take the enamel off with that approach—your gums will thank you for switching it up. As for sensitive toothpastes, they’re not total snake oil. If you give them a solid couple weeks (and don’t rinse right after brushing), most people notice less zinging from cold stuff. Charcoal, though…yeah, just a mess and zero science.
Deck sanding—yep, I’ve seen that one too many times. It's wild how much folks underestimate the power of a gentle brush. Did you notice your gums getting less puffy once you switched? Sensitive toothpaste can be a game changer if you stick with it—though I’m with you, charcoal pastes are mostly just messy and overhyped. Ever try a soft-bristled brush before? Makes a bigger difference than people expect.
You nailed it with the soft brush—people always think harder means cleaner, but it’s usually just rough on the gums. I’ve seen folks come in with “deck-sanded” gums and swear they’re brushing better. Once they switch to a softer brush, the swelling calms down fast. Charcoal paste... yeah, mostly just makes a mess of my sink.
Yeah, I learned the hard way that “harder” isn’t better. Used to think scrubbing with a firm brush would get rid of stains faster—turns out all it did was make my gums super sensitive and actually made them recede a bit. Switched to a soft brush and my hygienist noticed the difference at my next cleaning. Gums looked less inflamed, and honestly, brushing feels way less like a chore now.
Charcoal paste is one of those things that looks cool on social, but every time I tried it, all I got was black splatter everywhere and zero real whitening. Maybe it works for some, but I didn’t see any benefit. If anything, I feel like it made my teeth more sensitive. I’ll stick with gentle brushing and regular flossing... boring but it actually works.
