+1 My gums had been bleeding enough during brushing that I decided to break my 14 year run without a dentist visit and get things checked out, but felt shame a

+1 My gums had been bleeding enough during brushing that I decided to break my 14 year run without a dentist visit and get things checked out, but felt shame about the state of things, so I gave myself a month or two of runway - and adopted a daily flossing and mouthwash routine. By the time I got to the dentist, my gums were in good shape. They removed lot of plaque, but underneath, my teeth were pristine. In the 14 years since I'd been to the dentist, either the tools had become much more humane, or I just happened to be surrounded by sadists in the late 90s/early 2000s. Upgrading to an electric toothbrush was another revelation, and I also learned that a tongue scraper is the solution to tonsil stones. Genetics play a part, for sure, but flossing daily has been a total game changer.