Day 12: Floss #30DaysofGOOD

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Welcome to The GOOD 30-Day Challenge (#30DaysofGOOD). Each month, we challenge our community members to do something that will improve the world around us—and our own lives. The challenge for October? To get healthy. In an effort to help us all rise to the occasion, we're going to assign one small task every day. Each morning, we will post the challenge on GOOD.is and Twitter, along with a testimonial from someone on the GOOD team who's already completed it. We invite you to complete all 30 mini-challenges with us! Today, we challenge you to:

Floss.

I’ve only had one cavity in my life, despite my complete disregard of my hygienist’s orders to floss once a day. As a result, I felt a false sense of security that I could continue on my irresponsible path and never face a dental reckoning. But last year, my dentist told me my gums were receding. I refused to believe it; I'm 23, I brush twice a day, and I believe my mild gingivitis is a byproduct of chronic nocturnal mouth-breathing. For about six months, I sucked it up and flossed most days, even though I hated it. Upon my return to the dentist, my gums were looking perfectly pink and had recovered significantly. I left the office feeling pleased with myself.

A few months later, I had returned to my old bad habits, and flossing daily was a distant memory. Now, my next dentist appointment is looming, and I’m actually fearful. When I flossed the other night for the first time in recent memory, I disregarded the pain, reminding myself this was for the best. Flossing for half a minute a day could save me years of dentures later.

-Jillian Anthony

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Ready, set, go! Good luck completing today's challenge. Share your experience on Twitter, Tumblr, and Facebook by using the hashtag #30DaysofGOOD, or let us know how it went in the comments section below.

Tomorrow's challenge: Buy local food.