Movember… that’s not a typo.
The month that men grow a mustache in support of prostate cancer and mental health is the perfect time for me to share an analogy I often use in my Practice.
Many people don’t see the need to brush twice a day, and at best, floss sporadically. Most don’t understand the process of bacterial growth and reproduction. In order to explain this growth and need to cleanse ones’ teeth and gums twice daily, I use a simple analogy.
I discuss whiskers. Yes, whiskers. Facial hair growth is a good comparative to bacterial growth in the sense that it never ends.You shave in the morning, and by dinner or bed time, the stubble is back. Keeping clean shaven is a daily task. Bacteria is the same. If plaque was black like most stubble, frequent brushing and flossing would probably occur without question, (or begging, nagging, bribing on our, your Dental Hygienists’ part.) That’s the similarity. The difference is that one is merely a picky nuisance, the other, a health risk and social inhibitor(bad breath).