My posts have all been a bit deep and introspective lately so I thought I’d write something a bit more cheery about (drum roll) – – teeth! A lot of us notice the positive effects of no alcohol on our sleep, our bowel habits, our weight and other physical concerns – for me a big one is teeth. I’ve been blessed with quite nice teeth but when I was drinking a lot I didn’t look after them as well as I should and it was starting to show. A daily reminder that my body wasn’t taking the punishment I was giving it unscathed. It’s hard to clean your teeth well though when standing up is a challenge! Rushing in the morning when you’ve overslept doesn’t lend itself to good dental care either. Trips to the dental hygienist would fill me with dread. Each time as I lay back in the chair with my mouth prised open she would exclaim about the sorry state of my teeth; take photos to show me just how awful they really were and quiz me on my habits and brushing technique. An early return would be recommended with a double appointment as one just wasn’t long enough for teeth this dirty and I would shuffle out armed with new things to use feeling like a naughty kid.
Since I stopped drinking (306 days ago) I have cleaned my teeth religiously every night. Interdental brushes in every space and a proper brush every time. My gums no longer bleed either. It’s a daily reminder that I’m taking better care of myself without alcohol, whatever else is going on and that’s a nice motivator. I was disappointed the hygienist didn’t seem to realise how much better they were on my last visit. ‘It’s been 6 months since I last came – can’t you see the difference’ I wanted to say but couldn’t speak with the cleaning in full flow. It all took a lot less time and hurt a lot less though, and I noticed that even if she didn’t! My teeth are not perfect but they are clean and cared for now and that’ll do for me. 😀
doctorgettingsober 
Great progress! I have a hard time caring enough to keep care of my teeth. I know it’s going to come back and bite me in the butt, but that hasn’t yet proven to be enough of a motivating factor. 😬
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I really noticed a difference. Less staining, less sensitivity, less bleeding.
Small things add up.
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Wow I just realised my gums don’t bleed nearly as much and I definitely don’t have a ‘red’ tinge to them anymore. I have a check up soon, I really hope they give me the form to complete that asks me how many units of alcohol I drink!! You’ve spurred me on to use interdental brushes too! 👍 xx
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Funny how when we’re drinking we think that we’re doing what we really want to do for ourselves, but in the end neglect the very self speaking. While I’ve miraculously managed to keep brushing my teeth daily regardless of my drinking, I am always too tired to brush at night (which is when Dentists advise if only brushing once a day), and leaving it till the morning, often GAGGING my way through it. Joy…
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306 days! 🎉🙌😁✨😘🦷🧚♀️
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