I started flossing my teeth about four years ago. Up until that point I somehow thought of it as something that only Americans did. My dentist at the time was a fierce Scotswoman who gave me an ear bashing during one appointment “What’s the point in brushing if you’re not going to floss?” She asked like Professor McGonagall with a dental probe. The combination of Hibernian fervour and a fear of future root canals (caused by not using dental floss) started me down the road buffing my teeth with a piece of string.
Another factor preventing me from improved oral sanitation was my poor past experience with floss. The stuff I’d used in the past would split during operation so that I’d just end up with all these individual threads stuck between my teeth. But this time we (Robyn had also been to see Ms. Braveheart by this stage) used dental tape and the difference was massive. It couldn’t break, wouldn’t split and didn’t get snagged, making the entire flossing experience a lot less fuss.
And now I floss every night (I know I’m supposed to do it after every meal but baby steps) and when I think about skipping it so I can get to bed that little bit quicker, I remember Jock McTartar’s intimidating face and figure that I’ve already brushed so I might as well floss as well.
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