To touch back on my Ping from a year ago, you know, dentists aren’t kidding when they say floss is useful and good. Really.
My dental history is not stellar. For various reasons, regular dental visits weren’t typical in my household; it was strictly on an as needed basis, and cleanings every now and then. Once I got a job after college I decided that enough was enough and I’d deal with my teeth. And I did: in 2000 I had to get two fillings and have a slew of cavities filled.
But since then my oral hygiene has improved. No cavities in nine years, which is swell. Even though I was flossing back when I wrote that Ping in 01, though, I fell off the flossing wagon. I mean, really. It deteriorated from once a day to once every few days to, “Eh, it’s floss, I’ll do it the next time I remember to do it.”
The downside is that this had a real impact on my gums. So much so that my current dentist said, “Hey pal, if your gums don’t improve we might have to get some medicated mouthwash going.” That sounded… delightful… so I hunkered down and decided to floss daily, for real. No excuses. No exceptions.
The result? My gums are in really good shape! Is it a surprise? Not really. But it’s nice to know that some dentists really aren’t just trying to sell you something.
Posted in Everyday Life