Mutt on Nostr: General PSA, please take care of your oral hygiene. Especially if you smoke/drink or ...

General PSA, please take care of your oral hygiene. Especially if you smoke/drink or eat unhealthy foods regularly.

I know it's not easy, I know from experience. That's the whole reason I'm talking about it right now. But in whatever ways you can, take care of it.

I grew up in a household of smokers. All of my parents have lost teeth, one has a fake tooth and the others have full dentures. They're in their 30s. My dad struggled with severe oral pain, teeth falling apart in pieces, rot in his gums and jaws. He chewed garlic every day because he couldn't afford dentistry.

Oral decay and diseases, if left untreated, can spread to your head and brain. It can kill you, even aside from all the suffering beforehand.

I got really lucky by not dealing with much tooth or gum decay despite going months without brushing my teeth at a time. But my luck was up a while ago. Yes, it was due to depression and mental health issues but gingivitis and cavities don't care why you're not brushing, they come anyways. And it's really fucking hard to heal from that.

Teeth don't heal. You have one set of adult teeth for the rest of your life, you /have/ to take care of them.

A few tips and tricks I've learned over the years:

× When you're unable to brush, use strong, antibacterial mouthwash. It's not a replacement but it's leagues better than doing nothing. Even if you do brush your teeth, still use it from time to time for its antibacterial properties.

× Don't buy the small boxes of floss string, buy the packs with individual strings and toothpicks on the end. This reduces the effort of getting the floss ready, it's cheap for a large bag, and the picks are useful.

× Put your toothbrush and toothpaste in the shower. Whenever you're already cleaning yourself, it's easier to just grab it and use it when it's right in front of you and you can spit it down the shower drain.

× Use an electric toothbrush, it's faster, easier, and more thorough. They're more expensive but long lasting, it's extremely worth it.

× Avoid over brushing, especially in an attempt to stop ongoing oral disease. You can strip your teeth of protective material and abrase your gums.

× Set alarms in the morning or night, maybe both if you can manage, if you struggle remembering to do it.

× You have to actively fight against the urge to skip brushing. You HAVE to make the CHOICE to build that habit and it will never become natural to you if you keep skipping days. I get the thought of skipping every time I know I need to brush (I did it yesterday it'll be fine, I'll just spit some water, flossing is enough, etc). But I have to either out loud or in my head /directly/ tell myself "no, we NEED to do this. There is no shortcut." Reinforce the importance of it to yourself.

× Last but not least, if you are having oral hygiene issues do NOT be embarrassed to tell your dentist -- and make yearly dentist appointments (if you have the ability to go to one). Your dentist can tell if you're not brushing or flossing no matter what you tell them. It's better to be honest about your struggles and be offered solutions than to go untreated and let it fester. Your dentist will not judge you if they're a good dentist, which most are. They just want to help.

Final thoughts, if you aren't brushing regularly, it's likely not your fault. But only /you/ can make the choice to form good habits about oral hygiene. Don't feel shame for what you lack, feel proud for trying to do better.

(Also, none of this is about having pearly white teeth or perfect hygiene. Once you've formed the habit, it's okay to skip here and there. It's okay to have yellow teeth. It's okay to have crooked teeth. It's not about how you look, it's about keeping yourself safe).