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Back in the early 198Os, when I was first practicing dental hygiene, my typical self-care recommendations were brushing and flossing, along with the occasional interdental brush for those in periodontal maintenance. I did not recommend a dental water jet because I had heard it did not remove plaque. If it didn't remove plaque, why bother?
So I didn't "bother," until one day when I was confronted with something that bothered me. I had a visit from a patient in his mid to late 20s who was not very good about his home care. Being new and eager to the profession, I tried hard to convert him to my way of thinking: brushing and flossing. He was fairly regular about his visits, and one day when I saw him, I was sure I had succeeded. His mouth was cleaner and healthier. The gingivitis and bleeding had resolved. I was thrilled, and he knew it.
I immediately assumed he was flossing. I remember the smirk on his face when he told me that wasn't the case. I asked him about many other plaque-removal products he might be using, and his answer was always no. "Tell me what you're doing," I begged. "I bought a Waterpik®," he replied. This took me by surprise. The Waterpik wasn't supposed to work. Besides, who told him to get a Waterpik? (Turns out it was his brother-in-law.) Now my ego was totally wounded.
The mind is great at rationalizing, and I immediately told myself that he had simply become more conscious of his home care after he got the Waterpik, and he was probably brushing better. I told myself I did do one thing right. So I kept my negative thoughts to myself and gave him positive feedback on how good his mouth looked. Of course, I was sure that the next time I saw him he would be back to his old ways.
I was wrong. He kept using the dental water jet, and his mouth continued to look great. I even took a leap of faith and started recommending the water jet to other patients, usually those...