Electric toothbrushes for the win

Today I went to the dentist.  Usually a trip to the dentist involves scraping and poking at my gum line until they bleed.  It's fraught with guilt and deception (you know you've lied about how frequently you've flossed or brushed).  I get more of a lecture there than I got in 18 years of living with my parents.  Yeah, it's that bad.

In the past, I was a lazy flosser and brusher.  I have veneers on my first six upper teeth to fix a slight under-bite and discoloration from a calcium deficiency stemming from a milk allergy when I was young.  Since they're porcelain, I didn't feel like I needed to take as good care of them, which was stupid.  I also didn't visit a dentist for five years.

After starting to see a dentist again, I fell back into my old habits when I was pregnant.  I didn't want to brush or use mouthwash because the taste and sensation made me feel sick.  Flossing made my gums bleed, which is normal in pregnancy due to increased blood flow, but still unpleasant.  Less than a year and a half after birthing that child, I was pregnant again.  I tried to get back on track.  Dental hygiene is important in pregnancy since a bacterial infection in your mouth can get in your bloodstream and get to your baby.  I did a decent enough job until after the birth when I ended up nursing my son and eating round the clock to support my milk production (sorry if that's TMI).  At nearly a year old, we are still nursing, but not nearly as much as before so my eating has backed off.  Since I'm not eating all the time, I now have a tooth routine. 

The last time I was at the dentist, I was told to kick it into high gear because if I didn't start taking better care of my teeth, I'd lose them.  That terrified me so I got an electric Sonicare toothbrush and started my now-current routine. 

Let me tell you, it helped.  I only got picked at for a few minutes and only around the middle four bottom teeth.  I was told to focus on that area because of salivary glands causing issues there, a "common problem for people" and was treated to another demonstration on proper flossing ("make sure to hook it around each side of the tooth").  Otherwise, it was a great visit. 

In summary, I'm glad I shelled out the extra money for the brush.  Anything that helps me keep my teeth is a winner in my book, and who doesn't want to get fussed at less by their hygienist?