One of the many “lessons” my sister and I heard regularly from Ginger, was “take care of your teeth”……we were taken to the dentist every six months for checkups and cleanings, a practice I continue with in my adult years (though I HATE going…..)…….supposedly when my mother was a young girl she was terrified of the dentist and would literally jump out of the dentist chair, and run down the hall, into the elevator, and out of the office….her mother was evidently not able to control her, so her teeth went untreated for years….this unfortunately led to many painful and costly problems – cavities, root canals, gum issues, pain, etc……So as a grown woman, Ginger was very careful with tooth care and often preached about practices/tools she had learned to be of value – electric toothbrush, dental floss, ‘stimudents’, etc…….

For me, perhaps partly because of good dental care, partly because of good genes, I have not had significant dental problems (or braces) other than an occasional filling….I use a regular toothbrush, and while I know I should floss, I rarely do…..shame on me for this, because flossing is an important path to healthy gums, so important as we age….I actually remember telling my hygienist recently to appeal to my vanity – if I think that not flossing will make me look bad (it can, receding gums…), it may be a motivating factor for me….well, hasn’t been yet…..one product I do use about once a year are Crest Whitestrips, I buy the ‘Glamorous White’ and get them at CVS….they are so easy and they really make a noticeable difference…..it is surprising to me that so many people ‘accept’ their yellowed teeth, or maybe they just don’t notice….if you are a regular coffee drinker it is likely your teeth are not as white as they could be. If you tried them in the past and had trouble, try again – they have improved the adhesiveness so you can talk with them on and you won’t sound funny…

As a nurse, I know that healthy teeth can actually contribute to overall good health – there can be cardiac and blood disorders that stem from dental disease…..So, OK Mom, this was a good lesson on many levels….you win. Now where the heck is that dental floss…