Dentist Appointment

Day 136 of writing every day.

Last night I had my quarterly dental appointment for cleaning and observation of oral health. I used to have really good teeth through my teens with the exception of a chipped tooth that resulted from a careless accident at the school playground while in elementary school.

Even though I consider my oral hygiene maintenance practices to be even more thorough than when I was younger, gingivitis seems unfazed by the daily brushing and flossing. My gums have receded to the point that I’m using sensitivity protection toothpaste instead of just the typical fluoride toothpaste.

I didn’t think I’d get gingivitis some years ago but it just happened even with the daily self cleaning after dinner and occasionally during the day when I happened to be at home with a in reach toothbrush and my teeth felt like there was plaque on them after starchy meals.

Gingivitis doesn’t have to be anywhere as dramatic as the nasty dark and discolored gums that are shown to scare you into brushing. If anything it’s the small incremental recession of your gums with next to unnoticeable bleeding or discoloration. The changes don’t happen overnight and my recollection is that one day when I went to the dentist for a check up after a couple years of missing regular cleanings and they’re like omg your teeth look long and your gyms have receded.

Anyways, take care of your teeth, and if you’re scared of going to the dentist, take care of your teeth so when you do go in for a regular check-up, it ends as quickly as possible. To my knowledge, it’s genetics and more specifically your mouth bacteria makeup that can determine whether you have healthy teeth and gums regardless of brushing.

Food and drink are known to have an impact based on the acid/base index, but also how much sugar as well. Bacteria thrive in the presence of sugar, and anything too far away from neutral water will slowly erode the teeth if not properly washed away or protected by toothpaste and or saliva.

The ability to regenerate gums and also at a cost everyone can afford seems to still be in the realm of sci-fi, so once you lose them, there’s no getting them back.

Thanks for reading!