Whiter Pearly-Whites

My pearly-whites done good.  Or, maybe it was I who done (did) good (well)--sorry, sometimes good grammar has no punch at all.  The first of all the Things I get to do today is head off to the dentist for that twice yearly checkup and cleaning.  But now I'm back (patting myself on my back).  I had a great time there, though this appointment included measuring the pockets around and between the teeth.

The flashy flower that started it all.

For once, and this undoubtable the very first time, there was no underlying guilt or dread attached to revealing the inside of my mouth.  Since the first part of October, my mouth and teeth have been getting much finer care and attention.  See "Tooth Fairy Flower," of  10/9/11, "I Want to Keep Them All," 11/22/11, and "Tea Tree Teeth," 1/15/12 for details of the full journey up to now.

After describing my new oral hygiene regimen to the dental hygienist, we both waited eagerly as she checked the pockets around each tooth.  Cheers erupted four or five times as areas that were "4" now measured "3" or less with no bleeding gums. And it took hardly any time at all to remove tartar (less pain for me) since those deposits were smaller and thinner.

Whiter Pearlies

So it looks like I'm committed to the program.  It took a long while to fully engage my energy on this one.  I'm hearing the Beatles in my own version of "Will you still brush me, will you still floss me, when I'm 64?"  Oh, Yes, Baby!  I'm planning to stay with you forever.

Thank you Dr. Julie Furber and Dr. Elisabeth Kierkegaarde for all your encouragement.

I Want to Keep Them All

I have two dentists.  One I see twice a year for all the maintenance stuff.  The other I see about twice a year as well, but she's family, and we, just like you, seldom (never) do any dental work on family holidays like Thanksgiving or Christmas.  Instead we eat chocolates and sweets, enjoy ourselves and just generally have a grand time (brushing and flossing afterwards, of course).  Her office is in California, a long way from Oregon, so any dental work has to be special, just like the holidays.

My mouth has seen a ton of dental work--I believe "ton" is a technical dental term for the many hours I've spent in the chair over the years.  Repairs for decay and chips, root canals, caps and crowns had left me a rather mismatched and unique gathering of teeth .  I'm sure it made her fingers itch every time I opened my mouth.

Dr. Julie did my two front teeth and all visible teeth on
the right side (my left).

One day she tactfully volunteered that if I would get myself to her office, she would have a go at creating order and beauty with my visible top teeth.  So I did.  I can't tell you it was a picnic having three crowns and a bridge done in one day, but even the temporaries looked better than what I had.  And I went home a few days later with the best teeth I had ever seen.

Seldom does a day pass when I don't consciously appreciate what I see in the mirror, what my tongue feels, and what bites into my toast or an apple.  And now that I'm flossing that bridge, I don't feel the guilt of disregarding her gift to me: lovely teeth for a warm smile.   With my new commitment to flossing, I was a bit taken aback by a the first few words of a post on Dr. Julie's professional Facebook Page:  Did you know that you don't have to floss your teeth?  Dentists recommend that you floss only the ones you want to keep!

Things I get to do today: brush and floss those pearly whites, take really good care of them and say thank you.  So here it is:  Thanks--to you, Julie Furber, DDS, Yucaipa, California.