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Joined 2 years ago
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Cake day: June 11th, 2023

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  • I remember reading a study from decades ago stating that electric toothbrushes are only more effective if you are a drinker. The impression it gave was that even while drunk the electric actuation made up for sloppily doing your teeth 😅.

    I think I’ve been using an electric toothbrush for so long that I’m not good at using a manual anymore.

    I also discovered that I press too hard and the electric toothbrushes that warn me when I apply too much pressure has been helpful in preventing gum recession from over brushing.

    My dental health had also been improved by a portable waterpik. I add a little bit of mouth wash to it so the machine doesn’t fill with mould. I still floss every time, but the waterpik gets out food I’d never get out otherwise. I struggled with bleeding gums before that.


  • I really like it. I doubt it’s better than fluoride for caries prevention, just the same. But I do think it’s better than Sensodyne for reducing temperature sensitivity.

    My anecdotal theory is that HPA must fill in micro gaps like Sensodyne to reduce sensitivity without yellowing my teeth.

    The HPA toothpastes also typically don’t have SLS or as many irritating Ingredients like mint. I have fun flavours like orange, clove, or cinnamon. Mint is highly irritating, and I have noticed that since removing minty pastes, my lips don’t dry as much, and I need less lip chap. My gums and cheeks are less irritated too. It almost feels like a conspiracy that most brand-name toothpastes contain something as irritating as mint just to sell more lip chap.

    Lots of HPA toothpastes also use xylitol. Which can make the bacteria in your mouth lose the ability to create acids and adhere to your teeth over time. Your mouth stays cleaner longer and is less likely to feel “fuzzy”.

    So I think the HPA toothpastes are more improved by what they don’t have, irritants, and use more modern ingredients than traditional toothpastes. For me it results in teeth that stay cleaner and smooth longer, fun flavours, low irritation and reducing sensitivity.

    I’ve tried Remin, David’s, and a few others I can’t remember.


  • I find talk therapy is the best for us NDs. The therapy itself is such a relief and while you are describing your problems, the therapist is getting to know you and you are getting to know them.

    I’ve also recently heard of some interpersonal skills (like non attachment )from Dialectical Behavior Therapy be fleshed out in different ways from the book the “Let Them Theory” by Mell Robins. I found the tweaks to the techniques here to be incredibly useful in short-circuiting the emotional responses I feel in the moment during difficult interpersonal interactions.

    Maybe it will help you? I don’t know. I’m just listing what has helped me.








  • Just because your parents have dogs doesn’t mean they can offer a safe environment or know what to do with them. All the changes and the environment posed for your dog are incredibly stressful for the dog. Please be compassionate that your dog is going through more than you even though you literally broke your leg and probably experienced the worst pain in your life. Changes in living situations are the biggest adjustments for dogs ever.

    Please don’t listen to people suggesting anything with the word dominance, pack mentality, wolf study, punishment or anything forcefull. All of that is guaranteed to make things worse.

    A certified trainer (CCPDT and the various acronyms associated, the dog academy, anyone force force free) will get you on course faster than any website or book.

    If you want your dog to make it out of this, your dog has to be a priority, make it your part time job.

    My quick advice if you can’t afford a trainer and will only look up free internet advice from strangers:

    Start with giving them something low value to chew on in a distraction free room. Have 10 minutes worth of super high value treats. When they are chewing the low value, walk up to them and give them the treat. Let them chew on the low value again. Repeat. Try for 10 minutes at a time. Adjust value of chew and treat so they don’t react when you walk up to them.

    Next session, If they start wagging their tail when you approach. Try making it harder by taking the item for 1 second then, give them the treat then give it back. Ramp up duration or value of chew and items as progress is made

    All of this has to be a happy and joyful affair. You are using a happy and friendly puppy voice the whole time. The dog has to feel good about this the whole time. So make sure you and the dog are in as good of a place mentally when doing it. This will all be harder if the dog doesn’t have other prerequisites like a leave it or drop it command.

    There are so many ways you need to modify the above strategy for your particular dog that I can’t stress enough how valuable you’ll find a certified force free trainer to be. A vet check might also be suggested by the trainer. I think my advice is barely scratching the surface of what to do and how to do it, I haven’t even met your dog so what do I even know? Very little!

    If you need proof that force free methods are a way, the AVSAB statements are quick and easy to read with tonnes of source citations: https://avsab.org/resources/position-statements/



  • I definitely prefer premium over my personal data being the product for “free”.

    As I get older I’m appreciating paid electronic services and content when done responsibly in exchange for a private ad-free and well done experience. But it’s taking a lot to get over my decades of conditioning assuming everything on a computer and internet should be “free”.

    I’ve enjoyed my kagi premium search trial and seeing the prices is a bit much. But getting really good search results and having the webpage or search run so fast and seeing my ad blocker greyed out because there were no ads and trackers to block is surreal this day and age.

    I just wish we had a better way of trusting telegram. The only thing encrypted by default is secret chats. I’d buy premium if it made all chats including group chats started by the user encrypted by default.