My dentist in Toledo said flossing matters less than I think and now my 2 minute routine feels pointless
He told me last Tuesday that the evidence for flossing is weaker than brushing technique, which sent me down a rabbit hole on what actually moves the needle for gum health. Any of you switched your oral care routine based on newer studies, and did it actually show up at your next cleaning?
This fits a pattern I see everywhere: experts chip away at some small habit, word spreads, and people drop the whole thing instead of adjusting it. Same thing happened with the "breakfast isn't that important" studies, guys stopped eating it entirely and then wondered why they were starving by 10. Flossing takes 30 seconds and costs almost nothing. Even if the proof is weaker than we thought, the downside is tiny and the upside might be real. Keep flossing but spend more time on your brushing angle and get a water pick if you want extra. Wait for your next cleaning to judge, not a headline.