Flossy

Something I am kicking butt at right now:

This was kind of a depressing entry.  I don't feel like I"m kicking butt at much of anything.  For the most part I feel like I'm holding my own.  Even areas of my life where I think I am doing well--such as in my teaching, where I feel like I'm doing some of the best teaching of my life--I feel like I could still do so much better that claiming I'm "kicking butt" seems to overstate things.  Likewise, I'd like to think I'm doing an amazing job as a father and husband.  In some areas, I think I really am amazing, and in others not some so much.  Overall: holding the line.  No butt kicking, no names being taken.

But then, I thought of one small area where I really have been doing awesome:  Flossing.

This is my preferred brand of floss

I have always hated, and still hate flossing.  But after my last cleaning on July 28 I just decided, "I'm going to floss everyday no matter what."  And I did. It's ironic because right around that time I across an article, in the New York Times no less, reporting that the value of flossing in terms of preventing cavities is unproven.  It's been assumed, but there really hasn't been proper research done to confirm this dentist-recommended practice.  It was the perfect "out" for me.  But  I had already made the commitment. I already had a couple weeks of perfect daily flossing and I didn't want to break my streak.  And besides, cavities aren't a real worry for me. I do feel like I can feel a real difference in my teeth when I floss, so even it turns out not to prevent cavities it still leaves my teeth feeling a lot cleaner.

Since the end of July I've only missed a stretch of 3-4 days, maybe 2 or 3 times when we ran out of floss and I didn't have a chance to get to the store to buy more.  I'm really curious to see what my hygienist will say when I see her in January.  Will she be able to tell the difference this time around now that flossing has been a regular part of my oral care regimen? I believe she will.

The funny thing is four months in, it's still not what I'd call a habit.  I don't just do it without thinking about it. I still don't feel like flossing, I still have to make myself do it.