We’re Dental Maniacs

Is it SO terribly bad for a mother to pass on to her kids something that bothered her in her childhood?

I don’t think so. Especially if it’s a good thing.

Like dental care. I did not see a dentist until I was 14, in agony from a cavity. I had a sweet tooth as a child, and I don’t remember brushing my teeth a lot.. I NEVER flossed, ever. So needless to say after having a few extractions and numerous cavities filled, I vowed my kids would not go through the same things. We are FIENDS when it comes to dental care. Plus, while I had pretty straight teeth as a kid, three of the four kids have horribly crooked teeth. My daughters have had braces, and my eldest son is scheduled to get some next year. We’re taking dental health so seriously, that one of my daughters is considering going into the field as a career! (Just think– a DENTIST in the family! Free dental care for me for life! Yay!!!!)

Well, we’ve gotten the attention of DenTek, the company that produces some of the best dental hygiene products out there. They asked me and the kids to try out their new floss, the “ultimate” in floss, they call it: The DenTek Complete Clean Twisted Easy Sliding Floss. It’s unique because it’s got two fine strands of floss twisted together and is coated with mint-flavored and fluoride-fortified wax, thus the complete clean floss. The special construction of this twisted floss makes it easier to floss AND grabs the gunk in between your teeth much better than the regular flat floss we’ve been using. I like it because it doesn’t cut into my sensitive gums like the flat stuff does.

The kids, with their usual creativity and panache, made a video about the glories of flossing (NOT) and the discovery of this new DenTek floss I got. I’ve been trying it for a few weeks now (I am a flossing fiend!) but this is their first time.

For me, there are pros and cons.

PROS
• It’s very effective. It does clean the teeth better than the other floss.
• It does not slice into the gums! Of course, if you saw back and forth, it probably will, lol… but with proper use it will not. I liked this aspect, because my gums are tender and are cut easily by the other floss.
• You can wash off the floss and reuse it later. (Yes, I am cheap.)
• The floss is tough. It doesn’t fray like the flat floss does; which explains why I can reuse the floss strand.
• It’s got good packaging. The floss doesn’t break in the INSIDE of the package, so I don’t have to go fishing for the floss on the inside.

CONS
• It’s slippery to hold. You have to extract a longer piece to wrap it around your fingers, or you can’t manage the floss.
• I’m not too keen on the fluoride in the floss. We get enough of it in the water supply. :-p
• It’s not very minty. I don’t taste anything.
• It’s more expensive than the generic brand I get at the store.

OK, so there you have it. If you are a flossing fiend like we are, this is good floss. Yes, I think the DenTek Complete Clean Twisted Floss is ULTIMATE. It’s the ultimate floss I’ve ever seen. But of course, it comes with a price. The floss package, which provides 55 yards, sells for $2.99 at the DenTek store. Amazon sells a 6 pack for about $17. So it all really depends on how important dental care is to you (and how desperately you want to avoid the dentist!).

My daughter likes it, so I’m getting her her own package. Kids with orthodontics and related maintenance need a little extra boost when it comes to stuff like this.

NOTE: *This review is a result of a feedback campaign by DenTek Oral Care Inc. The recipients were asked to give their honest opinion about the product they received. Good reviews were not incentivized and poor reviews will not be censored for their opinion of the product.

Remember, I’m a pro-blogger and I am sometimes compensated with stuff or money to review or mention products or services! This was one of them. You can read more about my blog policy on my main blog’s My Pledge page.

Bread Machine Woes

My bread machine died. This is my second machine. I have only had this one about a year and a half, and I didn’t even use it for half a year! Today, I filled up the bucket, added all the ingredients, went to start it, and *grind*.

photo credit: Otto Phokus

We got a closer look at the mechanism and see the problem– the (bear with me here, I don’t know the engineering terminology) turning pin at the bottom of the bucket (the pin that holds the paddle in the bucket, and is spun by the motor in the machine itself) has no more grease and is all rusty. And I recall that the last time I made bread with this machine, there was a ton of grease that worked its way up into the bucket and contaminated my dough. :-p Gah!!!

Why do they make bread machines this way?!?! My daughter made the good point: “Why don’t they just make the bread machine with the paddle on the top?”

Yeah. Why don’t they?! It’s rather dumb to have the greased-up paddle on the bottom, because things like this happen. And grease gets in the dough. Not too good. Why don’t they make these things a little more durable, smarter? It’s not like you need Ferrari parts or anything, just have a GOOD design!

Anyone have any ideas? Do you have a better-built bread machine? Do you think I should go with an standing electric mixer to make my bread?? I’m baffled. I really need a dough-making machine now that autumn and winter and coming. I’d sure appreciate any reviews, comments, or advice…