Blake Snow

writer-for-hire, content guy, bestselling author

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Tagged dental hygiene

8 hygiene habits that changed my life

blakeroundI’m grateful to my parents for teaching me basic personal hygiene. Things like regular bathing, brushing teeth, grooming, laundry, and hand-washing.

But in recent years, I’ve picked up new habits that have improved my life. My parents probably tried to teach me some of them. Others I discovered on my own or with the help of my wife.

Whatever the catalyst, all of the below have greatly improved my life:

  1. Relentless sun-screening. Several summers ago, I had an epiphany. I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone say, “I wish I hadn’t used so much sun screen.” Upon realizing this, I challenged myself to not get burned that summer, despite getting burned every prior summer through negligence (I’m a pasty caucasian). To beat the sun’s harmful rays, I applied sunscreen whenever I knew I would be exposed to direct sunlight for longer than 30-60 minutes. When swimming, for example, I reapplied often, several times an afternoon. Three months later, I conquered without getting burned once. And to my vain surprise, I was tanner than I’d ever been. Since that successful experiment, I haven’t been burned again, at least my skin hasn’t turned lobster, itched, or peeled. So remember: sunscreen only filters the sun’s harmful rays. It doesn’t block the good stuff like vitamin D and sun kissed skin. Continue reading…

Are beeping teeth the same as x-ray verified cavities?

Back in my day, dentists relied on x-ray to detect cavities!

I have my teeth professionally cleaned and examined at least once a year. Twice if my teeth are feeling extra grimy, which is usually every other year.

Three years ago, my old dentist probed my teeth with an “explorer.” This handheld device supposedly beeps every time it detects a cavity and did once for me. My visual and x-ray exams, however, came back negative.

Of course, instead of saying, “Blake, you have a cavity and I recommend filling it,” my dentist told the hygienist in short hand, “O-6” or something of the sort. You know how they do.

Continue reading…