No more yuck mouth!

GOOD NEWS! My dental hygienist told me that I am "pretty-much-perfect" when it comes to brushing and flossing. Obviously, there is always room for a little more flossing but she let me know not to worry. I left the office hearing “we’ll see you in 6 months!” 6 months? No appointment card in hand, I left without the immediate need for new fillings or crowns and my doctor did not do his usual groaning and sighing when examining my freshly polished teeth. I figure we’ve spent over $15,000 (between me and my insurance) on fillings, root canals and crowns in the last 5+ years so it is about time I notice improvement.

During the relatively painless cleaning, the hygienist asked me if I used tarter-control toothpaste. Apparently, it tends to make the mouth slough away into a slimy film. I have always wondered why that happened and now I know. Apparently, most current toothpastes have a chemical, which causes the sloughing. I decided to investigate and see that Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) is known for that and also makes mouths susceptible to canker sores and ulcers. It has been YEARS since I’ve had a canker sore (knocking on wood) and I give thanks to my dentist and his hard work to keep my mouth as healthy as possible.
I also want to thank the makers of Oral B because I know my little spinning electric toothbrush gets my teeth much cleaner than any manual, rectangular toothbrush ever could.

Back in the 70's, there was a public service announcement that used to play on tv and the main lesson was not to be a “yuck mouth”! The song has been with me all these years so for those of you who can remember, please feel free to sing along with me!

“They call me Yuck Mouth,
‘Cause I don’t brush,
Oh I like my teeth like this,
They call me Yuck Mouth,
‘Cause I don’t brush,
Hey, how ’bout a little kiss?

I got some beef in my teeth,
And some chicken, too
Ow! That’s a cavity,
Hey, that’s new!

If you don’t brush your teeth
Then you, too,
Can be a Yuck Mouth”