I am thankful that my mom’s blue eyes and my dad’s green eyes trickled down to me in the form of a little b/little b and I get to be one of rare 2% of the population with green eyes. And most of the time I’m thankful for the head of hair that I was given that requires almost no products or treatments or machinery to receive compliments.

Sometimes I’m not as thankful about the way my DNA was distributed. Full thighs, knobby knees, a good chance of heart disease, and a lifetime of mouth things.

Oh yes, mouth things. I have a very small mouth and a very large inherited enamel problem, so I have had braces (which I removed myself with pliers…I’m handy!),

(third grade brace face)

my impacted wisdom teeth removed, several crowns, and even more root canals. I have road-map-esque discolorations on my teeth that can’t be fixed and gums that sometimes (read: often) bleed. I have an overachieving case of TMJ so I live with pain and clicks and a really sexy nightguard.

Here’s the thing about genetics, though.

It’s not all permanent — fighting genetics is not always impossible. I work extremely (read: mostly)(read: sometimes) hard on my bicycle and with a trainer to keep my thighs in proportion to the rest of my body. I changed my diet and gave up diet coke and some other bad-for-my-health deliciousness and have almost completely removed my chances of future heart disease.

And I’m working extra hard to try to fix at least some of the mouth things. I am kind of a superhero brusher. I even brush my teeth in the shower. (Don’t judge.) (Just don’t ask me about flossing, because I’ll most likely plead the fifth or less likely tell you the truth, which is that I only floss when I eat popcorn.)

I’m not a huge sponsored content writer, as you can tell if you read here regularly, but when a brand and opportunity fits me in the most organic way — like LISTERINE®  — I do not refuse and am excited to team up with them to tell you about the LISTERINE® Challenge, and to participate myself.

You know those bleeding gums I talked about? Apparently, they are not caused by my excessive brushing habit, and are actually a sign of early gum disease. (Shakes fist at you, genetics) So, while I have changed my diet to help my heart and my exercise routine to help my body, why wouldn’t I change my oral care routine to help my lifetime of mouth things?

LISTERINE® TOTAL CARE™ kills 99.9% of germs that cause early gum disease so it’s possible to reverse early gum disease in just two weeks*

With the LISTERINE® Challenge, you have the chance to win $20,000‡ and walk away with a healthier mouth so you can see why I’d want to encourage you to sign up. It’s easy. Just click this link: http://bit.ly/LISTERINE2015

The LISTERINE® Challenge runs from January 27th, 2015 to July 15, 2015 (Sorry, American and international friends, this one’s only open to Canadians residents, excluding Quebec.)

So, I’m going to try to reverse some of these genetics.

I probably will always have knobby knees, though.

Disclosure: This post was generously sponsored by Johnson & Johnson Inc., the makers of LISTERINE® the opinions and thoughts are my own.

*with twice daily brushing. Consult with dentist if gingivitis symptoms persist or worsen. Always read and follow label. ‡No purchase necessary, please see full contest rules and regulations for details.)

If you have any comments, concerns or questions about LISTERINE®, please click here to contact Johnson & Johnson Inc.