THE ODDS (Debbie Does ALS)


9.29.2010

Dentalk

I don't know how long I will be able to brush my teeth by myself, but I'm going to hold out for as long as I can.

My current toothbrush is a battery-powered Crest spin-Pro (or something like that); I like it because all the bristles move and the handle is big enough for me to hold. Unfortunately, the casing is very smooth and, as my left hand grip weakens, it is hard to hold.  As of today I will use a new Oral-B toothbrush that has all the attributes of the other brush but has a chunkier handle, to wit:





Jenny informs me the character on my new toothbrush is none other than Wall-E of Pixar fame. I don't know anything about him but if he makes toothbrushing an independent activity I am his biggest fan.

Since we are on the subject, let me describe this independent activity to you. Seated in the bathroom (yes, I multitask), my caregiver places a hand towel on my lap. A dab of toothpaste is applied to the brush; the brush is then placed in my left hand at an angle which allows me to start brushing on the right side. The bristles go in my mouth and my caregiver turns on the toothbrush then exits to give me some privacy. Holding the tooth brush with my left hand and pushing a little with my right, I clean the outside   teeth on the right, back to front. To switch to the other side I hold the toothbrush with my front teeth while I switch hands, then I clean the outside of the left. Keeping my hands  in this position I then move to the lower right side, this time front to back. A quarter turn of the brush (while holding it steady with my teeth)  and I can brush the top right, back to front. Another shift and the top left is attended to, and a final quarter turn brings me to the bottom left. I spend an extra few minutes revisiting the front teeth before I put the toothbrush on the towel in my lap.

I love brushing my teeth.

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