Dental Hygiene: Day 20

Fun facts on the fives!

My last chance at amusing factoids about dental hygiene

#1 Each person's set of teeth is unique - much like their fingerprints - even in identical twins.

- this is why dental records can be used to identify bodies when all other identifying marks are missing.

#2 If you're right handed, you will chew your food on your right side. If you're left handed, you will tend to chew your food on your left side.

- this is going to make me crazy for a few days.

and this one deserved more research:

#3 Some cheeses are have been found to protect teeth from decay.

- so I went on a google hunt. I found this article about it. So it appears that the acid that causes your teeth to become susceptible to cavities can be counteracted (to a degree) by dairy.

I think this was my favorite line though:

And, they emphasize, eating cheese should not replace regular brushing and flossing, which removes food particles and plaque, thus inhibiting the proliferation of bacteria on teeth and gums.

Seriously, I love the things lawyers make you do.

**report for yesterday

Getting close to a perfect start. Yesterday was easy, since I was up reasonably early and out and about for the holiday. I have to not get lazy though, yesterday I caught myself nearly missing a few teeth, it doesn't count unless I floss them all. Can't let the lazy sneak in...maybe keeping the momentum won't be as easy as I thought. I will keep my eye on it.

Dental Hygiene: Day 19

Keeping the momentum. That's the hard part, isn't it. Assuming that, in just a few days, my perfect 22 days are complete, how do I keep it going as I move forward and focus on a new habit?

Normally, the answer is: plan ahead. But since, at this point, I am actually brushing and flossing twice a day without even thinking about it, I feel like it's pretty well ingrained. With my toothbrush and toothpaste out in sight with the dental floss by their side, I just do it now.

It's like remembering to go to sleep at night. (Hmmm, I had a few days in college where that analogy breaks down...) It's just become part of my day now. My mouth tastes funny when I don't.

I guess with this one, my only real strategy going forward is going to be to make sure I always have toothpaste, floss and Listerine. So long as I don't run out, I don't suspect I will forget.

**Report for yesterday**
For something like teeth brushing, lazy, rainy days are always the hardest. You know, the kind where PJs are warm, and getting off of your rump to do anything is hard to do...

But, never fear, I actually did get both an am and a pm tooth brushing in. I just did not want to, and had a baby to play with, and ... and ... and ... the good news is I didn't give in to all the excuses and just did it. Perfect streak alive.

Dental Hygeine: Day 18

I need to make an appointment for a cleaning. I do. But how do I find a good dentist, to ensure the best possible outcome. I found a few resources online, here and here that gave me a pretty good idea what I needed to do.

I started by deciding that what I wanted was a family dentist that was good with kids first. I wanted this for two reasons. First, I won't send my kid to a dentist that I won't go to myself. And second, because if the dentist is good with kids (i.e. gentle) then he is probably as good with adults. And I am a chicken. So, I am focusing my search on a dentist that is good with kids.

All of the resources I have found said to get references. Well, I know very few people here (we have just moved) and none who both live near me and have kids,so checking with people I know is a little troublesome. I have decided that I will ask my daycare provider if they have any recommendations for dentists for kids. I will also call my pediatrician to see if they have any dentists they refer kids to.

Then, with any luck, I will have a couple of names. At that point, I believe it comes down to a geography game. Which is closest? Starting there, I will find out if they are taking new patients.

We'll see what happens. I will have an appointment before day 22.

**Report for yesterday**
So far, so good. Although, to be fair, it almost wasn't so good. I had an early business call, so I spent longer than usual in my PJs, and almost forgot to brush my teeth...thankfully, all was saved.

Dental Hygeine: Day 17

Well, I'm getting close to the end of habit #1, and I think I am doing really well, if I must say so myself.

So what's next?

I have given this a great deal of thought. Like dental hygiene, it should be something that is fundamental to a number of different issues. Something that will make me feel better, look better, and make other habits easier.

It should also be something I have struggled with in the past.

I believe the answer is clearly (no pun intended) water. I need to get more water into my body as the summer months approach. I will start to formulate what exactly this means, but I do believe that fending off dehydration will be the next habit I tackle.

**Day 16 report**

I actually had to think really hard as I started typing this to figure out if I actually had brushed and flossed yesterday. I did. But that's a really good sign.

When it becomes such a habit that you don't remember doing it, then you know it's all good.

Dental Hygeine: Day 16

**Day 15 report.
Looking good for the good guys. I am actually shooting for a perfect 22 days now. It seems within reach, and it would be fantastic to actually start off with a perfect score!

Dental Hygeine: Day 15

Fun facts on the fives!

Today I looked into some amusing dental floss facts. This is actually pretty enlightening (and funny).

Year commercial floss was first manufactured: 1882

Material it was first made of: silk

Newest material: Gore-tex

Amount bought per person: 18 yards

Amount that should be bought per person: 122 yards (figuring one foot a day)

Percent who say they floss daily: 28% (some are fibbing, according to the sales data above)

Apparently I am not the only one who struggles with this habit. From all the stuff I've learned in the last two weeks though, everyone would benefit greatly from it.

The most fun fact I found about dental floss though:

In 1994 a prison inmate in West Virginia braided floss into a rope, scaled the wall and escaped.

I guess, for this one guy, NOT flossing (and saving the floss) was far more beneficial than flossing. I wonder if the prison systems let prisoners floss after that. I wonder how you find such a thing out.

**Daily report for yesterday.
Yup, more goodness.

On the one hand, it's getting really dull to simply report every day on successes, at least for you, dear reader. For me, it's cool to see that I can string together two solid weeks of 'perfect behavior'. In fact, the way the whole concept of this blog is set up, each change is so small, I should not ever fail. (Don't worry, once I get out of this tooth brushing thing, I am certain I will find a way to screw something up.) So if you like to see people screw up...just stay tuned.

Dental Hygeine: Day 14

Week 2 round up.

Turns out it's harder to remember to blog every day than it is to remember to floss every day...who knew?

All joking aside...The ease with which this habit has come makes me very optimistic about all of the habits I would like to develop. After only 14 days, I have had a perfect streak of twice a day brushing and flossing, even when it's been iffy whether or not I'd manage.

So, I move on to the final week of my 21 days both thankful that this has been so easy, and hopeful that the next habit(s) are as easy.

**Daily report for yesterday
As I said above, perfect streak. I am starting to really notice if I haven't brushed my teeth. My mouth tastes all...funny. It's like learning to recognize thirst (see my next habit) once you learn what it feels like, it's a built in reminder to go brush your teeth.