“Anything that relates to water quality, removing contaminants, things like that, we’re not touching that,” Tuck [the bill sponsor] said. “It’s anything that has to do with health. So fluoride, vitamins, whatever else it is.”
“Anything that relates to water quality, removing contaminants, things like that, we’re not touching that,” Tuck [the bill sponsor] said. “It’s anything that has to do with health. So fluoride, vitamins, whatever else it is.”
Gonna have to ask you to go right ahead and cite those multiple peer reviewed studies that indicate toothpaste and flossing are counterproductive to oral hygiene.
This article talks about a review of studies about flossing but the link is no longer valid: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/03/health/flossing-teeth-cavities.html?_r=0
As far as I know not a single official dental association in Europe recommends flossing. The UK used to. They stopped. But for flossing the information about it not actually be very effective (or not at all) is all over the internet. Between flossing and toothpaste the flossing stuff is the most dubious. It’s only useful if you have something stuck and need an extra bit of help dislodging it. Or if you just enjoy the feeling? Some people are strange like that.
Here is a study on dry-brushing vs wet-brushing. They are just as effective as each other. (57% vs 58%) So adding some wetness (water) doesn’t do anything. I mention this one as a sort of control: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/idh.12358
Here is a good one that looks at multiple studies from Journal of Clinical Periodontalogy. Main findings - “On average, 49.2% of plaque was removed when brushing was performed with a dentifrice, and 50.3% of plaque was removed when toothbrushing was performed without a dentifrice.” So, dentrifice or “toothpaste”, was actually slightly less effective (though not statistically significantly so) than brushing with it: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27513809/
I can find some more studies if you like. The conventional wisdom and scientifically supported wisdom is that plaque is removed by the mechanical process of brushing. Toothpaste provides fluoride and can be especially beneficial in environments where fluoride is lacking from natural sources. To be clear, there are indigenous people around the world who do not use toothpaste but have a good fluoride content naturally in their water. Such communities who practice regular mechanical teeth cleaning tend to have good dental outcomes.
If you live in the USA or another country that fluoridates your water you are most likely fine (I’m not a dentist so I can’t actually give you any advice). If you also supplement it with something like mouthwash, fluoride powder, toothpaste or anything else fluoridated you are definitely fine. You really do not need to obsess over it at all.
What I will say is a big strike against toothpaste is much of it has all kind of nasty additives. Soaps. Microplastics. All kinds of shit.
As far as control for bad breath brushing and mouthwash do all the work. You don’t need toothpaste at all. If you are concerned about bad breath carry around one of those tiny travel toothbrushes and brush after every meal. You can do it without toothpaste! Super easy to pop into a bathroom and just have a quick brush. That pretty much controls bad breath entirely. In over a decade of not using toothpaste I’ve never had issues with bad breath nor has my wife ever had an issue with my breath. Brush the old food out yo teefs and you good.