Lots of rain on the central coast CA, though the last two days have been glorious sunshine. More rain coming. The rain is needed, but I’ve had enough.
Might as well spend a gloomy day at the dentist’s rather than looking out at a depressing landscape. Spring is coming, honest.
We’ve had lots of gloomy weather this winter and not much snow — my least favorite combination. Plus, our doctor, who’s been our family-practice doc since 1989, took care of our children all the way through their childhoods, and earned our trust — just retired without warning. We’re having trouble finding another one. So it’s a bit dreary here too.
But Jupiter and Venus were amazing last night (take a peek shortly after sunset if it’s clear where you are) and the calendar says that Kate is right about spring, even if the weather doesn’t. We’re doing our best. I hope, at least, you had a good checkup, Neo!
When looking for new dentist I ask, “How much time is hygienist allowed to spend on each cleaning?” If they say 45 minutes, I make an appointment… and return every 4 months.
Tooth cleaning isn’t so bad, Neo: I actually enjoy it every few months. Modern dentistry is not like the whiskey-dulled extractions of the 1850’s…
Where I go, I get a nice office, friendly dentist and interesting hygienist who has political opinions that I find intriguing. Although it’s difficult to get my debate points across when I have her fingers in my mouth.
Jupiter and Venus were spectacular last night. Cloudy for our walk this evening, so they’re in hiding. — A couple of years ago, the coffee stains on my teeth caused the hygienist to use some kind of water jet thing, and I gagged half the time. Went home and bought an electric toothbrush to prevent a recurrence of the torture. It works.
Come on Neo – Your slipping !
More video links. May I suggest the following:
Get a Sonicare ultrasonic tooth brush, and some dental pic periodontal gum stimulators to keep your gums healthy. My hygienist asked what I did, and when informed, has quit calling for repeat check ups.
Keep the bacteria at bay. It’s Biology Baybee.
By the way, on this whole outrage over ‘re-writing Roald Dahl / Ian Fleming etc etc.
If one just happens to collect e-books, why, don’t be concerned. We’ll just re-write the book and then replace the one in your collection with our new-and-improved version, no need to do anything.
…”Readers who bought electronic versions of the writer’s books, such as Matilda and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, before the controversial updates have discovered their copies have now been changed.”
Its a brave new world out there. Today Ford announced their patent rights application for future self-driving trucks to repossess themselves if lease or car payments are not made.
Let’s see now. I bought this copyrighted material and now it’s been replaced by something different without my consent. Hmmm. Did I buy a book, or a subscription?
Dental hygiene … could be worse.
I’m in the process of replacing a tooth (that literally fell out of my mouth, not even enough left to do another root canal) with a permanent implant.
Just finished the second of 3 phases (bone graph; wait 6 months; insert holder for post; wait 6 months; insert tooth-replica on post).
Our dentist twice-removed retired about 8 years ago, passed us to his buddy in the same building, who retired within 2 years and sold his practice to the current practitioner, who is somewhat younger than us and should last as long as we have teeth to work on.
Nice people, I like the hygienists and office staff, but we don’t talk politics.
The first dentist and I would bad-mouth Democrats during every procedure (he did his own cleaning to cut costs and hassle; said he no longer wanted enough patients to need one). We had some good discussions, although he did most of the talking.
Once we had determined that we agreed on most of our political views, I reminded him of Ronald Reagan’s quip following the assassination attempt: To surgeons, as he entered the operating room: “Please tell me you’re Republicans.”
1. “Government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.”
2. “Surround yourself with the best people you can find, delegate authority, and don’t interfere as long as the policy you’ve decided upon is being carried out.”
3. “The best minds are not in government. If any were, business would steal them away.”
4. “The most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the government and I’m here to help.”
5. “Today, if you invent a better mousetrap, the government comes along with a better mouse.”
6. “Government does not solve problems. It subsidizes them.”
7. “There are no great limits to growth because there are no limits of human intelligence, imagination, and wonder.”
8. “My philosophy of life is that if we make up our mind what we are going to make of our lives, then work hard toward that goal, we never lose. Somehow we win out.”
9. “Status quo, you know, is Latin for ‘the mess we’re in.'”
10. “Entrepreneurs and their small enterprises are responsible for almost all the economic growth in the United States.”
11. “We must reject the idea that every time a law’s broken, society is guilty rather than the lawbreaker. It is time to restore the American precept that each individual is accountable for his actions.”
12. “When you can’t make them see the light, make them feel the heat.”
13. “Republicans believe every day is the Fourth of July. The Democrats believe every day is April 15.”
14. “How do you tell a communist? Well, it’s someone who reads Marx and Lenin. And how do you tell an anti-Communist? It’s someone who understands Marx and Lenin.”
15. “They say the world has become too complex for simple answers. They are wrong.”
Addendum to #14: What do you tell a communist?
Not much; they don’t listen.
Neo;
funny you mention tooth cleaning.
I recently went to the dentist for cleaning and teeth checkup.
I was told that flossing is very important if I intend to keep my teeth.
Anyway, soon thereafter, online, I researched flossing
I was surprised to see that there is really no hard evidence that flossing is beneficial, yet all the dental groups strongly recommend it.
This was really surprising because one would think that there would be copious amounts of documented, hard data that conclusively demonstrates the benefits of flossing.
Regardless, the science is settled, despite the inconclusive science.
While at the dentist I was told by the hygienist that Brand X ( “X” being the mouthwash that everybody has heard of and probably used) was the ONLY brand that kills germs .
So next time I went to the grocery I checked out the ingredients of the “famous” brand and the el-cheapo, store brand.
The list of ingredients was identical.
Granted, the famous brand tastes a lot better and is far more colorful, but aside from that, it appears you are paying up for taste and looks, not efficacy.
Does this settle the science of mouthwash??
Dentistry is expensive!
When you get to a certain age, every dental visit is fraught with potential problems. I am about to start my 3rd(!) implant procedure soon due to having braces in the early days of tooth extractions, consequently causing gums to recede, root decay, etc. The worst part of the implant process for me is the initial visit to extract and put in bone graft materials. No pain, just hate the anxiety I have ahead of time.
Best wishes for good outcomes to AF and to Neo 🙂
@ txnplant > Best wishes for good outcomes to you as well.
I don’t feel a lot of anxiety at the dentist, but for the last procedure I spend 90 minutes laying head-down on the chair, and could barely walk afterwards.
At least we now have decent anesthetics.
I began my career as a dental patient when all they had was nitrous oxide, and we were happy to have it.
😉
I should also note that there is some kind of symbolism in your going to the dentist … and the carving of the marble in the style of a … Ninja Mutant Turtle.
Hope your teeth turn out fine!
Going back to a dentist at age 32 after many years of neglecting that duty, my new dentist said as long as you removed the biofilm forming on your teeth every 24 hours, via brushing and flossing, you would seldom see tooth decay. At that point I still had not had any cavities [and now have had at most one], but he scared me straight about flossing, asserting that even people with low levels of tooth decay can suffer gum disease.
The hygienist at my next dentist suggested my near absence of cavities might be due to having antiseptic saliva. Alternative suggestions include use of fluoridation at an early age and/or drinking more highly mineralized water during childhood. I could also mention favorable genetics, but my parents did not have particularly robust dental health.
As a senior citizen, I am told our gums now tend to recede more from our teeth as we age. The implication is that professional cleaning is then more necessary, as simply brushing and flossing won’t reach deeply enough for a full cleaning. Also, it is a pain (or at least minor discomfort) to have particles of food lodge in those wider openings more frequently than before. C’est la vie!
Not a study, but “anecdotal” evidence on behalf of flossing:
– Once many years ago I didn’t go to the dentist for a couple years due to insufficient funds. I made up for it by flossing every day. When I finally saw a dentist again my teeth were in good shape.
– I still floss nearly every day. If I skip a day there is definitely more “stuff” in my teeth the next day.
Leave a Reply
HTML tags allowed in your
comment: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>
Lots of rain on the central coast CA, though the last two days have been glorious sunshine. More rain coming. The rain is needed, but I’ve had enough.
Might as well spend a gloomy day at the dentist’s rather than looking out at a depressing landscape. Spring is coming, honest.
We’ve had lots of gloomy weather this winter and not much snow — my least favorite combination. Plus, our doctor, who’s been our family-practice doc since 1989, took care of our children all the way through their childhoods, and earned our trust — just retired without warning. We’re having trouble finding another one. So it’s a bit dreary here too.
But Jupiter and Venus were amazing last night (take a peek shortly after sunset if it’s clear where you are) and the calendar says that Kate is right about spring, even if the weather doesn’t. We’re doing our best. I hope, at least, you had a good checkup, Neo!
When looking for new dentist I ask, “How much time is hygienist allowed to spend on each cleaning?” If they say 45 minutes, I make an appointment… and return every 4 months.
Tooth cleaning isn’t so bad, Neo: I actually enjoy it every few months. Modern dentistry is not like the whiskey-dulled extractions of the 1850’s…
Where I go, I get a nice office, friendly dentist and interesting hygienist who has political opinions that I find intriguing. Although it’s difficult to get my debate points across when I have her fingers in my mouth.
Jupiter and Venus were spectacular last night. Cloudy for our walk this evening, so they’re in hiding. — A couple of years ago, the coffee stains on my teeth caused the hygienist to use some kind of water jet thing, and I gagged half the time. Went home and bought an electric toothbrush to prevent a recurrence of the torture. It works.
Come on Neo – Your slipping !
More video links. May I suggest the following:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XB7R0ZxNgC4
or
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoj-5JFR0IY
Warmly
Monte
Sara Netanyahu went to the hair salon — extraction ensued after three hours! Gloomy indeed.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/police-rescue-sara-netanyahu-as-protesters-accost-her-at-tel-aviv-hair-salon/
Thats exceedingly cruel to our host
Get a Sonicare ultrasonic tooth brush, and some dental pic periodontal gum stimulators to keep your gums healthy. My hygienist asked what I did, and when informed, has quit calling for repeat check ups.
Keep the bacteria at bay. It’s Biology Baybee.
By the way, on this whole outrage over ‘re-writing Roald Dahl / Ian Fleming etc etc.
Check this out: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/roald-dahl-collection-books-changes-text-puffin-uk-2023-rm2622vl0?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1677323419
If one just happens to collect e-books, why, don’t be concerned. We’ll just re-write the book and then replace the one in your collection with our new-and-improved version, no need to do anything.
…”Readers who bought electronic versions of the writer’s books, such as Matilda and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, before the controversial updates have discovered their copies have now been changed.”
Its a brave new world out there. Today Ford announced their patent rights application for future self-driving trucks to repossess themselves if lease or car payments are not made.
Let’s see now. I bought this copyrighted material and now it’s been replaced by something different without my consent. Hmmm. Did I buy a book, or a subscription?
Dental hygiene … could be worse.
I’m in the process of replacing a tooth (that literally fell out of my mouth, not even enough left to do another root canal) with a permanent implant.
Just finished the second of 3 phases (bone graph; wait 6 months; insert holder for post; wait 6 months; insert tooth-replica on post).
Our dentist twice-removed retired about 8 years ago, passed us to his buddy in the same building, who retired within 2 years and sold his practice to the current practitioner, who is somewhat younger than us and should last as long as we have teeth to work on.
Nice people, I like the hygienists and office staff, but we don’t talk politics.
The first dentist and I would bad-mouth Democrats during every procedure (he did his own cleaning to cut costs and hassle; said he no longer wanted enough patients to need one). We had some good discussions, although he did most of the talking.
Once we had determined that we agreed on most of our political views, I reminded him of Ronald Reagan’s quip following the assassination attempt: To surgeons, as he entered the operating room: “Please tell me you’re Republicans.”
More memorable lines from Ronaldus Magnus here:
https://time.com/3752477/reagan-assassination-reaction/
These have not lost any relevance in the intervening decades:
https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-most-memorable-words-of-Ronald-Reagan/answer/Swati-Kadyan-1?ch=10&oid=41561812&share=fc53e871&target_type=answer
Addendum to #14: What do you tell a communist?
Not much; they don’t listen.
Neo;
funny you mention tooth cleaning.
I recently went to the dentist for cleaning and teeth checkup.
I was told that flossing is very important if I intend to keep my teeth.
Anyway, soon thereafter, online, I researched flossing
I was surprised to see that there is really no hard evidence that flossing is beneficial, yet all the dental groups strongly recommend it.
This was really surprising because one would think that there would be copious amounts of documented, hard data that conclusively demonstrates the benefits of flossing.
Regardless, the science is settled, despite the inconclusive science.
While at the dentist I was told by the hygienist that Brand X ( “X” being the mouthwash that everybody has heard of and probably used) was the ONLY brand that kills germs .
So next time I went to the grocery I checked out the ingredients of the “famous” brand and the el-cheapo, store brand.
The list of ingredients was identical.
Granted, the famous brand tastes a lot better and is far more colorful, but aside from that, it appears you are paying up for taste and looks, not efficacy.
Does this settle the science of mouthwash??
Dentistry is expensive!
When you get to a certain age, every dental visit is fraught with potential problems. I am about to start my 3rd(!) implant procedure soon due to having braces in the early days of tooth extractions, consequently causing gums to recede, root decay, etc. The worst part of the implant process for me is the initial visit to extract and put in bone graft materials. No pain, just hate the anxiety I have ahead of time.
Best wishes for good outcomes to AF and to Neo 🙂
@ txnplant > Best wishes for good outcomes to you as well.
I don’t feel a lot of anxiety at the dentist, but for the last procedure I spend 90 minutes laying head-down on the chair, and could barely walk afterwards.
At least we now have decent anesthetics.
I began my career as a dental patient when all they had was nitrous oxide, and we were happy to have it.
😉
I should also note that there is some kind of symbolism in your going to the dentist … and the carving of the marble in the style of a … Ninja Mutant Turtle.
Hope your teeth turn out fine!
Going back to a dentist at age 32 after many years of neglecting that duty, my new dentist said as long as you removed the biofilm forming on your teeth every 24 hours, via brushing and flossing, you would seldom see tooth decay. At that point I still had not had any cavities [and now have had at most one], but he scared me straight about flossing, asserting that even people with low levels of tooth decay can suffer gum disease.
The hygienist at my next dentist suggested my near absence of cavities might be due to having antiseptic saliva. Alternative suggestions include use of fluoridation at an early age and/or drinking more highly mineralized water during childhood. I could also mention favorable genetics, but my parents did not have particularly robust dental health.
As a senior citizen, I am told our gums now tend to recede more from our teeth as we age. The implication is that professional cleaning is then more necessary, as simply brushing and flossing won’t reach deeply enough for a full cleaning. Also, it is a pain (or at least minor discomfort) to have particles of food lodge in those wider openings more frequently than before. C’est la vie!
Not a study, but “anecdotal” evidence on behalf of flossing:
– Once many years ago I didn’t go to the dentist for a couple years due to insufficient funds. I made up for it by flossing every day. When I finally saw a dentist again my teeth were in good shape.
– I still floss nearly every day. If I skip a day there is definitely more “stuff” in my teeth the next day.