Tag Archives: dentist

I Had My Teeth Cleaned By A Dental Hygienist Today — For The First Time In Nearly 4 Years.

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by Anura Guruge
on February 14, 2023

Click to ENLARGE (if YOU dare). I am SORRY it is NOT a pretty sight, & luckily one that people never have to see.

My dentist, Dr. Paul Singh in ‘Gilford’, New Hampshire.

I have an aversion to dentists in general — the current one, a very nice gentleman who we have been seeing for over a decade the one exception.

But, then again dentists don’t like me either, for two very good reasons. As one U.S. dentist told me, point blank, nearly 30 years ago: “I will never make any money from your teeth”. I have teeth like a horse (& haven’t had a cavity in decades). The other reason is that I bitch & moan incessantly.

About 4 years ago I stopped going to the dentist. Bang. No cleanings, no X-rays, no check-ups. Nothing. Just as if I was living in a village in Ceylon. But, as some of you know, as does my dentist, I am, however, obsessive about my oral/dental health. I don’t want any problems BECAUSE then I would have to go see a dentist. My logic, as always, is impeccable. I brush, v. diligently, twice a day & use mouthwash (though sparingly because I think mouthwash can cause diabetes). I use ‘good’ toothpaste.

I did go & see my dentist, last May, because I wanted X-rays taken. My teeth & gums were OK — maybe even fine. But, he was insistent that I get them professionally cleaned. So, I finally relented. I had them cleaned today. I did NOT enjoy it though the hygenist, who we know, was as NICE as possible. I just don’t like things done inside my mouth.

Well, I survived. I even agreed to come back in a year’s time. Given today was Valentine’s Day — we made next year’s appointment on the same day. Easy enough to remember. Same time, same day.

I learned something NEW about mouthwash though they didn’t know that I learnt that. SMILE. I will share it with you once I have done a bit more research.

I really, really, really must do some research into how many people WORLDWIDE get their teeth cleaned.

‘VEGOLS’ Adult Extra Soft Toothbrushes, With 20,000 Bristles, Feel Devine On Your Gums, Especially With ‘Parodontax’ Toothpaste.

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by Anura Guruge
on May 19, 2022

Click to ENLARGE. For Amazon product listing.
Click to ENLARGE. For Amazon product listing.

I, thankfully, have fairly decent teeth. That is very handy in that I hate going to dentists — & do my best not to get my teeth cleaned. As I chronicled here in May 2022, I had gone 3 years without getting my teeth cleaned & my teeth & gums were still ‘OK’ — much to my delight & the surprise of my dentist. He admits, grudgingly, that I take exceptional care of my teeth. That is true.

I used to be very harsh on my gums. I brushed my teeth ultra vigorously with toothbrushes with stiff bristles. I then realized that this was both futile & detrimental. You don’t need to brush hard to remove plaque. So, I switched to soft toothbrushes. In the process I also discovered ‘Parodontax‘ toothpaste — designed to promote gum health.

I had run out of my supply of soft toothbrushes & the supermarket I frequent didn’t have any. So, I turned to Amazon. I am so glad I did. I found these magical ‘VEGOLS‘ toothbrushes. When they arrived I thought that the heads were made out of foam. NOPE. Lots of soft bristles. Brushing with them is divine. No pressure at all on your gums. Just feels great.

And then the toothpaste. It has the same Active Ingredients, in the same concentrations, as all the other leading toothpastes that claim to help gum health. The difference is that the Parodontax has a real appealing taste. It makes your mouth tingle.

So, try out the two. They are not expensive. You will be amazed, impressed & very pleased.

Did YOU Know That Using Mouthwash Might Increase Your Risk Of Getting ‘Type 2’ Diabetes?

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by Anura Guruge
on May 31, 2022

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Click to ENLARGE. Results from a Google search.

I first read about this increased risk of diabetes in “The Reader’s Digest” in 2018. It scared me enough that I stopped using mouthwash! Prior to that I had been an ardent, daily user — heartily gargling away for at least 7 or 8 minutes a day. I had my annual blood work done about 3 months later. My A1C which had remained flat for 4 years had gone down! I was never diabetic, BUT seeing my A1C dip was quite the thing.

I had NOT used mouthwash for the last 4 years. But then, recently, I was FORCED to go back to using mouthwash. I have given up on getting my teeth SCRAPED (i.e., cleaned) by a dental hygienist on a regular basis. NO. NO. It isn’t to do with costs. I just don’t like having my hard earned enamel scrapped by a pseudo-professional for cosmetic reasons. I did get my teeth X-rayed & checked my a dentist recently. Though I had not had my teeth cleaned or gone to a dentist in 3-years, my teeth were FINE! {SMILE} I have teeth like a horse.

But, I do worry about plaque build up & I don’t want to damage my gums by brushing my teeth too vigorously — something I am prone to do. So much so that I now buy ‘Extra Soft’ toothbrushes just to make sure that I do not damage my gums too much. (According to my dentist, much to my surprise & relief, my gums are FINE. Wow.)

So, I have to use mouthwash. I started by using it twice a day — at least 4 minutes at a time.

But, I got scared.

I scaled it back to once a day. At night.

So, just a heads up. Check it out.

P.S., Not sure about your dentist, but mine had NO CLUE as to this supposed link between mouthwash & diabetes. Scary.

I Have NOT Had My Teeth Cleaned By A Dental Hygienist In Over 3 Years, BUT Per My Dentist They Are ‘OK’!

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by Anura Guruge
on May 19, 2022

Click to ENLARGE (if YOU dare). I am SORRY it is NOT a pretty sight, & luckily one that people never have to see.

Close to 30 years (if not more) I would dutifully visit a dentist at least twice a year to get my teeth cleaned & checked out. It was ALL cosmetic. During all that time I never had a filling or dental procedure — bar having to have a crown glued own when I broke a chip in a back tooth crunching on a hard candy. That was it.

Yes, I have teeth like a horse. And as one dentist, famously & telling said: “I will never make any money from your teeth“. They would take X-rays BUT find no cavities. So, other than the X-rays all I was having done was the teeth cleaning — which in my case involved a LOT of scraping (given the VAST quantities of red wine I consume). I hated having my teeth scraped.

So, about 3.5 years ago I decided I am NOT going to get my teeth cleaned.

I was going NATIVE. If I was back in Ceylon (now (bankrupt) Sri Lanka) I would not be getting my teeth cleaned. So, heck with it.

So, I went over 3 years without getting my teeth cleaned.

But, I will confess that I am somewhat obsessive about oral hygiene. I spend close to 20 minutes a day on my teeth & gums. So, my teeth do get looked after quite.

Well, on Tuesday I finally went back to my (dear (Indian sikh)) dentist BUT with the firm proviso: “no cleaning, just X-rays & a check-up“. And that is what happened. They took a FULL X-ray. No cavities. Nothing. Teeth are fine (as I expected). Yes, there is some plaque build-up, but that was to be expected. My gums were GOOD. I was delighted about that. He did the ‘gum pocket’ test & was impressed. So, was I. So, that is where we stand.

Yes, an hygienist could take out some of that build up around the gum line. But, that requires scraping. I hate scraping.

Per my dentist (who is very good), I am in good shape. Yes, I need to maintain my regimen — which I will, I will. So, we agreed that I will come & see him again in 3 years. SMILE. No cleanings. SMILE.