What we do

I have an embarrassing admission, and it might gross you out. It may even change the way you look at me.

Here it is: I don’t ever brush my teeth in the morning… or the afternoon. I only brush them once a day, before bed. Call in the hygiene police and put on the handcuffs, because I am guilty of a voluntary brushing violation.

I don’t know if it’s the craziness of the morning rush or the lingering over cups of coffee that hinders my dental routine. Or simply it’s just that I’ve been accustomed to not doing it since I was young (sorry mom and dad, I’m not blaming you, I promise). As an adult, I think that creating a new habit can almost be harder than stopping an old one. Why do we get stuck in patterns of behavior, even ones that we know aren’t good for us?

We will lament over our shortcomings saying, “I don’t have time to read” or “I really want to stop over-eating.” But it has been said that truly, “we do what we want to do.” Despite our complaining, the truth is we often don’t have any excuse. For example, if in fact we desire to read more, something will have to change in our current time management. We will have to choose getting less sleep at night, not watching TV, or shutting off our phone. Something has to change for a new routine to become habit.

For me, I’ve been admitting for years that I should brush my teeth more often. Despite not following the ADA’s daily recommendations, I’ve been lucky to have little issues. It only recently occurred for me, that it’s all about location. I started flossing regularly for the first time in my life when I put a bag of those little flossers in my car. For me to implement a new habit, I have to make it convenient. Unfortunately, it’s probably not going to work out for me to brush my teeth in the car, too.

When you find yourself lamenting, wanting to change things about yourself, remember that it’s up to you to, “do what you want to do.” Don’t believe the lie that it’s ever too late. If we have to start sometime, why not today?