Bath Time

I just finished this lovely oil painting. I did it in homage to Gil Elvgren, the great American pin -up artist. I took the photo while it was still wet so there is a terrible glare. I decided to give it a try with a limit color palette and I think it creates a disturbing mood that is quiet enjoyable. A new friend of mine has offered up her naked pregnant body as new subject matter and I'm very excited to capture it. I've always day dreamed that I would be in one of those circles of painters who would gather in cafes, discuss art then go back to some random basement and paint models who want just as badly to be in some kind of art scene. I don't even drink coffee so I am never in a cafe. Things were easier when I was in college and the model and community of artists were provided for you.

Amy Does A Week Without Toothpaste DAY THREE

My third day without using toothpaste, has gotten me to think, I will most likely not buy toothpaste again. I notice that when I am brushing with just water, I take extra care to clean everything off. Without toothpaste, I can feel every grimy thing that needs to be cleaned off. As for the lingering taste of smoke in my mouth, I mixed up some baking soda and salt to rinse my mouth out with. It doesn't taste as bad as I had expected, just a bit salty. My husband has been smelling my breath for me and says there is no problem.

Amy Does a Week Without Toothpaste DAY TWO

I had a smoke before I went to bed last night. I brushed my teeth with just water. When i woke up this morning my mouth tasted terrible. After brushing with just water, I still had a bad taste in my mouth. That taste went away as soon as I started eating, but the bad taste came back just before lunch. I had to get a pack of gum on my way home when I stopped for gas. After chewing minty gum my mouth has tasted fresh all day. I'm wondering now if gum is just as useful as toothpaste. I didn't check the ingredients but I'm sure there are plenty of weird chemicals in the gum that are no good to my body if swallowed. I may end up driving myself crazy just thinking about the different chemicals I ingest all day long.

Amy Does a Week Without Toothpaste

I was cleaning the bathroom and organizing the toothpastes. For some reason, I decided to read the label.
Indications
Aids in the prevention of dental decay.

Warnings
Keep out of the reach of children under 6 years old. If more than used for brushing is accidentally swallowed, get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center right away.

Thinking about how I put this stuff into my mouth two or three times a day, every day, I became anxious. Am I slowly poisoning myself with toothpaste? I read on to the ingredients.

Active Ingredients: Sodium Monofluorophosphate (0.8%) (Anticavity Toothpaste)Inactive Ingredients: Sorbitol, Water, Hydrated Silica, PEG 32, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, SD Alcohol 38B, Sodium Bicarbonate, Flavor, Cellulose Gum, Sodium Saccharin, Blue 1, Yellow 10

Sodium Monofluorophosphate is a form of fluoride that is supposed to fight cavities. I will do more research on this.

Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol. Should I be using a sugar to clean my teeth?

PEG 32 is an abrasive chemical binder.

Hydrated Silica is a form of sand used to be abrasive on my teeth.

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is another chemical abrasive. I found that it is used in laboratories to irritate skin on test animals and humans so that they may then test healing agents to see how effective they are on the irritated skin.

These ingredients are scary to me. Chemicals are becoming scarier and scarier to me as I read more about them. Toothpaste is probably causing cancer. This week, I will test the effects of not using toothpaste when brushing, flossing and caring for my teeth. It is the end of the day and I am not noticing any foul smells or bad taste like I expected. My teeth don't feel dirty when my tongue touches them. My husband has agreed to be a bad breath meter for me. I'll let you know how it goes.