Hacker News Reader

Comment by lukifer | Hacker News Reader

Care to share your findings? I've already stopped using Listerine (which ended up being the right decision) and I'm growing skeptical even of "hippie" toothpastes. Thinking about moving to just baking soda paste.

View on HN

What's wrong with Listerine?

Alcohol can inflame your gums which can lead to gum disease. Best to use non alcohol versions.

In that case, one should warn others away from drinking vodka and whiskey. Best to stick to beer, I guess. :-)

Rinse your mouth with salt-water. It's cheaper and more effective!

I'll raise a weak [citation needed] on the efficacy claim and argue that even generic Listerine tastes far better than salt water (either warm or cold).

Arm and Hammer's baking soda toothpaste is also known to contain triclosan. The ones they sell where I live, at least.

I haven't used toothpaste regularly for about 8 years. I've never told my dentists. I have had 3 fillings but I'm not sure if not using toothpaste was a contributor (I used to be really lazy with flossing. I think that's more likely).

Whats your diet? I'm not trying to ignite the traditional HN flamewar about the evils of a science based paleo diet, but I have had a similar experience where not eating grains or sugar none the less results in a relatively tartar free mouth per my dentist. Even though I hate waiting and am impatient and do not visit every 3 months or whatever often its supposed to be.

Archeologically, before people started eating grains and processed "psuedo-food" we mostly died with good teeth and its a stereotypical observation that you can tell when grain agriculture sets in with a people when their teeth start rotting out at a young age.

Pretty awful to be honest! Way too much sugar and not enough vegetables. (I don't drink juice/cola/etc, though)

These humans that died with good teeth, weren't they mostly dead by their 30's?

The average life expectancy for those times factors in infant mortality and severe injury. If you survived your first few years and never got mortally wounded, you could still expect to live to 60-70.

My understanding from what dentists have said to me in the past is that ordinary toothpaste in the abstract is of limited value, especially if you brush often, but it's a useful vehicle for fluoride.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com