Tag Archives: flossing

Habit tracking simplified

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I do much better when incorporating new behaviors into my life when I have a way to track them that’s visual and shows more than just a few days. I found an online PDF, Habit Tracker, that has space to track up to 17 behaviors for one month, so you can easily view trends, skipped days, etc.

One of the activities that is motivating when trying to develop a new habit is checking off each time you do something on a monthly calendar. When you’ve done it for a few days in a row, you see your streak of successfully incorporating the habit, and you don’t want to break the chain. This technique was attributed to Jerry Seinfeld, but he doesn’t claim credit. Whatever. It works!

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Source: https://www.clementinecreative.co.za/reach-goals-free-printable-habit-tracker/

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Healing a deep dental pocket

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Update, July 2021: This post was written four years ago. Find out what happened! Read Swishing with salt water reduces gum disease.

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I went to the dentist yesterday for an exam and cleaning, five months after my previous visit. The best news is that the pockets that had deepened from using the Waterpik on too high a setting and too much angle have returned to 2s, 3s, and a couple of 4s.

Since that appointment, I returned to flossing and using dental picks, as described in a previous post, Rebuilding tooth enamel after drinking water with lemon. I continued to gently brush my gumlines at a 90 degree angle.

That did the job, except for one tooth. The back part of my upper right back molar has pockets measuring 7 and 8 mm (3 or lower is healthy). It was painful when the hygienist was probing with her tool. On earlier visits it’s been 4 or 5 mm deep, concerning but not dire.

Now it’s dire.

I’ve never had any pockets this deep, and of course they want me to see a periodontist. (Beyond that, the hygienist didn’t have much scraping to do, so my plaque levels are down.)

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Image from Brandywine Dental Services

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Healing bleeding, tender gums

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I skipped going to the dentist for three years, and when I finally went, I had a few molar fillings that had decay underneath. They were old, from back when I was a teenager.

I also had several deep pockets. The worst one measured 6. One or 2 is considered good.

I got a couple of crowns to replace those decayed molars, and I got my teeth cleaned. My next appointment for cleaning was in 4 months. I was told to floss once daily and brush twice daily.

I vowed that I would floss every day. And I did. (I still usually just brush once, and again only if needed.)

Working with nutritionist/acupuncturist Olivia Honeycutt at Merritt Wellness, who was having me take Organically Bound Minerals, I also tightened my diet up — no grain, dairy,  or sugar.

When I went back four months later, the hygienist barely had any scraping to do because I had hardly any tartar.
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