puppies are bad for your teeth

A friend from Germany asked, "Why do all Americans talk in a high voice when they're around babies and puppies?" Granted I don't know if the condition applies to all Americans, but I do see a trend. Now that we have a puppy, I can attest to the silly, high-pitched confessions of undying love to this little black fur ball we call Riley.

There's another trend that my girls can attest has been quite bothersome. Whenever we're around puppies and babies, we clench our teeth to the point of having a headache.

I wake up, I see the puppy, I clench my teeth.
I tell the puppy goodbye in the morning ... and clench my teeth.
I come home and greet the happy puppy, and clench my teeth.

Nobody ever told me that having a puppy would be bad for my teeth. There are a number of reasons doctors and dentists tell you why we clench our teeth, especially orthodontists who want to realign your jaw so your teeth will fit naturally together. I fixed this with a good night guard.

While Medicine.net might tell you that your teeth grinding is related to stress, you'll never read on Web MD or any other Internet doctor site that the cause of headaches is puppies. The best well-rounded article I've found is on Discovery Health. There's never a simple, single reason for why we do self-destructive things. The answer covers all corners of your life: heart, soul, mind and strength. We have to be mindful of a problem in order to fix it and in some case we have to put a little sweat behind it to redirect the stress. Exercise is part of the whole solution.

So next time you find that jaw clenched shut, take a breath and a yawn. Take a deep breath. Remember that you want to keep you teeth for a long time, so close your eyes, think on something good, be mindful to relax your jaw and breathe.

And kiss your puppy.