January 20th, 2025
I love the dentist. Often people are surprised when I say this but I truly look forward to going. I actually find it relaxing. I can lean back in the chair, I don’t have to say or do anything, and I love the feeling of clean teeth walking out of the office. I even like the scraping part- get rid of all that plaque! I guess I know I am getting something beneficial for my body and that feels good. I don’t care that I am 48 either- I still like getting my little bag with a new toothbrush and some toothpaste. I asked my dentist a few years ago how often they recommend getting teeth cleaned. The answer was four times a year but insurance only pays for twice a year, which is why we have normed to that standard. It is truly sad that insurance companies dictate so much of our health. However, I try to go every three months.
Truth be told though, it’s probably necessary with the amount of sugar I was consuming without flossing. I have always been a formidable brusher. I will brush twice a day religiously but flossing- that’s a once or twice thing right before I go to the dentist just so my teeth and gums don’t look so ridiculous. Of course, they know I don’t floss because my gums are always swollen and tender to the point that they bleed when flossing. My constant hard brushing doesn’t help the situation either.
It’s a miracle that I have never had a cavity given my addiction to sugar. I credit that to several things. 1. My parents were like clockwork taking me to the dentist and I was lucky enough to have a good dentist who did plenty of fluoride treatments growing up. 2. I think I am a bit lucky with the DNA on this one. 3. Aside, from my twenties, I have constantly gone to a dentist for the last 20 years. 4. I was fortunate enough to have some preventative caps on my molars- Someone was wise enough to say- you are at high risk for a cavity- let me try to stop it. 5. I always brush. The real irony is that I will probably lose all my teeth one day because I brushed out my gums. Apparently, the gumline doesn’t grow back- so I guess I messed that up.
Only being 22 days into 365 sugar free days, I don’t think I impressed the dental hygienist with my clean teeth and healthy gums. Although not hearing a compliment like, “Your teeth look great! What have you been doing?”, I mentioned that I had stopped eating sugar. She kindly indicated that there was no change. But I am confident. I found this on Colgate’s website here.
The World Health Organization (WHO) suggests there is a direct relationship between the amount of sugar one consumes and risk of cavity development. They recommend limiting sugars to less than 10% of your total dietary intake and aiming for 5%. Why? Limiting sugar is a positive step in improving overall health and is vitally important when it comes to preventing tooth decay. Sugar is a food source for plaque bacteria in our mouths and contribute to enamel erosion and tooth demineralization; the first stage of tooth decay.
So I have three more months to go back and see what progress I can make. Every time, I walk out of the dentist, it’s a new opportunity to reset and do better! And given the paragraph above, I don’t need sugar to ever touch my teeth.