Tag: Teeth

• Early Morning Confessions

  Posted at 7:06 AM by Brittany, on April 21, 2015

  1. I know you’re all waiting on the edge of your seat to find out how my dental appointment went to get a foreign chunk of matter cemented to my tooth, also known as a crown. Well I’m jazzed to report I did not need one after all, and instead my tooth was stuffed with a composite filling. Big fat win because you can’t even tell I had a hole in my tooth, and I can now successfully move forward with my life.

  2. I’ve been spending a solid chunk of my time with other peoples fur children. Back to back to back house/pet sitting is keeping me busy. Meet my current time filler, Lobby.

  

  3. A customer came into Starbucks last Friday and handed me $100. He then leaned in and whispered to me, “I know this is a total pain in the a#$, but can you use this for the people after me until it’s gone?” Good Samaritan, it is no pain in my a#$ at all to pass on feel goods to the world. And for that, I thank you.

  4. I’ve had an insatiable craving for both cinnamon rolls and apple fritters lately. The kind you’d buy at a bakery laden with sugary glaze. I tried to combat these cravings by making my own cinnamon rolls. I put ground coffee in the center because why not.

  Well I’ll tell you why not…I put TOO MUCH coffee!! I never thought I’d type those words. I ate all of them, but they need some work.

  

  Before going into the sauna.

  5. I’m already wishywashing my current plans for my future. I’m a lost cause.

  6. When I’m not wrangling other peoples children pets I’m spending time with mine.

  

  7. I’ve been enjoying spending one of my days off each week in Seattle. I go run around Greenlake, walk around it, and then I eat. I eat all the things.

  8. I’m loving walking around my town lately, and pretending I’m somewhere else.

  Like Italy.

  

  I think this is what a rustic Italian building would look like.

  

  9. I seem to have some kind of digestive intolerance to nuts, specifically peanut butter. This is a very depressing discovery. I’m going to avoid nuts for a bit and see how it goes incorporating certain types back into my diet in the future.

  10. With that said, I tried a random new rice cake combo. Instead of my usual nut butter and fruit combo, I swapped in coconut oil. I tried it with cinnamon and dried figs, and loved it so much I ended up dipping the figs straight into the oil.

  

  My mind was blown all the way to mars. Obsessed.

  Q: What’s your confession?

  

  | 61 Comments Tagged Cats, Coffee, Confessions, Random, Running, Teeth, Vegan

• Rooting the Canal

  Posted at 6:50 AM by Brittany, on April 13, 2015

  I need a t-shirt that says, “I survived my first root canal.” I would proudly wear it around town because the words are true, and I’m here to tell you everything about the procedure went as smooth as the inside of my freshly cleaned tooth canal.

  

  Before – big black hole apparently ate the bottom of my tooth.

  This is probably the most xra(y)ted photo I’ve shared on the blog. You can see in this photo the twilight zone like black hole I discussed in this post, which prompted my dentist to think I needed drilling, scrubbing, and plugging.

  Naked xray teeth and potentially dirty comments. I’m getting wild today.

  

  In an attempt to not bore those who don’t care, I’ll make this recap quick and dirty.

  1. I asked if I could see the stuff that was scrubbed out, thinking a linguine like nerve would still be there. It was not, and the endodontist thought I was crazy.
  2. A needle was shoved into my gum to turn the side of my face into a numb pile of jello. This was the worst of it all. Until I went numb.
  3. I went numb, and couldn’t tell if I was leaking drool on myself. It was adorable.
  4. A dental dam was placed on my tooth, which meant it was the now the appropriate time for conversation. At least that’s what the endodontist thought when he kept asked me questions about Starbucks.
  5. Drills were fired, and holes were made. OK just one hole, right in the center of the tooth. Tooth dust flew like magic fairies in the wind.
  6. Tiny brushes went in and out, in and out, scrubbing out any residual bacteria inside the canal. There wasn’t much in there. Like an empty saddened soul.
  7. Tiny files were also pushed in and out of the canal to size for a cone like plug.
  8. The cone like plug was placed into my tooth to close up the hole, some other stuff, some heat was applied, and the hole was covered.

  Bada boom, bada bing. 

  

  This process was not nearly as frightening as I anticipated. I was intrigued and totally fascinated by it all. I was able to watch in the reflection of the light a few times and I felt like a kid in a candy store. I think my interest in teeth is returning.

  

  THIS is the end result, like a cool science project. I’m just waiting for the tooth to start spewing lava or something else exciting that kids do at science fairs.

  Long story short the procedure was maybe 35 minutes top to bottom, the canal was cleaned, and then it was plugged. After inquiring about the process I was informed the main point of this was to clean and plug the hole so that bacteria cannot grow. Empty spaces are prime spots for bacteria to live. The nerves that usually live within these canals take up the empty space, but mine decided to go on a permanent vacation.

  Thus the root canal.

  

  Post procedure I felt completely fine despite not being able to feel my face for a few hours, so I went for a run in the sun and ate as much food as my belly could hold. Including the above cupcake. Recap of my solo foodie adventure in my next post.

  I drool in my sleep so this was nothing I couldn’t handle. The only side affect I felt was slight pressure in my ear the next day and some mild inflammation. I literally had zero post procedure pain, and went about my day. It wasn’t at all what I thought.

  If you want more, check out this video. Also I’d like to make very clear I did NOT loose my tooth, it’s still very much in tact. Next up – a crown.

  Q: Was this at all what you thought? I was terrified for nothing, it was fine. I feel like an elite member of a special club now. 

  

  | 58 Comments Tagged Dental, Root Canal, Teeth

• Humbled

  Posted at 5:58 AM by Brittany, on April 9, 2015

  When I was younger I longed for the chance to cover my eyes with glasses, and bling my mouth with braces. I also had a hair cut that resembled a mop and wore the same outfit daily, so I can’t say this was my strongest decade of life.

  I have 20/20 vision so the glasses were out, but when I was 15 my wish was granted for a face full of metal. My teeth were never “terrible” and I only had to wear the braces for a little over a year, but I loved every minute of them.

  

  2005 – the time when my hair was long and black, and my skin was orange.

  This is when my fascination with teeth was born.

  I wanted to work in the dental field for a while, and although I’ve detoured from that path I still find teeth to be intriguing and I take great pride in my own.

  

  I’m not a very fancy gal. My idea of dressing up is splashing some mascara on my lashes, and throwing on a loose fitting summer dress with Teva sandals. I proudly go days without washing my hair, and the only time I wear it down is when it’s cut so short I have no choice. What can I say, I’m a minimalist.

  The one physical attribute I take pride in, and put all my effort into is my teeth. If you asked me what my best quality was I’d probably say my smile. I may skip washing my hair, but my teeth always get the full treatment morning and night. I wear my retainers diligently, and my idea of pampering is alone time with my Sonicare.

  

  2010 – holding a clay molar. Still orange.

  I’ve never had any “serious” dental work, so you can imagine my dismay when my dentist expressed concern about a twilight zone like black hole that appeared at the base of my tooth on a routine panoramic x-ray taken at my last dental checkup.

  The words “root canal” were thrown around like a flying playground ball in a game of four square. My heart sunk, and my face went white. I was sent to the oral surgeon, who sent me to an endodonist, and he confirmed my fears.

  

  “You need a root canal. Your tooth died slowly and quietly, possibly shortly after you got your braces or wisdom teeth removed.” Oh swell, my price and joy is officially tainted, and I am officially humbled. This was an excellent reminder that not everything is what it seems. I had no external signs of a problem – no pain, no swelling, no extra red gums, nothing. Anything can have faults…

  …including teeth that look normal and are treated better than small children.

  There was no rhyme or reason behind why my tooth decided to go awol on me, it just did. My appointment to have the soul ripped from my body  root taken out of my tooth is today, and I admit I’m somewhat terrified. Once the rool canal is completed my next step is to get a crown. I’ve never even had a cavity, and this is like going from 0 to 60.

  

  Call me a contradiction, but I think my survival of this procedure calls for a cupcake.

  Just don’t tell my dentist. 😉

  Q: Have you ever had a root canal? A cavity? An ego blow?

  

  | 70 Comments Tagged Life, Teeth

• Holistic Oral Care

  Posted at 7:38 AM by Brittany, on May 28, 2014

  I don’t talk about it much on the blog, but I’m a bit of a self proclaimed “crunchy granola.” My friends often laugh at me when they discover some of my hippie tendencies. I eat a plant based diet and treat my body well on the inside, but what about the outside?

  

  Get in my belllaayy!

  I stopped using store bought deodorants about four years ago, & my shampoo goes back and forth between minimal ingredient products and baking soda/ACV (I need to find a good DIY shampoo!)

  I don’t use lotions much, but if I do they are very basic, or I just use coconut oil. I also use coconut oil to remove the small amount of vegan friendly mascara that I wear, and my soap is usually locally sourced and made with natural oils. Excuse me while I go hug a tree.

  Basically I try to minimize any added “junk” to my outside body. It makes me feel good, so I roll with it. To each their own right? That’s not to say if my only option for shampoo is a bottle of Suave and my hair looks like a busted grease ball I won’t use it, because I will.

  I’m not that extreme.

  

  This is straight magic.

  One thing I struggled to get away from was mainstream toothpaste. As an avid coffee drinker, I had a hard time letting go of my fluoride filled Arm and Hammer toothpaste. I was convinced the baking soda in this toothpaste was the only way to achieve a bright white smile.

  I bounced between Arm and Hammer and Xyli-White.

  

  I like Xyli-White, but it never really blew me away.

  I’m a big believer in essential oils, and I have a nice collection that ranges from lavender and lemon, to “peace and calming” and thieves.

  

  I recently started using a toothpaste/mouthwash made with thieves oil. Thieves Oil is a blend of five essential oils that are documented to be highly anti-infectious, antiviral, antibacterial, and antiseptic. To learn more about this amazing oil click here. Or click here. Do it.

  

  I’ve never been a fan of alcohol based mouthwashes, which are 90% of the mouthwashes on the market. The alcohol actually dries your mouth out, and can cause WORSE breath than what you started with.

  Sure, the alcohol can kill bacteria, but a dry mouth can breed it. 

  OK enough science, how about some photographic evidence? This stuff gets my teeth brighter, whiter, smoother, and cleaner than any other product I’ve used. I’m hooked and beyond obsessed.

  Sorry, I had to.

  For the record, this post is all me. No compensation or products were received in exchange for my thoughts, I just love it! I also LOVE the flavor. It’s very unique, and I find myself excited to swish this stuff!

  

  Yay teeth! Some of you know once upon a time I was going to school for dental hygiene, so I’ve always had a bit of a thing for teeth. This feeds not only my passion for teeth, but also my passion for a natural lifestyle. I just can’t hang with a lot of the ADA approved shit.

  I can continue to drink my beloved black crack AND have a bright white smile. Along with the oral care I have thieves hand soap, house cleaner, and straight up oil. The therapeutic and holistic properties of essential oils are fantastic, and they fuel my inner granola.

  Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some tree bark to go chew on.

  Q: What are your thoughts on holistic approaches to health care? I’m a hugeeee fan of holistic errythang. 

  

  | 45 Comments Tagged Holistic, Review, Teeth, Thieves, Toothpaste

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