June 2012

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I’m generally averse to medical professionals who prod and poke at my various body parts with with scary-looking implements but I have a special level of aversion towards dentists.

People always think I’m exaggerating when I say that dental visits are more painful than childbirth but it’s true because at least in childbirth, there’s epidural. Whenever I ask the dentist for anesthesia during scaling and polishing, he always looks at me like I’m a big baby. It’s never stopped me from trying though, on the off-chance I finally get a dentist who has some compassion and gives me Novocaine.

Last weekend, I was scheduled for another one of those dreaded visits to the dentist.

I was more nervous than usual because ever since I got pregnant, my gums have been extra sensitive and I bleed quite often during brushing. It’s a vicious cycle as I tend to ease off on brushing as thoroughly, which leads to even more sensitive gums. I knew I was in for some serious pain.

When I got settled in, the dentist took his time to observe my teeth and started shaking his head.

“This is bad, your gums are severely inflamed,” he said grimly.

Then without warning, he reached out for a very pointy device and started scraping at my teeth and gums. Ok, scraping doesn’t quite describe it. Imagine like the device was making terrible sounds and he was attacking my gums with it. Seriously, I’ve had my share of uncomfortable dental visits but this one was epic in terms of pain levels. After every 5 or 6 teeth, he’d let me spit out mouthfuls of blood and rinse a little before resuming the torture. But I can’t be certain because I might have passed out during the process.

So according to the dentist, pregnancy hormones can cause gums to be more sensitive to the bacteria in plaque, resulting in swollen, tender gums that bleed during brushing and flossing. He also gave me some handy tips on oral health care tips during pregnancy.

1. Brush more frequently (but gently), using a good, soft-bristled brush.

2. Floss regularly, and also gently.

3. Schedule regular visits to the dentist, who can remove the plaque and tartar that regular brushing can’t get to.

To help with the gentle brushing, Colgate will be sending over their latest SlimSoft toothbrush, with 0.01mm super slim bristles that provide deep and gentle cleaning. I’m going to try this for a couple of weeks to see how it works. Hopefully it keeps me from having to go through that excruciating process again.

This is part 1 of a series of sponsored conversations on behalf of Colgate. All opinions and text are my own.

Over the past 4 years, I’ve changed some 10,000 diapers for both kids combined. That pretty much makes me a pro.

In fact, I’m so skilled at changing diapers, I can like win awards doing it with my eyes closed and with one hand tied behind my back. Unless it’s the poopy kind, then all bets are off. Those usually get handled by the husband, who’s the resident poop pro.

To keep things um, fresh around here, we like to engage in some friendly competition. So this latest bet we’re having is to find out who’s the faster diaper changer around here.

Winner gets bragging rights and loser gets to change diapers for a week.

Here’s the lowdown on how it went.

A decisive victory, if I might say so myself. Looks like I’m off diaper duty for a week. WOOT!

On the topic of diapers, Drypers has just launched a new and improved version of their Drypers Wee Wee DRY Diaper. The kids have been on Drypers (only in the day) since they were born and what we really liked was that it hit the sweet spot between quality and price.

The only thing was that the fastening tape used to be a little annoying, especially when we had to struggle to yank it off or reposition because it would lose its adhesiveness. We also couldn’t use it as a night diaper as it wasn’t absorbent enough to last through the night.

All that has now changed because the new Drypers Wee Wee DRY comes with a Zip Dry Core ^TM that contains more absorbent particles, keeping baby’s skin drier and more comfortable; as well as 4 botanical extracts for skin moisturizing. It also has a 100% breathable cloth-like cover, pretty new designs and a new Flexi-Tape ^TM that allows multiple fastening. The best part is that even with all these new features, the price remains compelling.

The kids have been trying out this new version (even at night) and I’m glad to say that it’s been leak-free so far.

One last thing, I’ve got 10 priority passes to Drypers Little Day Out, a family event that’s happening at Playground @ Big Splash on Saturday 23 June. These passes allow access to the VIP area and a priority queue. There will be lots of fun rides and games from the kids, as well as an outdoor movie screening of Alvin and The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked in the evening. If you’d like to get a priority pass, just leave a comment telling us your name and the number of people attending (maximum 4 per pass) by 11 June 2012. Winners will be announced on 13 June 2012.

*Open to Singapore citizens and PRs only.

This is part 2 of a series of sponsored conversations on behalf of Drypers Singapore. All opinions and text are my own.