These last few months, I haven't been brushing my teeth as frequently as I have in the past, so I was dreading my latest dental appointment. I have gotten into the bad habit of falling asleep watching tv on the couch in the mornings, then rousing just enough to stumble to my bed without making a detour to the toothpaste. Also since my last visit, I have developed a Gatorade addiction and am unaware of the long term effect that it has on teeth. Those worries turned out to be unnecessary because my teeth got their usual clean bill of health. Even my gums got a good report. Probably because I had skipped the usual flossing the week before my appointment to make up for not doing it during the previous six months. I have decided to cut back to only brushing once a day, but I will start flossing regularly. That combined with my normal over achieving saliva gland should keep my teeth from falling out any time soon.
I learned something important about myself during my dental exam. It began just like usual. The hygienist talked about herself while I lay there with tools and fingers in my mouth. She would occasionally ask a question, and I would grunt once for yes and twice for no. When it was time for the dentist to inspect my teeth, he was still busy with another patient. I was stuck there having to talk to the hygienist without anything in my mouth to keep me from forming full sentences. That was when I realized that I prefer conversations where I don't have to do any of the actual talking but can just nod and occasionally grunt at the appropriate time. So from now on, I am going to keep dental tools in my mouth at all times to avoid having to talk to people.
Who knew that my conversations and dental tools had so much in common - painful and dreaded by most people, but a blessing to Shane as it keeps him from having to talk.
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