Preventative Measures

My face feels rather peculiar at the moment.

A little more than two hours ago, Novocaine (or something similar) was injected into the upper right-hand side of my mouth, and now most of that area is numb to the touch (I checked). One of my pre-molar teeth had a small fracture in it; it wasn't a cavity yet, but it would provide a place for bacteria to hide out and form a cavity. As such, it was decided that the best thing to do would be to nip that problem in the bud. After all, it's much easier to deal with a problem before it becomes an actual problem.

As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Last week, when I was having my routine check-up and cleaning (which is where and when the fracture was identified), my dental hygienist was, well, gushing over my teeth, and how good of a job I had done keeping them clean. I don't want to sound like I'm bragging. I simply like to keep my teeth clean, and apparently, it shows. I've had to have at least one cavity filled before, and though I don't remember much about it, I do remember that the experience, well, sucked. Afterwards, I found myself thinking that I would prefer not to go through that again.

I am somewhat careful about cleaning my teeth. Floss, then brushing, then rinse with mouthwash in the evening, sometime before bed. Brushing at least once earlier in the day if possible (and if I remember to). Don't get me wrong, I have my lapses; I forget to brush my teeth earlier in the day more often than not, and there have been times that I've skipped flossing and mouthwash because it's late and I'm tired and I just want to go to bed, but I still have to brush my teeth. It happens. But I try to take care that it doesn't. Because after all, it's cheaper to care of them at home than have them taken care of at the dentist's office.

Here are the numbers, taken from the personal hygiene aisle of the local grocery store:

Floss: $1.79 - $2.99
Toothbrush: $0.99 - $8.17
Toothpaste: $1.29 - $6.39
Mouthwash: $3.29 - $7.79

You can probably get everything for under $20, and with proper usage, they will last for maybe three or four months. Compare that to getting fillings, which, depending on how many teeth need to be filled, and what material is used to do the fillings, could cost anywhere between $50 and $4500!

Five to ten minutes a day cleaning your teeth is starting to look a lot more appealing, I should think.