Tuesday, February 1, 2011

January: Floss.

I've had horrible teeth for as long as I can remember. No, not as in, "oh I had this cavity once, it was terrible!" As in, I was the little girl in elementary school with silver caps on all her teeth. Yes, all of them. And as long as we're talking about terribly embarrassing childhood awkwardness, I might as well lay it all out on the table. I also had to wear Forest Gump style braces on my legs when I was a baby so that my feet would face forward, and I wore a full-wrap-around-upper-body (hip to armpit) plastic brace for 2 years in high school to slow down the progression of my scoliosis.

As I'm sure you can guess, I was the most popular girl in school! In all seriousness, though, it makes me wonder how I came out as a (slightly) functioning adult. Maybe that explains why I'm so darn mean?!

Anyway, back to the teeth. I don't have poor dental hygiene. I brush twice a day, everyday. But, like most Americans, I don't floss daily. However, considering how weak my teeth are, and how expensive root canals are, and how I really don't want to have to get dentures when I'm 50, I figure now is the time to buckle down and make flossing a daily habit.

So, flossing daily became my Monthly Do for January. It's not like it's difficult. Or even terribly time consuming. I'm just lazy and would like to get into bed 2 minutes faster, without actually heading for bed 2 minutes earlier!

The good news: I only missed one day this month. I don't recall when it was, I just remember we had gotten home super late one night and by the time we got the baby fed and down, it was all I could do to make it to my toothbrush. But all in all, I think that's a pretty darn good start to my 2011 Do list. Hopefully one month of full commitment is enough to make it stick!

For all you flossers out there: any tips on your favorite brand? I've been working my way through a lifetime's stash of various brands and have been shocked by how different they all are. Does anyone know if there's a biodegradable/compostable brand available? I might just have to look into that, in preparation for my upcoming "waste less" plans...

1 comment:

Bryn said...

Don't cheap out when it comes to floss. Get the teflon coated kind. It's more spendy but it doesn't break apart while you're flossing. I prefer glide with oral-b satin as the 2nd place finisher.