Our family friend and dentist Dr. Romeo Pizarro introduced this when I was in kindergarten (yes, this is how vivid my memory is). It was a Sunday then (really, I'm sure of the day because it is the only time of the week when my mom is vacant and able to take us elsewhere. I also remember her buying me ice cream from Coney Island every after visit to the dentist.) and I went there to have a tooth (or teeth maybe - this I don't remember) extracted. Tito Romy (as I fondly call him) wrote us a prescription for Fluocaril Bi-Fluor, and told mommy that I have to use this to prevent tooth decay. At that time we were using Pepsodent (read more: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepsodent), which I liked because it tasted good. I thought the prescribed toothpaste was just "medicinal" and that I could go back to Pepsodent. My first encounter with Fluocaril wasn't so great. To a six-year old, it was too "spicy" and stingy to the mouth. Mommy had to force me to keep on using it, also saying that I will have to go back to the dentist every now and then if I don't use it. Mommy started using it too, along with Daddy - in order to convince me to keep the brand. Eventually, even Mark started using it too. About a few weeks after, I had to go back to Tito Romy, and I asked if I could get my Pepsodent back. He said NO. He explained to mommy that the "sweet" and "tasty" toothpaste brands do not do much good to the teeth. This is because bacteria/tartar (or whatever he called it before) are attracted to sweets so if you brush your teeth using these brands (Pepsodent, Close-Up, Hapee) and you don't gargle/rinse well, then the "sweets" stay there (like candy) and bacteria start to "grow." I was so scared to have another tooth extraction (which at that time I thought was caused by "sweets) so I followed doctor's instructions. From then on, the brand has always been a household staple, at home where I grew up, and even when I got married.
There were also times when I shifted to a different brand. When I moved out of my hometown, I found Fluocaril too pricey for my budget so I shifted to Colgate Total: http://www.colgate.ph/app/Colgate/PH/ProductsPH/Toothpaste/ColgateTotal.cvsp. What I noticed is that, after a few hours, my breath didn't feel as fresh as when I used Fluocaril. I just kept up with this sensation until I realised, why am I sacrificing my health and comfort because of the price? I can afford it anyway. My husband, who was also just recently introduced to Fluocaril, started comparing. We decided to stay with dear Fluocaril. From a mere PhP 58 in 1986, it is now priced at PhP 195 but it still serves the family well. I bet that even for the years to come, until I have kids and grandkids, the legacy of Fluocaril will live on. :-)
No comments:
Post a Comment