Wednesday, June 24, 2009

An almost pleasant dental cleaning

I finally got to the dental office this morning for my tri-annual cleaning (just before my medical benefits end). I'd put it off for a week or so because I just didn't feel like going. So of course I frantically flossed, brushed, and rinsed this morning and drove up to my excellent dentist, with whom I've been a patient for over 15 years.

I've written about this before---over the past year or so, regular use of Crest Pro-Health toothpaste, Oral-B toothbrushes, and regular flossing have reduced my time in the hygienist's chair by about 25 percent. I no longer have dark brown stains on the inside gum line from smoking, strong black coffee, too much red wine, and "forgetting" to brush and floss.

I got "vanity" braces as an adult in 1992 (very successful, though due to bone loss I lost a molar due to bone infection and just got a permanent bridge to replace it). And I still have a bonded retainer on the lower inside teeth from when I got the train tracks off in (I think) 1994. I've argued with Dr. Dave about removing it but he says he regrets getting HIS retainer removed. The retainer makes it difficult (though not impossible) to floss down there. But while he thought the toothpaste was gritty when he first started using it himself he likes it a lot now.

Me too. But when I tried to e-mail Crest today I didn't get much luck. I'd like to tell them myself how well it works from a dental hygiene dilettante.

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