[Avodah] washing in nine days

[I. Balbin]

a) Rav Soloveitchik effectively has a different view to Reb Moshe (and  
others) in that in contradistinction to R'RW there is no existential  
minhag aveilus for the nine days! Rather THE minhag is that of Shloshim.

b) RRW: There is a machlokes achronim in respect of the "equality" of  
TB and YK. It seems the majority view is that they are not on the same  
halachic wave length, viz a Choleh Shein Bo Sakono does not have to  
eat L'shiurin on TB. Check out the machlokes acharonim regarding what  
they can eat. Do they have to be mistapek b'muot or can they eat "what  
the require"

c) Baruch Hashem I have had no clue about Dinei and Minhogei Shiva. Is  
it the case today that  people are Istenis and even during shiva they  
brush their teeth, and do some sort of cleaning of themselves or do  
people mamash have zero washing etc The reason I ask is that if things  
have changed and that practice has also lessened (and I don't mean  
that people hve long showers etc)  then would this not imply that such  
things are now muttar even on Tisha B'Av

d) I have never been zoche to understand why acharonim doesn't now  
consider brushing teeth as in the same category as cleaning dirt from  
one's person.