Went to see a dentist today, after nearly a year of not seeing one. I don't like visiting a dentist. They have this huge machine with four instruments which whirl and make those spinning noises like the power tools I used to build sets for hall concert. Not a very comforting thing to hear, especially when you can't see what's going on. I thought of asking the dentist for a mirror, but decided not to. Ignorance is bliss they say.

The dentist was a young looking guy who was very friendly. He told me how he had stayed in the old Sheares Hall back in NUS, and thus could understand the difficulties of maintaining proper oral hygiene while staying in hostel. Along the way, he carefully explained exactly what he was doing, warned when it would hurt, and even drew diagrams to supplement his explanations. Unfortunately, he's only the relief dentist. The regular guy went on holiday.

On his advice, I just tried to floss my teeth. It's all very easy in theory. Just stick it between every tooth and scrub around. It's alright with the front teeth, but just try reaching those at the back. Your lips become terribly stretched. Even the upper and lower jaws were not created equal. It's easier to see what you're doing with the lower molars, but the thought of trying to reach the upper molars made me give up. Perhaps I'll try again tomorrow.