Unsexy drugstore products I swear by after 40 years as a dentist

These things have no sexy branding, no slick marketing campaign—but they’re what you’ll find in my basket every time I visit the drugstore…

1) Distilled white vinegar (and/or baking soda)

If your retainer is starting to smell, skip the Efferdent. The active ingredient in most cleaning tablets is persulfate — the FDA has flagged it for allergic reactions, and the label literally says “do not put directly in your mouth.” Your retainer sits against your gums for hours. There’s no reason to soak it in something with that warning. More on how to clean and take care of your retainer here and here.

2) Sea salt

For a canker sore: warm water, stir in salt until no more will dissolve, swish 30–60 seconds four or five times a day. If your pharmacy carries a premade version, check the label…the only two ingredients should be salt and water, and nothing else.

3) A floss stick

Nobody skips flossing because they don’t care about their teeth. They stop because wrapping a string around their fingers is awkward, the back teeth are hard to reach, and it feels like a chore. A floss stick lowers the barrier to entry by turning flossing into a one-handed operation, plus…you can flip through your phone with one hand while flossing with the other (you’re allowed to floss and text!)

4) Medical tape for mouth taping

I consider mouth breathing to be the number one cause of cavities — ahead of diet and even ahead of hygiene. Every night after my wife and I say goodnight, I reach for the tape on my bedside table. With one strip across my lips each night, I’m supporting sleep quality AND preventing dry mouth (aka cavity city). I don’t use anything fancy, just 3M Nexcare Sensitive Skin 1″ Tape.

5) Generic 200mg ibuprofen

If you have a toothache and you’re waiting to be seen: 3 pills, 3 times a day, 3 days max. I call it the 3-3-3. Tooth pain is inflammation pain, and steady dosing calms it far better than waiting until the pain peaks and then trying to get the pain under control. Check with your pharmacist or doctor first, especially if you’re on other medications. And please don’t let it become a reason not to call your dentist. Tooth pain does not resolve on its own! The 3-3-3 is meant to help you manage the pain while you wait to be seen.

6) Saline nasal spray

A clear nose means nose breathing. Nose breathing means saliva all night instead of an acidic, dry mouth. If your pharmacy carries a brand called “Xlear,” grab that one — it contains xylitol, which interferes with the ability of S. mutans to adhere to surfaces.

7) San Pellegrino

Most sparkling water is just carbonated tap water. Pellegrino is genuinely different: naturally sourced from the Italian Alps, it contains calcium and magnesium and othe rminerals. Did you know saliva is made from blood plasma? What’s circulating in your blood ends up in your saliva. Mineral-rich saliva can remineralize enamel after every acid attack. Depleted saliva can’t. LaCroix certainly won’t do this. Store-brand seltzer won’t either. Do as the Europeans do!

-Dr. B

P.S. What I use every day to keep my teeth strong and my oral microbiome nourished (which you won’t find at your local drugstore): This toothpaste, this mouthwash alternative, this tongue scraper, this electric flosser, this green tea, this throat spray, these enzymes with meals, this Vitamin D3/K2, this CoQ10, this magnesium every night night, and these electrolytes.