What’s actually on my bathroom sink right now

I’m picky to a fault about what earns a spot on my bathroom sink. Here’s the whole lineup…

1. The Sonicare 1100. Just the basic model because the more expensive models are the exact same “guts” aka same motor, same brush, but just with fancy bells and whistles like an app and travel case and the pressure sensor that talks to your phone (you don’t need those things, unless you want them, in which case, knock yourself out!)

2. Fygg toothpaste. Prebiotics and nano-hy droxyapatite (the same mineral that makes up 97% of your enamel) with none of the peppermint, spearmint, surfactants or other junk that disrupt the oral microbiome. I brush, spit, and I don’t rinse.

3. Fygg varnish. This varnish is a leave-on treatment (kind of like an eye serum for teeth) I use a few nights a week and any time my teeth feel like they need extra support—after traveling when my diet is off, a cold, or anything that dried my mouth out. Or any time I feel like my teeth are getting a little sensitive.

4. A tongue scraper. Most of the bacteria behind morning breath live on the back of your tongue, not your teeth. A scraper lifts that film off in seconds, which is something a toothbrush can’t do.

5. Oragin oil-pulling blend. This is what I use instead of mouthwash. Swishing an oil blend loosens debris and supports the mouth’s own balance without the scorched-earth approach of mouthwash. I swish for a minute or two, but always before I brush, never after.

6. Fygg bristle probiotic. An oral probiotic that helps the beneficial species get a foothold—they work by competing with and crowding out the troublemakers.

7. Nitric oxide mints. These support the nitrate-to-nitric-oxide pathway that healthy tongue bacteria run — the one that helps keep your blood vessels relaxed. I keep them by the sink so I remember them.

8. Nexcare mouth tape. A small piece of tape over the lips at night so I breathe through my nose. Nose breathing keeps my mouth from drying out, and a dry mouth overnight is a cavity factory. Keep in mind, this isn’t duct tape—if I can’t keep the tape on for whatever reason (a stuffy nose, perhaps) then the tape pops right off.

9. My mandibular advancement device. A custom appliance that holds my lower jaw slightly forward while I sleep so my airway stays open. This is a get-fitted-by-a-dentist item, not a drugstore item, made by an airway dentist (find one here or here).

10. My retainer cleaner. An ultrasonic cleaning pod for my mandibular advancement device mentioned above, plus (and this is the part that makes people laugh) an old salt-and-pepper shaker I repurposed to hold baking soda. A little baking soda, a little water, and the appliance gets cleaned without the harsh tablets most people soak these things in (I’d recommend staying away from those, and I’d also recommend not brushing your retainer which can cause tiny grooves, leading to plaque buildup and damage.)

11. Fygg Floss. But not just any floss. I used to be a big fan of Glide and would stock up at Costco, but no longer once I learned its waxy, flavorful coating is full of forever chemicals. Fygg floss is the cleanest, most oral microbiome-friendly, and most sustainable floss on the market (even the box it comes in is zero plastic, fully recyclable.)

Notice what’s not up there: no mouthwash and nothing antibacterial or disruptive to the oral microbiome. A healthy mouth was never supposed to be sterile!

Until next week,
Dr. B

P.S. What’s the one thing on your bathroom sink you can’t imagine giving up?