I hate the dentist. Fucking cans slash my gums up with their torture devices, then tell me I need to floss more.
F you, buddy.
If you don't floss properly, you develop pockets which catch bacteria and allow it to sit there between your teeth and gums, especially molars. This results in gum inflammation and bleeding gums, either when brushing or when getting your cleaning done. The hygienists have to get down into the pockets to get the plaque and tartar out, so your gums can heal and your pockets will slowly recede and eventually, hopefully, disappear.
This is why they take measurements of pocket depths at your cleanings, so they know if they are getting better or worse.
Flossing properly helps prevent this from happening, and your cleanings will feel much less like torture.
Does every 4 months do more trauma on your teeth than every 6 months?
A recent TV commercial is trying to get people to quit sharing food or drinks and said cavities are contagious. If it's from bacteria, I guess so then.
Cleanings should not damage your teeth or gums. The special instruments they use such as hand scalers or water scalers are to remove plaque and tartar buildup from your teeth and in between your teeth and gums.
You are correct that sharing drinks and food is a good way to introduce foreign bacteria into your mouth and potentially cause issues that you didn't have before.
Besides, with the flu, common cold, covid, herpes, and a bunch of other contagious viruses and bacteria, who would want to? When I bring weed to friends houses/pool parties etc, I will always roll one out of my own stash for anyone who asks so they have their own joint to smoke. I always thought it was pretty gross to see the same 5 people in a circle passing around a slobbery wet joint (especially when these people are drunk) from one mouth to the next.
