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Are You Flossing Daily?

loss Daily. We all hear it. Twice a year, our dentist and dental hygienists tell us to "floss daily." They tell us it will make a difference. If you're like me, and millions of other Americans, somehow we don't get sufficiently inspired enough to remember to pull out the waxy string each day. Does it really matter?

I was on an Open Coaching Forum with my Success and Inner Peace Bootcamp. One of my participants wanted to get inspired to floss his teeth everyday. He knew it was good for him, but wasn't doing it. Fortunately, another Bootcamp participant shared her personal story. It had a profound impact on this participant (and me too), so I'm sharing it with you.

Rebel Meets Dentist-
Linda Gabiel (www.lindagabriel.com) has always regularly visited the dentist, hearing the flossing lecture, again and again. She decided to up the ante and took on flossing five times a week. Pretty good, huh? When she returned to the dentist, although a "bit" better than before, she was still scolded. They touted, flossing EVERY day is significantly better than just five days a week. Could that really be true? In defiance, she decided to floss DAILY. The rebel in her was committed to prove the dentist wrong. She diligently flossed DAILY. There couldn't possibly be a difference in flossing EVERY day, over five days a week. Right? When she returned, she was mystified by everyone's response. The dental hygienist called all the others over to see her mouth!! They were in AWE!! There were NO bleeding points. The response she received turned her into a "believer." She hasn't missed a day in 20 years now.

2nd Story-
One of my Los Gatos friends just experienced a similar phenomenon. In January, this gentleman decided to take my 365 day challenge, and adopted "daily flossing" as a goal he would honor 365 days in 2006. Throughout the year, he's let me know he hasn't missed a single day (so far)! If that isn't inspiring enough, last week, he went in for a dental exam. He was shocked when everyone clamored around him to witness a set of teeth that have been flossed daily!!! Obviously, this is a rare occurrence in any dental office. He's now more inspired than ever to continue this practice. As Linda describes it, "Flossing gets the poo-poo out of your mouth each day." Food that doesn't make it into your tummy, settles in between your teeth and bacteria colonies begin to form. Apparently, you don't need to floss twice a day to get the results. And, it doesn't matter if you floss in the morning or evening. It simply matters that you floss ONCE each day. It's not so much that you're "cleaning" your mouth thoroughly. Each time you floss, you INTERRUPT the bacteria colonies. Interrupting the bacteria colonies, slows they're growth. It's the bacteria that weakens the gums and results in bleeding during those dentist visits. Want to prove this theory wrong? All it takes is daily flossing and a trip to the dentist. This is a challenge worth taking on. Allow your rebel to support you. I found this great site if you need some additional tips and inspiration to get into the habit of flossing.

http://www.flosseveryday.com

There are also other health benefits to daily flossing. Of all the statistics correlated with long life spans and anti-aging, daily flossing in near the top of all lists. My biotech engineer husband explains, "Our mouths are the easiest way for bacteria/disease to enter out bodies." Gum health and heart health are related. Therefore, those who floss daily, clean the "poo-poo" out on a daily basis, and disrupt the bacteria that cause disease. Makes sense to me. I'm a believer now. Are you? Small choices make a big difference.

Mary Allen, CPCC, MCC is author of The Power of Inner Choice. She hosts Conversations with the Masters interviewing best-selling authors via free, live conference calls. Visit www.lifecoachmary.com to learn about coaching, her popular year-long Success and Inner Peace Bootcamp and tap into a wealth of resources including her ezine SoulFULLY Living, and Your Daily Gems.