Last week, I went to my dentist for my annual checkup. I was hoping I wouldn’t have any cavities that needed attention, and, thankfully, I didn’t; I was a little surprised, however, to hear from both the hygienist and the dentist that I have a lot of staining on my teeth, but not necessarily where you would think.
I could be wrong, but when I hear about people with stained teeth, I normally think of the front of the tooth being affected, meaning the area other people see when you open your mouth. In my case, the staining on my teeth is actually in-between, meaning the outer edges of each and every tooth.
I asked the hygienist if the staining is from the copious volumes of coffee I consume combined with smoking, and she actually told me it was more than likely attributed to the coffee. I asked her for some recommendations, and she told me about a specific mouthwash to try that targets the type of staining I have.
Additionally, much to my dismay, she informed me that flossing would be probably the best thing to combat the staining I have in-between my teeth.
I dislike flossing as much as the next person, but I have discovered that the process isn’t nearly as miserable when you use flossing sticks as opposed to an actual string of floss. I imagine using a water pick as a flosser is the least miserable way to approach the process, but I don’t own one, so I’m referring only to what I’ve seen and heard from other people who use them.
If I don’t tackle the staining issue I have sooner than later, I figure I could end up developing more cavities that I would personally like, so I’ve decided to heed the hygienist’s advice and take flossing a little more seriously.
Don’t shoot the messenger, but yes, flossing does make a difference.
Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash
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