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To Brush with no Brush?

This last weekend my wife and I went on a quick outing to visit my in-laws.  It was a great trip if I must say so myself.  We packed up all the things we needed and made sure we had the correct toiletries as well.  One of the more important things that I am sure to bring is my toothbrush.  Honestly, I usually pick up a travel toothbrush that has suction cups on the bottom.  It sure makes pulling it out and being able to put it down on a stranger's sink much more comfortable.  The convenience of simply smacking it down and having the bristles not touch the sink is a great relief.  I am sure we have all experienced the hotel toothbrush blunder and never trusted if that toothbrush was safe again.  

So we arrived at our in laws with all the necessary things we needed and began to have a great weekend.  First we simply said our hellos and then went right to unpacking.  We got our toiletries set up and clothes put away. Then it was off to have some fun. Basketball was on the list since it was finally warm enough to enjoy the outdoors.  It was possibly not the best idea since I got a bit sweaty and we still had other plans for the afternoon.  I didn’t have time to get a shower so I went off to a day hike a little bit sweaty.

We found a new park to visit which was completely surprising that no one had been to it yet. It was located about ten minutes from their home and was a new experience.  The trail we went on led down a ravine to a nice river.  It was a great hike even though I somehow got a staple implanted in my shoe.  I noticed the pain and was able to pry it out with my pocket knife.  Sure it's nice to have one of those. The hike was great and the weekend lovely, but we made a big mistake on the way home.

We left our toiletries at our in-laws' house. So when we got home that night we had no toothbrush. It really is a bad feeling to have bad breath and my wife and I had the conversation about brushing with toothpaste and no brush.  I had remembered it was bad to do so aka brush with your finger.  After looking it up, and much to my dismay I was wrong.  It is indeed much more healthy to brush your teeth with your finger than to do nothing at all. Remember to stay healthy and always listen to your healthcare provider!

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The Cost of Not Brushing

From a young age most Americans are told to brush their teeth when they wake up and before they go to bed.  It is something that is instilled in most children at a young age.  Many fights on a daily basis usually take place in most households because of this simple habit.  But many people do not realize how important brushing their teeth really is until its too late.  The actual cost of not having a successful toothbrush habit can be far more expensive in later years of life.  When you are children and you have baby teeth, at least if the habits of brushing don’t happen or they eat way too many poor foods those teeth will fall out and the damage caused won't really matter.  The true damage is not learning and having issues later in life.

The cost of a simple cavity can be up to 2000 dollars to have fixed.  First you have to see a dentist and get that appointment set up. Then they will most likely have to do an x-ray to see the full damage and then go and most likely make another appointment to fill it.  This is all going on while you are in extreme pain and the cost is simply more than just money at this point.  From there the damage to teeth can only get worse.

The major issue if people do not brush their teeth goes way beyond the simple price tag the dentist has.  The scary part is that it can cost you your life.  Dental hygiene is meant to prevent lots of different diseases and if left unchecked this can be a major way to end up in an early grave.  Yes that sounds extreme but gum disease is very real and when your gums are injured they leave ways for bacteria to seep into the bloodstream. From here many issues can occur and most of them are much more serious and involve cardiovascular problems.  

The expense of those issues far outweighs the simple time it takes to brush your teeth on a daily basis. Using proper technique and high-end dental products can keep your true full-body health on track and save you much financial, emotional, and physical trouble. As soon as I read this information and found out the importance of dental hygiene, I began to take it more seriously.  Knowing that something so small could save my family heartache and financial trouble all due to my being lazy made all the difference to me.