Waterpik, Routine

I think everyone should use a waterpik/water flosser. It is a genius invention for dental hygiene. I decided to try it out after my dentist bugged me about how my gum/teeth need deep cleaning, which costs $500+ and requires two visits. This dentist (I think she's Korean because I saw her name online but we spoke in English) pointed out my poor dental condition and threatened (maybe too strong a word but that's how I felt) me to get deep cleaning right away. My teeth are not prone to cavities and I've never had any issues with the gum so I was very annoyed (although I have to admit that I've gotten too arrogant and often brushed teeth once a day;;;; since the pandemic when I started working from home). She also disapproved of my using a mouth guard that's not from her office. This was a second visit and proved my first impression from her filipino dentist husband on the first visit was accurate, which they try VERY hard to find any little issues on my teeth and pounce on any chance to upsell their services. I took an instant dislike for them. Even more annoyingly, their cleaning work is super quick and not thorough, which I suspect is an underhanded tactic that creates more problems for patients so they will need to come back for extra treatment. Incredibly unethical!!! I really miss my Korean dentist in Flushing but I have no choice but to go to this office becuase he doesn't take my dental insurance. 

Anyway, back to the waterpik, I use it twice a day to get rid of food particles before brushing. To be clear, it is NOT a substitute for flossing and brushing, but an additional thing to do. There are many different products on Amazon and I think they are all good. Mine is only $20 and works great. Another benefit is that it helps me not snack between meals because the teeth feel so clean after use that I don't want to eat for at least 3 hours. I can't wait to hear what the dentist is going to say next time.

Besides using the waterpik, I have added a lot of habits to my daily routine over the last couple years. I wonder if higher health maintenance is a sign of getting older. Even if that's true, I don't mind it. First thing in the morning, I drink water with psyllium husk and then lemon powder (I don't know if it does any good but mom recommended it), do a plank and before bed, put a tape or whatever between my eyebrows to prevent "11" wrinkles (this really works well, the creases hasn't become worse), use a mouth guard during sleep to prevent tooth damage from clenching, etc. Not only health regimen, I also do other things everyday, mostly studying, English, Spanish, medical coding, pronunciation, watching TV shows by myself and with Max, and reading books, not to mention my work (teaching English, interpretation) is all related to my interests. 

One might think it's boring to do the same things every day but it's actually the opposite. I do them every day and I see changes on my body and learn something new every day. There is not a single thing I want to skip, even on weekends. I would be happy if I could keep the same routine until I die.