About three weeks ago, my tube of toothpaste reached the point where I could no longer squeeze anything out of the uncapped top, so I took a scissors to the bottom and am still using it. No. I'm not just ignoring my teeth by covering them with a mask or staying home. I actually do brush at least twice a day. I do, however, follow a dental hygienist's advice by only using the tip of a pinky's worth. We've all seen those toothpaste commercials where they spread the paste across the entire brush and give it a cute little swirl at the top. That's what they want us to do. Waste it so we have to go out and buy more.
Brushing is important but flossing is even more so. We leave our floss picks in the den on a table near the couch. Every night when we watch the news, we pass the bag of flossers. I've noticed that if I skip just one night of flossing, the pick stinks after being in my mouth, so I try to do this every night. I've heard that the bacteria between the teeth are like ants building an ant hill. Flossing kicks them to the ground, so they must start over again the next day.
So just think, if you buy toothpaste less often, you have the funds to settle your tooth fairy debt. Back when my youngest was a teeth losing believer, her older siblings got in on the act. They would type notes to her along with the money, which of course did not come from their pockets! They even gave Erica's tooth fairy a name. At the time, she was good friends with a girl in my class and told her all about the tooth fairy's name. So, her mom called me to find out what the name is so that she too could partake in the game.
Since my son had named the tooth fairy, I hemmed and hawed before revealing this most embarrassing tidbit. Under bated breath I told her, "Tina Fartinkle." How's that for a name to tell to a child in your class' mother? Luckily, she too had an older son and understood. We both laughed.
If you like logic about teeth, I have a medical pack that has one of those in it.
