Brushmaxxing!

In pursuit of perfect toothbrushing, for the mouth and beyond!

I see a lot of mouths in my practice, and not just because someone has a sore throat or justified complaints about our broken primary care system.

Periodontal health keeps coming up as a quiet predictor of broader health. Gum inflammation tracks with cardiovascular risk, diabetes control, and even cognitive outcomes. The column I wrote a year ago entitled “Can flossing help prevent cancer, dementia, and stroke?” was surprisingly well read (and brought 19 new subscribers - hi again :) I also wrote about the overlooked problem of micro/nanoplastics generated from brushing and flossing. As a primary care doc I’m a jack of all trades… and often that spills over into dental problems. So when a patient tells me about a dental abscess, or asks whether high levels of inflammation might be coming from their mouth, or wonders whether their $5 manual toothbrush is good enough compared to the $200 electric one their dentist keeps recommending, I… first steer them back to their dentist. But then I circle back, examine stuff with them, and try to help. It’s worth answering people carefully with research, rather than parroting clichéd advice.

The short version: electric brushes have a real, evidence-backed edge — but it’s smaller than the marketing suggests, and technique matters more than which device is in our hands. Maybe we should be doing both, actually? When was the last time we really brushed up on how to best do this daily maintenance that helps molars and hearts?

With all the wellness trends and influencers out there, perhaps it’s time we reclaim the term “brushmaxxing” for dentistry. I looked it up, and right now it refers to “dedicating intensive, hours-long daily sessions to brushing hair with varying textures of brushes to train, lay down, and sculpt the hair into deep waves or patterns.”

But instead of this guy, whom we can assume does both types of brushmaxxing…

…let’s bring the references, an expanded synthesis of ideas, and then you can decide for yourself and your hydroxyapatite.