I spent an entire summer in a dentist’s office because in addition to my horrible eating habits, I hardly ever brushed my teeth. I worked a fast food place with free access to the soda machine. I was putting away at least 64~128 oz of pop at day. In addition to that, I was constantly snacking before I fell asleep, usually candy. I was active (skateboarded a few hours every day) and loved my sugar intake and thought my teeth were invincible.
I was preparing to leave the country for a couple of years and needed to get a checkup, cleaning, etc. I remember filling out the questionnaire they give first time patients. One of the questions was “How often to What Does Delta Flight Insurance Cover you brush your teeth?”. I remember being pretty ashamed of myself during those few minutes. I got over it though, I mean, I was there right? Determined to change my habits and start out with a nice, deep cleaning.
Well, I finally saw the dentist. He first took some X-rays and then we looked at them together. I was not optimistic at all. Over the next ten minutes he explained that I had about 2 months worth of work to do to get my teeth in shape, the capstone being the extraction of my wisdom teeth. Over Sudden Toothache those two months, He would work on a section of my teeth, usually fixing 2 or 3 during a visit. Pretty much every tooth had to be drilled and filled with one that was so bad, I needed a cap. Luckily, no root canals, although the doctor specifically told me that the capped tooth was very close.
I remember coming out of the office after every visit, half of my face numb and telling myself, “Never again” I resolved to take better care of my teeth, make semi-annual visits to the dentist, and watch my sugar/soda intake. To this day I try to brush my teeth on a regular basis, even flossing more often that not. I still am not where I want to be (sometimes it is hard to get out of bed once you are under the blankets) but I make an effort to do all these things and make regular visits to the dentist office in my area. I exhort those (especially the youth) to brush your teeth. If not for their health, think of your breath and the effect it might have on others.
Thank you.