I took part in the Crest Pro-Health Challenge, which included trying out products sent to me.
A month seems like a short amount of time, doesn’t it? I mean, how much can your oral health change in a month? If you would have asked me a few months ago, I would have been really sceptical about any significant change taking place with the state of my oral health. A new toothpaste, a bit of flossing. . .how much difference can it really make?
I’ve always heard that it takes 30 days of repeated activity to form a new habit. My new oral healthcare habit came about through the Crest Pro-Health Challenge. I started by having a dental assessment to see what state my teeth and gums were in before starting to change things up.
I’m really not surprised that my dentist game me a failing grade. It doesn’t matter if you know what needs to be done, yet don’t do it it, or if your have the right tools but don’t use them. This challenge really made me think about how to properly take care of my oral health – with the right tools in the right order.
Using the Oral-B Professional Healthy Clean + Floss Action Precision 5000 Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush (Amazon link) twice a day is only the beginning.
The Smart Guide counts down to make sure you brush your teeth for the entire amount of time, with stars when each quadrant of your mouth is properly brushed. Who wouldn’t feel motivated, looking at that little smiley face?
Okay, so if it’s not all about the toothbrush alone, what else can there be?
The Crest Pro-Health Challenge involves using Oral-B’s Pro Health dental floss daily. I admit that I had not been flossing often enough. My dentist picked up on this. After flossing, I have been using Crest Pro Health toothpaste to brush away anything loosened up by the dental floss. The finishing touch is the Crest Pro-Health mouth wash. This should be used twice a day, 30 minutes prior to eating or drinking anything.
One month after changing up my routine, I made my way back to the dentist’s office. My follow-up dentist appointment and cleaning went really well; my hygienist said that I hardly had any plaque. This was puzzling to me, since I had received such a low score just one month prior. Is it possible that just a few changes in my oral health routine could make such a significant difference?
So, how was this challenge motivating for me? Well, it might have been due to that low score I received from the dentist. I certainly didn’t want to fail the follow-up appointment. Turns out that using these four products everyday for 30 days can make a huge difference. I am motivated to keep going, and make sure that I can get good feedback from my dentist the next time I go in for a cleaning and check-up.
I’d love to hear from you — how would you rate your dental health? How often do you floss and use mouth wash?
I participated in the Crest Pro-Health Challenge, using provided products. I received complimentary dental visits as well. My opinions are entirely my own, as always.