Fountains Of Youth: 10 Total Abandon Dental Health Lessons We Can Learn From The Young

Does your fitness coach ever tell you to “run like a kid?” This is such a nontechnical way to describe a form of running, however everyone always knows what the coach means. We all can immediately envision what the coach is asking us to do. Basically, the coach is telling you to embrace a child’s naturally free spirit by:

• Running with abandon
• Relinquishing preconceived notions of what you ‘think’ you should look like
• Quitting the worry about what others think and just RUN!
• Pretending you’re chasing after a friend to give them a huge hug
• Possibly becoming distracted by a pretty flower and instantly choosing an alternative scenic route

We can learn a lot from kids. Their lack of self-awareness is enviable. Their focus on a task and ability to tune out mom’s voice is frustrating as moms, however coveted by adults. Their ability to notice beauty in things that most adults miss due to busyness is honorable.

What might approaching our dental care with youthful abandon look like?

• Kids easily lose track of time. Brushing as a kid might mean you brush a little longer than the recommended two to three minutes. A song might be hummed while you brush with total disregard for length of time. Use your favorite princess toothbrush as a microphone and sing along with the Back Street Boys!
• Kids tend to over indulge in the one thing they really really love. Why not sit and eat an entire bowl of strawberries, letting the red juices run down your chin?
• Kids like to create. Why not create a brushing station that inspires you toward happiness and cleanliness? Make a colorful brushing chart that offers you complete satisfaction when you check it off your “to-do” list and a little bell that dings when you put the checkmark on the chart.
• Dance while you floss! Play your music really really loud, floss like there’s no one watching. Swing your used floss like a cowboy with a lasso while dancing to “Achy Breaky Heart.”
• Kids love competition and the motivation to win! Compete with a family member to see who can eat the healthiest foods. Challenge your kids, spouse or boyfriend to a healthy food eat-off! Dig into salads, fruits, grains, cheeses, nuts and veggies and see who can eat the most. Give yourself a trophy or sticker for a “Super Healthy Eater Award.”
• Pretend! Why not pretend you’re an animal while brushing. Did you know that elephants’ teeth, when polished and kept clean, are rumored to be very attractive to the lady elephants? Now, that’s motivation, isn’t it?
• Throw a fit then drink lots of milk and water anyway. As kids, their drink choices are usually limited to milk and water. Drink water like it’s an endless sippy cup filled with the yummy goodness. One cup of milk provides almost 300 milligrams of calcium. Milk and dairy products can actually help reduce tooth decay. Water will aid in washing away food particles and keep your saliva levels high. Water is good for preventing tooth decay. Throw your head back and slam a cup of milk down resulting in a perfectly constructed milk moustache.
• Make a mess. Spit your after-brushing mouthful while tippy-toed (as if your chin barely reaches the top of your sink) all over your sink. Clean it up later, but enjoy the effects of spray first! Like constellations in the night sky, look for any imaginative creations you’ve made with your spit.
• Announce victory loudly. When you finish your brushing and flossing routine obnoxiously yell and announce it to the rest of the people in your house. Make sure you receive proper affirmation from every single member of your household. Slam your toothbrush on the counter, throw your floss across the room, and throw your arms in the arm revealing your nakedness (wherever that might be).
• Hug your dentist. At Les Belles NYC, our dentists celebrate what makes you, uniquely you! We want to embrace who you are, at whatever age you are! We will embrace you with care that celebrates the youth in all of us. Our approach to your dental care is modern holistic dentistry, which celebrates every part of what makes you absolutely amazing!