For how we live.
The strongest rinse, chlorhexidine, clearly cuts plaque and gum inflammation — but stains teeth, so it is a short-term treatment, not a daily habit. Everyday rinses help less, and always work on top of brushing.
A Cochrane review of 51 trials found powered brushes cut plaque and gum inflammation more than manual ones, on moderate-quality evidence. An 11-year cohort suggests the small edge adds up: fewer teeth lost.
Oil pulling and miswak have real short-term data on plaque and gum inflammation. Charcoal dentifrices have almost none, and a third of the products reviewed contained bentonite clay.
Two Cochrane reviews found low- to very low-certainty evidence that floss slightly reduces gum inflammation. Neither found a single trial measuring interproximal decay, the thing flossing is sold to prevent.