Stopping bad breath and gum and tooth decay with water swishing

Before I discovered the power of water swishing, I had already solidly reversed the progression of my gum disease without flossing by going to bed nightly with brushed and irrigated teeth and gums.

But my habit since childhood had been to avoid drinking after eating.
  This habit was based on advice I had heard.  Whether wise or not, the idea was, I believe, to avoid dilution of gastric fluids and overloading of the stomach immediately after eating.  My habit was to wait 1/2 hour to 2 hours after eating before drinking, and to try to hydrate well before eating.

What never occurred to me was that a big culprit in my tooth decay was likely the residence time of food on and between my teeth after each snack and meal.  When that insight occurred to me, I immediately abandoned my old habit and began to sip and swish small amounts of water repeatedly after each meal or snack.

I carry a large water container with me all day long.  I sip from it all day, and when the feel of my teeth or the smell of my breath indicates a need for rinsing, or when I have just eaten, I take an especially small sip and forcefully swish it around and through all my teeth, resting and resuming repeatedly.  If I have just eaten, I repeat the sip until no more particles of food remain in my mouth.  If the water is ice cold (during the Arizona summer months), I avoid pain and tooth harm by warming it on my tongue before swishing.

The result is my teeth are under the attack of decay much less, I suffer the anxiety of unacknowledged thirst much less, my body works much better, and I enjoy the benefit of bathroom breaks much more.  Spiritually, emotionally, physically, and financially, I have more freedom, peace, and health.