The Zen of Teeth

The way you take care of your teeth probably reflects the way you live your life. So, in the hopes of improving both, it pays to use a couple general principles borrowed from Zen, the eastern philosophical tradition. I am not an expert on Zen, but one principle that could be immediately useful is the concept of mindfulness. How? Well mindfulness in any task, no matter how mundane or ordinary, is going to improve your life! Brushing your teeth to most people is an ordinary, uninteresting chore. But if you apply the concept of mindfulness while brushing, being present while you brush, and experiencing it and all the sensations that go with brushing your teeth, it will help you. For one, if you see blood on your toothbrush, that might go unnoticed if you are not really there mentally. But being mindful, you will take note of that and know that it is abnormal and take the next step, which may be to schedule a visit to your dentist. Being present when you brush instead of thinking of office work or some other worry, you will be able to concentrate on flossing out debris and applying your toothbrush for a full 1-2 minutes instead of the 15 seconds like you would if you were only thinking how late you are to work. If you are living your life mindfully, being in the present, and not being distracted by extraneous thoughts, you are applying Zen principles, and your entire life – not just your teeth – will be better for it. This is just something to meditate on! Best Wishes, ProDentalFx, LLC