Skating Uphill
By
Judith Lawrenson
March Issue
“Combining a healthy lifestyle feature with a discussion of women who give back? Piece of cake, my friends!” The Uphill Skater
I go to the dentist. You go to the dentist. Yes, like it or not, we all go to the dentist. Since we all must do it, let’s discuss the benefits of good oral hygiene as it relates to being in a totally healthy good zone. We have talked here in this column about everything from sex to heartburn, to ingrown toenails, so now it is the time, dear ladies, to talk about teeth. I know it is boring-no pun intended- but as I researched the topic for this article, I found out tons of things I did not know.
We all get that you should brush twice a day, right? But, did you know that it is not necessarily a good thing to overbrush? I did not even know what “overbrush” meant until my son was told had had receding gums and had to have tissue grafts to correct the situation. It was expensive, painful and took weeks to heal. So, twice a day with a soft brush, floss, and rinse with a mouth wash.
Flossing is old hat. Everybody’s dentist tells them to flow and I for one almost never do it. I save myself with two relatively new procedures. I have a waterpik. It has a little round soft brush on the end, and I use that instead of the pointed squirty thing. The other thing is a mouth rinse and my dentist tells me that this has proven more and more to be of great value in a program of good oral hygiene. I rinse regularly. It is easy and I like easy. Sorry if this is too personal, ladies, but that’s the facts of the matter. My dentist recommended Listerine in any flavor. This is not a commercial. As you know Skating Uphill does not do commercials, but I will just say that is what was recommended.
Brushing and rinsing are both good for lots of things as we know. One of the important offshoots of poor dental hygiene is bad breath. Ick, not that! Yes, haven’t you ever sat next to someone or worse yet, been stuck with someone with that awful breath? Well, often bad breath can be a sign of something worse than not brushing your teeth. Decay, gum infection, and even prediabetes can be causes of bad breath. Did you know that poor dental care can even cause poor lung function? Wow!
What else can we do to complete a healthy picture. Well, I hate to go on and on, but pretty much all dentists will tell you two things: quit smoking and cut back seriously on sugared drinks. We do not need another lecture on smoking, obviously, but sugared drinks are a real culprit too. The sweet liquid not only adds empty calories to your diet, but sloshes around your whole mouth and throat and remains on your teeth for hours after consumed unless you brush immediately. No Bueno!!
All those things having been said, and on a bit of a different subject, did you know that there are more women dentists than men. My dental practice is a mother and daughter office. I know what you are thinking, one is a dentist and the other is the hygienist. Wrong. Both are dentists and do implants, retainers, and some oral surgery as well. I love these ladies. The mom is a raw-feed vegan and the daughter is a Southern cook with a capital “S.” I am a vegetarian who eats fish, so we go round and round. The mom was a pioneer in many areas of dental practice and partners with several other offices for a variety of services. She is about seventy and still going really strong, I might add.
Being a woman dentist may not seem earth shattering or world changing to some, but these two women are out to make the world a better place. Both have volunteered in foreign mission, do gratis work for indigent patients, and mentor other young women. We each do what we can for the sisterhood I hope, and try to not only do good for others, but to support each other as achievers, movers, and shakers. Love, Judith
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