--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: As a rule of thumb, I would submit that…" description: "\"As a rule of thumb, I would submit that if you need to call your floss provider, for any reason, you are probably not ready for this level of oral hygi..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebc/bill-bryson-340_hygiene_as-a-rule-of-thumb-i-would-submit-that-i_43219.png" --- # As a rule of thumb, I would submit that if you need to… ![“As a rule of thumb, I would submit that if you need to call your floss provider, for any reason, you are probably not ready for this level of oral hygiene.” quote by Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebc/bill-bryson-340_hygiene_as-a-rule-of-thumb-i-would-submit-that-i_43219.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebc/bill-bryson-340_hygiene_as-a-rule-of-thumb-i-would-submit-that-i_43219.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebc/bill-bryson-340_hygiene_as-a-rule-of-thumb-i-would-submit-that-i_43219.png) > “As a rule of thumb, I would submit that if you need to call your floss provider, for any reason, you are probably not ready for this level of oral hygiene.” [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote humorously suggests that needing professional flossing indicates a lack of personal oral hygiene discipline. **In simple terms:** Needing flossing shows poor hygiene. Key Takeaway Professional flossing implies inadequate self‑care. Themes humor health personal responsibility self‑care oral hygiene Mood lighthearted informative Type advice observation When to use this quote - dental check‑up - post‑surgery care - busy lifestyle - lack of routine - travel Key Concepts flossing dental health self‑discipline Practical Applications - promote daily flossing - educate on hygiene basics Questions to Reflect On - How does reliance on professionals affect personal habits? - What simple steps can improve oral care? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Hygiene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hygiene/) [Reason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reason/) ## Related quotes > [I love oral hygiene.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eden-sher/i-love-oral-hygiene/) [Eden Sher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eden-sher/) > [“The teeth of the smile evidenced a clinical depressive’s classic inattention to oral hygiene.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/the-teeth-of-the-smile-evidenced-a-clinical-depressive-s-classic/) [david foster wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [I do try to floss everyday cause it's obviously good for you and healthy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nyjah-huston/i-do-try-to-floss-everyday-cause-it-s-obviously-good-for-you-and/) [Nyjah Huston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nyjah-huston/) > [You gotta floss!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-van-ness/you-gotta-floss/) [Jonathan Van Ness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-van-ness/) > [How about I let you floss with my jugular as well?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/how-about-i-let-you-floss-with-my-jugular-as-well/) [Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/) > [I masturbate. A lot. And yet, I don't floss because it's too much of a hassle. Ten seconds of joy over a lifetime of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/i-masturbate-a-lot-and-yet-i-don-t-floss-because-it-s-too-much-of-a/) [Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/) > [“I asked a nurse for dental floss and was told that I am not allowed dental floss. Apparently dental floss can be used for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-austin/i-asked-a-nurse-for-dental-floss-and-was-told-that-i-am-not-allowed/) [Emily Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-austin/) > [I recommend that you try a little mental floss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-buffett/i-recommend-that-you-try-a-little-mental-floss/) [Jimmy Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-buffett/) > [Unglee' has a big heart and it is in the right place. It is very different script. It is not all candy floss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neha-dhupia/unglee-has-a-big-heart-and-it-is-in-the-right-place-it-is-very/) [Neha Dhupia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neha-dhupia/) > [Twine from trees and plants can make good floss!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenna-morasca/twine-from-trees-and-plants-can-make-good-floss/) [Jenna Morasca](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenna-morasca/) > [Incidentally, I only have one cavity, and as much as my dentist asks me to, I just can't bring myself to floss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-chbosky/incidentally-i-only-have-one-cavity-and-as-much-as-my-dentist-asks-me/) [Stephen Chbosky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-chbosky/) > [Would I rather be dental floss or a toothbrush? is that a question? Um, I would actually rather be floss, I think, if I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-mcadams/would-i-rather-be-dental-floss-or-a-toothbrush-is-that-a-question-um/) [Rachel McAdams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-mcadams/) > [Flossin' is a term like when you're 'fly.' It's like, 'I floss. I walk around with my head up; no one can touch me.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendra-wilkinson/flossin-is-a-term-like-when-you-re-fly-it-s-like-i-floss-i-walk/) [Kendra Wilkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendra-wilkinson/) > [“You're pretty great, God, and I mean that, but if it were up to me - like if I happened to be YOU -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gregor-collins/you-re-pretty-great-god-and-i-mean-that-but-if-it-were-up-to-me-like/) [Gregor Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gregor-collins/) > [You know, sometimes a man just can't satisfy all of a woman's desires. Which is why God invented dental floss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-know-sometimes-a-man-just-can-t-satisfy-all-of-a-woman-s-desires/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Bill Bryson > [Most big companies don't like you very much, except hotels, airlines and Microsoft, which don't like you at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/most-big-companies-don-t-like-you-very-much-except-hotels-airlines/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [“But Welsh spellings are as nothing compared with Irish Gaelic, a language in which spelling and pronunciation give the impression of having been devised…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/but-welsh-spellings-are-as-nothing-compared-with-irish-gaelic-a/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [“Pantaloons were often worn tight as paint and were not a great deal less revealing, particularly as they were worn without underwear. . .…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/pantaloons-were-often-worn-tight-as-paint-and-were-not-a-great-deal/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [If you go out on the Appalachian Trail, you have to bring so much more equipment - a tent, sleeping bag - but if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/if-you-go-out-on-the-appalachian-trail-you-have-to-bring-so-much-more/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [“The dining table was a plain board called by that name. It was hung on the wall when not in use, and was perched…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/the-dining-table-was-a-plain-board-called-by-that-name-it-was-hung-on/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [“From almost nothing, France in four years built up an aircraft industry that employed nearly 200,000 people and produced some 70,000 planes. Britain built…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/from-almost-nothing-france-in-four-years-built-up-an-aircraft/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [“Every twenty minutes on the Appalachian Trail, Katz and I walked farther than the average American walks in a week. For 93 percent of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/every-twenty-minutes-on-the-appalachian-trail-katz-and-i-walked/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [“A diarist named George Templeton Strong recorded in the winter of 1866 that even with two furnaces alight and all the fireplaces blazing, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/a-diarist-named-george-templeton-strong-recorded-in-the-winter-of/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [Tune your television to any channel it doesn't receive and about 1 percent of the dancing static you see is accounted for by this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/tune-your-television-to-any-channel-it-doesn-t-receive-and-about-1/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [Nobody gets excited about the future at all, ever. The future is something we find depressing and worrisome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/nobody-gets-excited-about-the-future-at-all-ever-the-future-is/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [“What made this particularly interesting is that John Howard is by far the dullest man in Australia. Imagine a very committed funeral home director…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/what-made-this-particularly-interesting-is-that-john-howard-is-by-far/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [I would make a genuinely terrible guide. I can't remember things. I would get half way through telling a story or explaining something and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/i-would-make-a-genuinely-terrible-guide-i-can-t-remember-things-i/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [“In the mystifying world that was Victorian parenthood, obedience took precedence over all considerations of affection and happiness, and that odd, painful conviction remained…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/in-the-mystifying-world-that-was-victorian-parenthood-obedience-took/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [If this book has a lesson, it is that we are awfully lucky to be here-and by 'we' I mean every living thing. To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/if-this-book-has-a-lesson-it-is-that-we-are-awfully-lucky-to-be-here/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) > [Life just wants to be; but it doesn't want to be much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/life-just-wants-to-be-but-it-doesn-t-want-to-be-much/) [Bill Bryson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) [Explore all 656 Bill Bryson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/) ## More Hygiene quotes > [Hygiene is going to be a key consumer question post-COVID. Our sanitized stay offerings and commitment towards ensuring minimal contact-based check-in is an important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritesh-agarwal/hygiene-is-going-to-be-a-key-consumer-question-post-covid-our/) [Ritesh Agarwal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritesh-agarwal/) > [Kids should be taught about sex, sex hygiene and contraceptive methods starting in the sixth grade, and whenever they want to try it, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madalyn-murray-o-hair/kids-should-be-taught-about-sex-sex-hygiene-and-contraceptive-methods/) [Madalyn Murray O'Hair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madalyn-murray-o-hair/) > [There really is no foolproof or even optimal way of dealing with White House emissaries who tell whoppers on live television. On the one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-wemple/there-really-is-no-foolproof-or-even-optimal-way-of-dealing-with/) Erik Wemple > [He made a sound of disgust in the back of his throat. "Oh thank you so much. That's what every man wants to hear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/he-made-a-sound-of-disgust-in-the-back-of-his-throat-oh-thank-you-so/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [First of all, when you build a restaurant of that phenomenon-I really hate that word "set" and I hate the word "cast" -it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-ramsay/first-of-all-when-you-build-a-restaurant-of-that-phenomenon-i-really/) [Gordon Ramsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-ramsay/) > [When I got out of high school they retired my jersey, but it was for hygiene and sanitary reasons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-carlin/when-i-got-out-of-high-school-they-retired-my-jersey-but-it-was-for/) [George Carlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-carlin/) > [I've had my fair share of colds, which last longer than they should and can cause wheezing, so I avoid people who are sneezing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mccloud/i-ve-had-my-fair-share-of-colds-which-last-longer-than-they-should/) [Kevin McCloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mccloud/) > [“I don’t know what to say about the hygiene of the male species.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-lavalle/i-don-t-know-what-to-say-about-the-hygiene-of-the-male-species/) [Victor LaValle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-lavalle/) > [In any case, his religious teaching consisted mostly in more or less vague ethical remarks, an obscure mixture of ideals of English gentlemanliness and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/in-any-case-his-religious-teaching-consisted-mostly-in-more-or-less/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [Keep your own house and its surroundings pure and clean. This hygiene will keep you healthy and benefit your worldly life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sathya-sai-baba/keep-your-own-house-and-its-surroundings-pure-and-clean-this-hygiene/) [Sathya Sai Baba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sathya-sai-baba/) > [“There is often an inverse correlation between genius and personal hygiene.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/helen-simonson/there-is-often-an-inverse-correlation-between-genius-and-personal/) [Helen Simonson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-simonson/) > [I describe what is happening as 'food fascism' because this system can only survive through totalitarian control. With patents on seed, an illegitimate legal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vandana-shiva/i-describe-what-is-happening-as-food-fascism-because-this-system-can/) [Vandana Shiva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vandana-shiva/) > [I do a lot of vocal hygiene.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lesley-garrett/i-do-a-lot-of-vocal-hygiene/) [Lesley Garrett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lesley-garrett/) > [“The time to clean our city of any dirt begins individual action for collective clean communities.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/the-time-to-clean-our-city-of-any-dirt-begins-individual-action-for/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [Wherever I went and spoke about menstrual hygiene, I was beaten up by people. I used to cover my cheeks with both my hands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arunachalam-muruganantham/wherever-i-went-and-spoke-about-menstrual-hygiene-i-was-beaten-up-by/) [Arunachalam Muruganantham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arunachalam-muruganantham/) [Browse all 171 Hygiene quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hygiene/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "As a rule of thumb, I would submit that if you need to call your floss provider, for any reason, you are probably not ready for this level of oral hygiene.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bill Bryson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/as-a-rule-of-thumb-i-would-submit-that-if-you-need-to-call-your-floss/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Hygiene" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/as-a-rule-of-thumb-i-would-submit-that-if-you-need-to-call-your-floss/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebc/bill-bryson-340_hygiene_as-a-rule-of-thumb-i-would-submit-that-i_43219.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebc/bill-bryson-340_hygiene_as-a-rule-of-thumb-i-would-submit-that-i_43219.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ebc/bill-bryson-340_hygiene_as-a-rule-of-thumb-i-would-submit-that-i_43219.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“As a rule of thumb, I would submit that if you need to call your floss provider, for any reason, you are…” — Bill Bryson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Bill Bryson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-bryson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "As a rule of thumb, I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/as-a-rule-of-thumb-i-would-submit-that-if-you-need-to-call-your-floss/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-bryson/as-a-rule-of-thumb-i-would-submit-that-if-you-need-to-call-your-floss/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```