Can you effectively reduce dental plaque/calculus without flossing? If yes, how?

Question

Ex: Interplak/waterpik; electric toothbrushes; washes like Listerine or Biotene?

Answer 1

Mouthwash. I use Listerine. They also have a fluoride one which reduces cavities.

Hot tea [not white tea] also has fluoride in it :)

I never floss. My teeth were always so close together that I can't get floss between them. I've only ever had 3 cavities and they were so shallow I didn't even need Novocaine.

Answer 2

You have to floss or use an inter-dental aid period to have a truly disease free mouth. All of the things that you mentioned in your question can help, however none of these things can get in between your teeth like floss. I am sorry to say but there is no other way around it. If you have very crowded teeth, it is even more important to floss. Most tooth and gum trouble starts in between the teeth where the tooth meets the gum tissue. This is called the sulcus or Col area, and it has a type of tissue that is very susceptible to plaque and the bacteria associated with it. The tissue is Non-Keratinized which means that it is not as tough as the other tissues in and on our body. This means that the bacteria can easily penetrate it and cause irritation because it does not contain Keratin. I know that I have gotten "technical" however I am trying to demonstrate to you that you have to floss, and that there is a scientific reason why. No flossing means non-healthy teeth and gums.
As a side note there are people that don't floss and never have had a cavity, however their gums may be a mess, which leads to periodontal disease which is bad in-itself.

Answer 3

Plaque - yes! You can remove it by proper brushing and flossing as plaque is the soft deposits that form on your teeth above the gum line.

Calculus - no! Calculus(or tartar) is a mineralized infectious colony of bacteria that is firmly adhered to the teeth above and many times even below the gum line. That needs to be removed at the dental office.

So brush and floss to remove the plaque (and you can use the electric brushes and mouthrinses if you wish also) but get you teeth professionally cleaned at the dentists office to handle the calculus.

Answer 4

THE ONLY MEANS BY WHICH PLAQUE CAN BE REMOVED FROM THE TEETH IS BY MECHANICAL MEANS.
THIS MEANS PROPERLY BRUSHING AND FLOSSING/USING A WATERPIK TO REMOVE SOFT PLAQUE.
MOUTHWASH IS FUTILE FOR THIS JOB.

Answer 5

No, i do no longer floss my enamel, yet I brush my enamel two times on a regular basis, and after each and each meal or on each occasion after eating, I under no circumstances forget approximately to rinse my enamel with clean water. i'm doing it as a on a regular basis recurring now.

Answer 6

NO!!!!!!!!!! There are no substitutes for flossing!!!!!!! NONE! If you have wide embrasures you can use an interdental brush.