Here's To Health

Flossing

We all know that dental health is crucial component of overall good health, and in a long-term SHTF situation, it can be the difference between thriving and misery.

I've been going to the dentist for over 40 years.  In my 20s and early 30s I probably didn't go nearly as often as I should have, but never had troubles with cavities and such.  A few years ago, I had to get my gum lines scraped...  it took four visits and was pretty painful.  There was too much space between my gums and my teeth.  I changed dentists last year.  The new dentist was still a little concerned about the gum lines.  I honestly told him that I probably flossed a few times a month.

That's when I learned something.  All my life, I've been under the impression that flossing was to get food out from between the teeth and to "toughen up" the gums.  Turns out that is not the case.  The purpose of flossing is to scrape bacteria from between the teeth so that the gums will adhere to the teeth like they are supposed to.  I've probably been to 7-8 dentists over my lifetime, and I've never heard that before my current dentist.  Well, after he told me that, I've been diligent about my flossing.  I went back earlier this week, and almost all of my gum line gaps were where they were supposed to be.  A few were slightly deeper than normal, but still an improvement over my last visit.  Flossing works.  I'd really encourage folks to include plenty of floss in their prep storage, and the free samples from the dentist's office are good additions to the barter larder.


Eyeballs

I try to make a habit of wearing eye protection whenever I am out working in the yard, and always when I am shooting.  My wife is going this week for a shotgun lesson at the local trap field.  She wears prescription glasses, which are OK for yard work and plinking out back, but she wanted some real shooting glasses for her lesson.  We first went to Green Top Sporting Goods, the area's best gun and fishing store and a local landmark (it even appeared in one of Patricia Cornwall's Dr. Kay Scarpetta novels).  They had several varieties of shooting glasses, but none that would fit over her glasses.  We did pick up 20 gauge club rounds with the help of George, a salesman that I used to work with years ago.

Next, we went around the corner to the Bass Pro Shops where they had a larger variety of shooting glasses, but none that would go over glasses.  We finally went to Home Depot and found some safety glasses specifically designed to go over glasses, but they are clear and not very attractive.  But they will do for her class.

Amazon actually has a pretty good selection of shooting glasses that go over glasses and look pretty decent.  Even if you are like me, and normally wear contact lenses, you ought to pick up a pair or two of over-glasses safety glasses... just in case.