It turns out our parents were right. Brushing our teeth, flossing and using Listerine daily does protect us from cavities. As I used to defer to authority, I duly complied and have never had a cavity to this date.

What would have been useful is to learn how to brush. I applied the tenacity of a Mr. Clean to my brushing endeavors using a hard tooth brush and essentially brushed my gums away. As a result, I had to have a gum graft this week which while less unpleasant that I was led to expect, I would not recommend to anyone.

Essentially they take cadaver tissue and graft it to your gums to protect the base of your teeth and prevent them from falling off.

Conclusion:

• Floss, brush and use Listerine daily
• Use a soft tooth brush or an electric toothbrush (I highly recommend the Sonicare Elite 7500)
• Very important: Do not use a horizontal motion with the toothbrush when brushing the front and back of your teeth. Use a vertical motion going from the gums to the top of the teeth (top-down for the top teeth, bottom-up for the bottom teeth).