Deny Your Dentist

Let’s face it, a dentist is a businessperson. His or her income depends on the poor condition of your teeth. All the while he’s promoting the virtues of brushing, flossing and avoiding sweets for the benefit of you and your kids, his bottom line tingles with expectation when his little pick ferrets out a hole requiring a filling, a loose tooth requiring pulling, or a tooth too far gone for anything but a crown or–the gods of dental hygiene forbid–a dreaded root canal! You could say a dentist is a person with an inlaid conflict of interests.

Well, I don’t know about you, but I derive as much satisfaction in not enriching my dentist as I am in the pure health aspect of not presenting him with those needs. What do I care if he needs to work one more month in order to afford his Bahama vacation, a flight in his private airplane, or a new spinnaker for his boat? I’m not even going to bring up his new Porsche.

But, now, here’s the kicker. I haven’t needed a filling for years. And, the last time he decided I needed a new crown it was to replace one he put in! None of the 20-year old ones that my previous dentists installed had yet worn out but his 5-year old one was springing a leak. I sensed his inner joy at finally having something costly to do–even though he didn’t show it. How could he?!

So, you might ask, how do I do it? Well, now we’re getting down to the purpose of this article: to tell you just that. It’s a case for discipline–the life-long variety. If that word scares you, stop reading.

What? You’re still with me? Okay, so here’s the drill, er… the idea. Everything destists tell you about brushing, flossing and tempering your taste for sweets is true, though the latter is the least of your health worries if you clean out all remnants of the sweets immediately after you chug “em down. That”s the key to it. Don’t allow food particles to linger. So long as you make it an absolute habit to excuse yourself before you return to work or play after a meal or a snack, you’ll forget what a cavity is.

Techniques, Do’s and Don’ts:

Don’t underrate flossing, it’s key.

I like to use a little flossing tool. It’s a plastic gadget that you load with a length of floss and, by way of its design, helps reach into all spaces and apply a controlled amount of pressure. Remember: whether you use a floss device or do it entirely manually, you’re not just clearing stuck food, you’re performing a vital gum massage. Give the gums some pressure but, of course, not enough to draw blood. Flossing’s daily plaque control is another benefit. Because of my other tools and methods, I do this only once a day, after breakfast.