We're constantly told to add more to our wellness routines — one more step, one more product, one more thing to remember before bed. So we asked two people who've built their companies around the opposite idea: Mark Rushmore, founder of electric toothbrush brand SURI, and Brynn MacLennan, founder of Slate, sat down to talk about what an effective oral care routine actually requires, why flossing still lags behind brushing as a daily habit, and the small, low-effort changes that make the biggest difference. Here's what they had to say.
We're constantly being told to add more to our wellness routines. Do better habits actually need to take more time?
Mark: Not necessarily. I think we've slightly confused "doing more" with "doing better." The best habits are often the really simple ones that you can repeat consistently without having to think too hard about them.
Whether it's fitness, beauty, or oral care, you don't need a complicated 10-step routine. You just need to do a few important things, properly, every day. The opportunity is to make those existing moments work harder for you rather than finding more things to squeeze into an already busy day.
Brynn: When I first started working out regularly, I thought I needed almost an hour to lift weights and do cardio. Now that exercise is part of my routine, I know I can get a really effective workout in 30–45 minutes.
Flossing is the same. Once I started doing it consistently, it stopped feeling like one more thing I had to do. Now it takes me 60 seconds or less. The more automatic the habit becomes, the smaller it feels in your day. I think that's why we need a few weeks for a habit to really become part of our lives. It's not necessarily that the habit itself gets easier; we just get better at fitting it in.
When it comes to oral care, what does an effective routine actually look like — and how much time does it really need to take?
Mark: Consistency beats perfection every time. Brush twice a day with a dentist-recommended toothpaste for the full two minutes, and floss between your teeth every day.
And I really mean the full two minutes. Research shows that brushing for two minutes removes significantly more plaque than brushing for one, but most of us are pretty bad at judging time when we're standing at the sink at 6 am. Studies have found many people brush for as little as 45 seconds. That's one of the reasons we built a two-minute timer into SURI; it takes the guesswork out of it.
Brynn: At Slate, we recommend flossing, brushing, and tongue scraping twice a day to remove all the gross biofilm (bacteria) that sits on the various surfaces in your mouth. I would recommend a 5-minute routine: 2 minutes for brushing, 2 minutes for flossing, and an extra minute to scrape your tongue. All you really need is the dynamic duo: daily flossing and brushing!
Why do you think brushing has become second nature for most people, while flossing is still a habit so many struggle to maintain?
Mark: I would definitely push back on the idea that brushing is completely "solved," but it certainly gives you that immediate reward. With very little effort, your teeth feel smoother, your breath tastes minty fresh, and you notice the difference straight away.
Flossing traditionally hasn't had quite the same feedback loop. It's often only when longer-term problems set in that people are quick to fold flossing into their routine. There's also just more friction and technique involved with traditional string floss. You're never quite sure if you're doing it properly. As a result, it can end up feeling like a "nice-to-have" part of the routine.
Brynn: I think it's 2 reasons:
1. People don't understand that flossing is about taking care of your gums and removing bacteria. It's not just about popcorn and beef jerky. When people learn that flossing can improve the inflammation of their mouth, heart, gut, and brain, they usually jump on the flossing bandwagon.
2. Before Slate, flossing was technique-sensitive, so someone could floss often without seeing the benefits because they weren't doing it right. Slate fixes that problem with our flosser's gum brushes and sonic vibrations. It gives you a fast, easy clean without the struggles of string floss.
Both SURI and Slate were designed to rethink everyday oral-care habits. What role does better product design play in making a healthy habit easier to stick with?
Mark: Product design plays a huge role. Especially since good intentions only get you so far. The product has to make the behavior easier.
If something is awkward, noisy, unpleasant to use, or something you want to hide away in a cabinet every time you look at it, you're adding tiny bits of friction to a habit you're asking someone to repeat every single day.
Traditional flossing is a great example. It's quite a crude manual experience, cutting off the circulation to your fingertips while struggling to manoeuvre it around your mouth. By redesigning that experience so it feels intuitive and satisfying, you've made it so much easier to stick to.
We approached brushing in much the same way at SURI. A great clean was non-negotiable, but it also had to feel good in your hand, look great on your sink, be quiet enough not to wake the house, and not need recharging every few days. None of those things sound revolutionary on their own, but together they absolutely transform the habit, particularly when you do it twice a day.
Brynn: My professional background is in product design, so I knew from the beginning that the design of the Slate Electric Flosser would be make-or-break. Using Slate needed to feel easy, and that is directly reflected in its design. The handle is meant to fit comfortably in your hand, and our floss heads are built with maximum utility in mind. The design is what helps people want to use the product, and the product's effectiveness is what keeps them using it.
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For someone with a packed schedule, what are the smallest changes they can make to their oral-care routine that can have an outsized impact?
Mark: Since founding SURI, my schedule has become perpetually overpacked, so I've learned firsthand the importance of taking the time to prioritise my mental and physical health. My first piece of advice would be to properly take that full two minutes out of your schedule to brush your teeth. Turn it into a meditative moment to reflect on the day ahead, or valuable brainstorming time, or even just two minutes to think about anything but work! A built-in timer helps because you don't even have to keep track of time.
I'd also change the idea that your oral-care routine has to happen in some perfect bathroom setting. If you're really pushed for time and rushing out of the door, you can take your brush with you and find two minutes when you arrive. We designed SURI to travel easily, partly for that reason. A good routine needs to survive real life, not just the ideal morning.
Brynn: With five kids, I try to optimize everything and cut less important items from my to-do list. When it comes to wellness habits like flossing, I ask myself questions like, "Do I want to be able to play games with my grandkids?" When I answer yes, it reminds me why I prioritize small, healthy habits. They add up over time and can have a huge effect on our personal longevity.
Flossing daily can also make your teeth whiter. It removes the discolored plaque that makes your teeth yellow. So, by flossing daily, I'm keeping my smile healthy and white. I also have multiple flossers! I use my Slate Mini Flosser when I'm on the go and my Slate Pro Flosser at home. That way I have no excuses. My flossers are always easily accessible, and that makes it easier to keep up the habit.
If someone wanted to reset their routine this fall, what's the one piece of advice you'd give them for building a better habit without adding more to their day?
Mark: Don't add another habit. Improve one you already have. One of my biggest takeaways from the book Atomic Habits (great read, by the way) was how much your environment shapes your behaviour. Hide away the things you don't want to become habits — chocolate, snacks, etc. — and make the things you do want to stick with impossible to ignore.
That could be a kettlebell or guitar sitting in your home office, or your SURI toothbrush right there on its mirror mount in the bathroom. The easier and more visible you make the good habits, the less you have to rely on motivation to actually do them.
Brynn: My top recommendation is always to put your Slate flosser next to your toothbrush on the bathroom counter and floss every time you brush. If you have a hard time remembering to floss, then it needs to be visible. You're not going to do it if you never think about it. Build on the habit you already have (brushing your teeth morning and night) and just add a little bit more to it. Flossing only takes one extra minute, and it can drastically improve your oral health. Before you know it, you'll be a daily flosser!
