Aggressive Dental Care
Wednesday, December 3, 2003. Entry #233

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My dentist says I brush too aggressively.

Pardon me? I said from my reclined position in the chair.

Yup, he said. That pain you've been having up by your gum is a receding gum, not a cavity. There isn't anything around to cause it, so I expect you are simply brushing too aggressively.

This is what normal teeth look like. Click and hold the button to see what MY teeth look like.

There's a first for me. And I've had nearly everything done to teeth that can be done. There isn't a single tooth back of my front eight that is cavity free. I've had four root canals, four extractions (only two of which were wisdom teeth), one crown (failed) and one bridge. I've never had braces, although my dentist did suggest that for cosmetic purposes.

Yeah, right.

And now I need to brush more carefully. I finally get in the habit of brushing at all and they want me to do it differently.

Sigh. I love my mouth.

And on top of this, we're fighting with the insurance company to get my second bridge put in before the end of the year (which is when Lisa's health insurance re-sets to zero, and all the credits we've earned this year disappear). My dentist needs two appointments with a week between to do the work, and the insurance company may take from a week to a month to pre-approve the procedure.

Plus my dentist goes on holidays on the 23rd until the new year.

Fun fun!

So none of you go through the crap I go through every visit, here's how to brush your teeth (courtesy of KidsHealth.org)

• Hold your brush at a 45-degree angle against your gumline. Gently brush (hard scrubbing may cause receding gums, tooth sensitivity, and over time, loose teeth) from where the tooth and gum meet to the chewing surface in short (about half-a-tooth-wide) strokes.
• Use the same method to brush all outside and inside surfaces of your teeth.
• To clean the chewing surfaces of your teeth, use short sweeping strokes, tipping the bristles into the pits and crevices.
• To clean the inside surfaces of your top and bottom front teeth and gums, hold the brush almost vertical. With back and forth motions, bring the front part of the brush over the teeth and gums.
• Using a forward-sweeping motion, gently brush your tongue and the roof of your mouth to remove the decay-causing bacteria that exist in these places.
• Use an egg timer or play a favorite song while brushing your teeth to get used to brushing for a full 2 to 3 minutes.

There you go.

In Ancient Times...
On Wednesday, November 29, 2000, I crafted timeless text about Lisa lieaving to prepare our new home in Medicine Hat.
On Saturday, December 3, 2001, I wrote exciting prose on Christmas coming.
And on Saturday, November 30, 2002, I penned a perfect passage on a funny episode of the Simpsons.

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