Friday 10 September 2004

Pic of the day: I brush my teeth and think of you, and of the NaNoWriMo I shall win ... if not this year, then perhaps the next. One day ... but first:

(Acci)dental matters

Yesterday I went to the dentist. I usually go twice a year, but this summer it got kind of lost in the hectic activity. So I got a new card for yesterday. This time I showed up, not quite without a small feeling of dread. Like most people I don't enjoy a visit to the dentist, although I don't have the all-out panic that makes some people turn home half way.

This time I had two small cavities. I got a new appointment to fix them, or rather to fix one of them. We only take one at a time. I suspect the reason for the cavities was that I quit chewing sugarfree gum. For a while I used to chew gum with xylitol, which for some reason is not just harmless but actively protects the teeth. It is a natural substance too; not that these matters to me, but I guess some of you are in the "natural equals good" camp.

On the bright side, the dentist praised me for having done away with the plaque and stones that used to sit at the base of my teeth. All praise for this goes to my personal Cute Rival in writing, the exceedingly smart and entertaining Tsaiko. She accidentally bought a new type of toothpaste with glittering sparklies on an electric blue background. I went and bought a tube of the stuff myself, partly because of the interesting minerals in it, partly because it reminds me of Tsaiko. It is called "Colgate total plus whitening". Yes, I still had two small cavities, but they were the whitest cavities I've ever had! And the lack of plaque and stones bodes well for the future, if any.

Next appointment was for the 17th at 9:30 in the early morning. (I'd ask you to wish me luck, but I'm writing this on the 18th so it's a bit late for that! I guess I should get up to date with this thing.)

Henceforth the world shall know me as "Sparkle Toothpaste Guy."