Teethbrush

A several years ago my sister introduced me to the Sonicare(TM) toothbrush. She gave it to me for Christmas. I was a little skeptical at first but willing to give it a try. The interesting thing about it to me was not the physics and concept of its operation (cleaning your teeth with soundwaves) but the fact that once you turn it on you can't turn it off; it keeps running until the timer runs out (about 2 minutes). The nature of the thing also requires you to keep it in your mouth while it's running unless you don't mind the high vibration device splattering your bathroom area (and face and eyes) with dots of water, spit, and toothpaste. I wouldn't be surprised if some artist somewhere tried making dot-art or wannabe airbrush pieces with this thing.

I think the designers of this toothbrush must have been extreme anti-libertarian big-government types. Sonicare knows best and what's good for you. They know how long you must brush your teeth for and by Jove you WILL use it for that long and for your own good. They've removed the temptation and ability for you to do a half-ass job.

Well, good for them, it seemed to work. Last year I got off my lazy arse and used my work dental plan for the first time since leaving Berzerkely. Surprisingly, though I did have some tooth aberrations that needed patching, the dentist was reasonably impressed at the lack of decay. I'm convinced that my consistent use of this item had a lot to do with it.

Last week I went to the dentist for a yearly checkup. No new cavities or anything, just a look see and a cleaning. Despite brushing daily, it always seems like when rinsing after a cleaning there always some solid stuff to spit out; as if the dentist goes in and chips out chunks of bone and carves out bits of flesh maybe just to seem like he's doing his job. My mouth certainly feels cleaner afterwards, in that scraped raw sense, like when my mother used to scrub me down in the tub when I was a child and my skin would take on that 2nd degree burn red look just shy of bleeding out micropores. He says it's just build up and that it wasn't that bad. The mouthwash and colored toothpaste just dyed it a nice noticeable green to make it stand out and look impressive. Obviously it was worse last year. Perhaps if I go every 6 months like they say you're supposed to, it will seem less traumatic.

I actually like my dentist. He has an office just a few minutes walk away from my place, is a likable Chinese guy with a strong accent, and has surprisingly modern equipment given the location, equipment I'd never seen nor experienced previously. He even remembered my name and who I was and mentioned that he's even considering buying a house on my block that happens to be for sale. I wish I had taken the time to look, pick, and make an appointment with him closer to when I moved out. I suppose there was that internal hesitation akin to looking for a mechanic. I kind of kept waiting for a recommendation but in the end, even with mechanics, when I find a good one it's by blind luck. At least I have a dentist now, and a decent one.