In today’s fast pace way of living, we all tend to neglect our diet and general health from time to time. With all of the fad diets out there, and informations on such constantly changing, it’s hard to know how to properly care for yourself. I am not exempt from this awful truth. Though I try my best to eat three balanced meals a day and exercise regularly, it’s not always easy when you find yourself juggling different aspects of your daily responsibilities. I have to work a 9-5 job, take care of a family and struggle to find time for myself.
I’ve always considered my eating habits to be somewhat healthy, but what I didn’t know was that many of my meal choices were negatively effecting my dental health. Like most people, I drink coffee and orange juice in the morning. I eat fruits throughout the day and I chow down on my vegetables during lunch in salads and of course at dinner time. While my body was appreciating my noble efforts, my teeth were not. It had become obvious to me that I needed to improve upon my oral hygiene.
At first getting back into the swing of flossing and really taking the time to brush my teeth thoroughly was not only time consuming, but also threw my entire schedule off. That extra ten minutes that I used to have to straighten up my kitchen before leaving for work, was now gone. This meant waking up an entire half hour earlier to stay on pace with my daily responsibilities. After a few days, things became easier. My hygienist friend dropped of some terrific dental floss picks that I could carry in my purse and use at will, without needing to be slumped over my bathroom sink. This made it much more convenient to get anything out of my teeth that I may have missed after breakfast during my teeth brushing. After a few weeks, I noticed that the gingivitis was not as extreme and with the help of my new brushing and flossing habits, my gums were slowly healing.
Although I had to go through a scare at the dentist office to realize that I needed to make changes in my oral hygiene, it was worth it in the end. Today my gingivitis is gone and my teeth are back to the beautiful condition that they had once been in. I was amazed that with just a few changes in the way that I brushed my teeth, the toothpaste I used and flossing more often, I didn’t have to give up my favorite foods. I now always carry my to-go dental floss picks everywhere and make a conscious effort to stop in the ladies’ room after meals and snacks, with my toothbrush and floss. My smile is better than ever and I only had to make a few changes.
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