dental re-education
i have been re-learning how to brush my teeth.
when i was pregnant, i couldn't put a toothbrush in my mouth without gagging, plus i had the lovely bleeding gums problem. (what a horrid symptom.) i tried a child's ultrasoft toothbrush, but the process took longer than before, which was no fun at all. so i switched over to an electric toothbrush.
not too long ago i was horrified to discover that my beloved electric toothbrush had a crack in the side. i thought about replacing it, but didn't know if i wanted the same kind, so i planned to use a regular toothbrush until i figured out what kind of electric one i wanted.
one night a few weeks later, cam and i were watching an ep of l&o:ci. goren examined a body and pointed out that the victim must have been right-handed because the gums on the left side of her mouth receded more than on the other side. apparently people brush more vigorously on the side opposite to their dominant hand. it was like a lightbulb flashing above my head. aha! i felt the gums on my left side and sure enough, they were kind of thrashed compared to the gums on my right side. i was overcompensating for the lack of battery-poweredness and that explained that strange soreness i had been suffering for the past few weeks.
my gums have since healed and i find that the regular toothbrush is actually kind of nice (what a surprise, i've only been using a regular one for what, 26-27 years of my life?). it's nice to not have to worry about charging it -- or worse, having the charge run out at 5:55 am when i'm running late. i think i may not bother switching back to an electric until, i don't know, i get pregnant again.