Dental Hygeine: Day 1

With each habit, I intend for day 1 to be a list of the reasons this habit is good for me. So, why have I chosen dental hygiene as habit #1? Several very good reasons.

1) I am sick right now. And with a sinus -based cold, my teeth start to hurt. Brushing and flossing twice a day will make my teeth and head feel better.

2) Rinsing with alcohol based mouthwash (I use Listerine) helps kill the lingering germs that get in my mouth, decreasing infection spread to my gums.

3) Dental hygeine has been shown to be linked to any number of chronic diseases. Keeping your mouth clean and in good health decreases your risk for diabetes, heart disease, and any number of other diseases I don't know about.

4) The pendulum swings both ways: I am at a very high risk for type 2 diabetes for a number of reasons, and people with diabetes tend to have much higher rates of periodontal disease and dental problems. By teaching myself good oral hygiene NOW rather than when I develop diabetes I will be better off.

5) Breath. 'nuff said.

6) I want to be in a good habit about this as my son gets older and just have him see that, 'this is the way it's done'. We all know, do as I say not as I do is an ineffective parenting strategy.

7) Because if my mouth is in better shape, I am more likely to go to the dentist for regular cleanings, which increases the health of my teeth over time. I will keep them longer, and I won't have to have any super painful procedures later on. Fact of the matter is, I hate the dentist because I hate pain. I equate the two. But if my teeth are in good shape, going to the dentist is less painful. (And I don't get a stern talking to when I go.) All good things

8) I still want a second child, and research has shown that good oral hygiene is highly correlated with healthy, full term babies.

Lastly,

9) Recently I have a member of my family who was sick, I mean truly sick, for three months with what presented as a gastro-intestinal bug. Puking...bathroom visits....the whole nine yards. Turns out, it was an infected root canal, but it took 3 months(!) to figure that out. And now she is in the painful process of getting that fixed (see #6). DO. NOT. WANT.

Dental hygiene is key to staying healthy.

Wow! Writing that list out really makes me realized how important this is. Good thing I have started off well.

***Daily Notes***

Habit: Dental care

Day 1: brushed, flossed , and rinsed with Listerine this morning, will do again before bed.

Truth be told, there is bleeding involved here, my gums are not in the best shape. But the act of brushing and flossing isn't painful, and I expect the bleeding to lessen over time. The whole process does make my sinus pain less unbearable, so that's a positive.