Flossing

I hate to floss. I have always hated to floss.  BUT, last year I decided that if I were going to save money, I needed to develop the habit of flossing.  After talking with the dental hygienist, I decided that my way of flossing, while not the best, was the one I could follow.  The 2015-2016 year was going to be an experiment.    The first checkup was good but the dentist told me I needed to floss every day;  I was only doing it a few times a week.  So, with new resolve, I started flossing every morning after brushing my teeth.  Again, not the optimal plan but better than nothing.  I am pleased to say that my next 6 month checkup was much better...keep doing what you are doing the dentist told me.

The point of this rant is the importance of prevention.  Since I no longer had dental insurance, keeping my teeth and gums in good health was necessary to keep costs down.  Yes, I have to pay for my dental checkups and for one cleaning per year and if I keep my teeth and gums healthy, I can save money in the long run by not having the expense of cavities, root canals, etc. 

While I can’t say, statistically speaking, that because I am flossing daily that my dental bills will be smaller over the long run, I can say that I feel virtuous because I am being proactive.  I am doing what I can to have healthy teeth and gums and perhaps to help ward off  heart disease.  The science is not making a correlation between healthy teeth and a healthy heart; however, there seems to be a link.  Could the link be habit related?  People who floss and have twice a year dental checkups may also exercise and eat better, thus reducing their chance for heart disease. So I start off my day with a healthy habit and plan to implement other healthy habits throughout the day.  Yes, plans can go awry.  I have noticed that since my new habit of flossing daily has become second nature, I am thinking more about other healthy habits.  Still working on moving from the thinking stage to the action stage – at least I’m thinking. 

What healthy habits do you have?  Have you tried overnight oats?  This is one of the easiest and most nutritious breakfasts I have ever made.  Google it and create your own variations.  Respond in the comment section on the web version….