My Periodontist Has Three Things to Tell You

I have a great periodontist. He’s a real sweetie. Went to see him recently. He looked me in the eye and said:

"There are three important things to know about oral health."

"Number one: floss."

"Number two: floss."

"And number three?"

You guessed it.

He's not wrong. And the older I get, the more I understand why he leads with that particular lecture.

I look at the teeth of older adults, including my own parents; and I get it. Our teeth are not just cosmetic. They're a window into our overall health. And unlike a lot of things that decline gracefully with age, teeth give you very little warning before they stage a protest.

I know this firsthand. As a child I had both back molars removed prematurely and spent years wearing spacers waiting for the adult teeth to grow in. Not my finest accessory.

So here's what I've learned:

Floss. Properly. Every night before brushing. And not those flexible toothpick things they sell at the drugstore; actual floss. Turns out those little picks are about as effective as good intentions.

At one point I was also Waterpiking after flossing. Yes, after. Was that excessive? Possibly. Did my periodontist approve? Enthusiastically. A Waterpik blasts out whatever floss missed — and it turns out floss misses quite a bit. Genuinely useful, even if it does make you feel like you're power washing your own mouth.

Also, nobody warned me about this; as we get older, saliva flow decreases significantly. And saliva is your mouth's natural defence system. Less of it means a significantly higher risk of cavities, gum disease and oral infections. Which means that furry-mouth feeling arriving earlier and earlier in the day isn't just unpleasant; it's a warning sign worth taking seriously.

The solution, unglamorous as it is, is the same: thorough flossing, every night, without shortcuts.

Apparently flossing is even more important than brushing. I know. I didn't believe it either. So… if you HAVE to skip one, you know which is more critical (although not highly recommended).

But my periodontist has three very strong opinions about it.