Look Ma, no cavities! In this statement, we are not referring to a perfect dental check-up. A cavity is another word for a hole, void or opening. Our guess is that open space is almost non-existent in your house, particularly in your bathroom. This is nothing to brag about. Bathrooms are typically not the largest room in your home, although there are palatial exceptions that afford room for double sinks, toilets, walk in showers, bidets, soaker tubs, medicine chests, vanities, and free-standing cabinet. We can always dream, can’t we? Most bathrooms we see allow standing room for one person, a washcloth and shower cap. Thus, you need to be merciless concerning self-care products that overstay their usefulness. This brings us to the point of this blog. While it is commendable to invest your time and money in maintaining the health of your choppers, do you really need flavored, unflavored, waxed, un-waxed and stick versions of dental floss?
In olden times, people got by with a toothbrush, a tube of toothpaste and a bottle of mouthwash. This no longer the case. Floss is currently the next line of defense to protect your gums. Often clients fortify their oral hygiene arsenal with myriad devices like inter-dental brushes, tongue scrapers, picks and electric toothbrushes. Some dental care products generally introduced as samples in goody bags provided by helpful hygienists after you have experienced a particularly humiliating oral exam. None of these thus far even addresses the obsession with teeth whitening. If you are unwilling to give up coffee, tea and red wine in pursuit of a dazzling smile, you can skip this section. They represent the unholy trinity of stain and no amount of over-the- counter strips or those whitening trays filled with goo will give you the sustainable results you crave. Aging itself ushers in an entirely new category of oral care products to your medicine cabinet. You will need areas to contain dentures, adhesives, special toothpastes and rinses for sensitive teeth.
CRUD Challenge
Stop fretting. This CRUD Challenge is easy-peasy. It’s a mini- purge you can do while you are waiting on hold with an airline, trying to change your flight. It will take about the same amount pf time as it does to whip up a Cosmopolitan to reward yourself after the ordeal is over. Grab your gloves and recycling bag. Start with the gnarly old toothbrushes with the bent bristles. Dentists recommend that you should change your toothbrush every three to four months, so you probably have many to peruse. Don’t want to trash them? Lots of people like to use old toothbrushes for esoteric cleaning jobs. My favorite is employing your over-the-hill Oral B to brush your cheese grater before it goes in the dishwasher.
Throw away any toothpaste tube that contains less than a squeeze of the product. Don’t forget that toothpaste has an expiration date too. Recycle empty floss containers, bottles of mouthwash and dispose of any abandoned torture devices courtesy of the orthodontist. When opening drawers, be sure to check all the way in the back. This is the area where toothpicks tend to permanently lodge. Keep up with the great job you are doing to preserve your teeth for the duration. Just keep the products you actually use. You can replace them when they run out. Hurry up. Your drink is getting warm.
