by Dr Rachel Hall B.Ch.D(Uni Leeds), LDSRCS(Eng), MACNEM, Dental Surgeon, Brisbane, Australia
Dentistry has always aimed to focus on prevention of oral disease rather than solely treatment alone. We all know that too much sugar causes tooth decay and that to maintain the health of our teeth and gums it is important to brush and floss regularly. Our role as dental professionals shifted from drillers and fillers to health care educators where we told our patients how to clean their teeth and advised them to cut down on sugar. However, this culture shift needs to be taken further as despite our efforts, rates of dental decay and oral health issues are again on the increase.
Dental professionals are not the gatekeepers of our patients’ health: the patients are. A six monthly or yearly check-up and clean with a filling or two when needed is disease management via treatment, not preventive care. Would you be happy if every time you visited your GP you required a minor surgical procedure? I think not.
As dentists our aim should be to be involved as partners in people’s health care, advising patients on their responsibility for their own oral health. After all, they are the ones who every day of their life choose what to eat and drink, how they live, how often they brush and floss and how effectively they do it. We cannot physically be there to guide them every second of the day and the thinking that a couple of hours a year of dental visits will address their dental health issues is both arrogant and disempowering. We need to change how we respond to the dental needs of our patients and empower them to take responsibility for their own wellbeing.
This requires a shift in our level of communication and our approach to what wellbeing and health really mean. Simple oral health messages such as, ‘don’t eat sweets’ and, ‘brush your teeth after meals’, are now ludicrously questionable and ineffectual. Yet, these are the apparent clichés on which the dentist-patient relationship has been built and maintained. This must change. There will always be an element of a dentist-patient relationship because our training teaches us to offer advice and diagnosis to help and treat our patients. But if we really are to make a shift in dental care then we need to see our role more as managing patients’ expectations and fostering the philosophy that they are as much in charge of their own oral health destiny as we are, in fact more so. Thus, the way the patient cares for themselves, what they choose to eat and drink, how they live and lifestyle factors will play an increasingly important part of our work. This change in approach does however require us to develop a deeper understanding of health, nutrition and lifestyle impacts on oral health and a more holistic approach to dental care.
Unfortunately, this is where modern dentistry and even holistic dentistry fall short as there is more to illness, disease and healing than we currently know and unfortunately, we do not have the solutions. It appears that as human beings there is a great deal more to us than initially thought and despite our best efforts and medical advancements, dental health seems to be on the decline. We as dental professionals should be willing to admit that we don’t have all the answers. Perhaps then, through this level of humbleness, we would be open to admit that there is a missing link and seek new approaches to health and healing and adopt an approach that allowed for a marriage of science, healing and complementary care that addresses the physical, biochemical, emotional and energetic aspects of health.
The concept that we have a responsibility for our own choices, health and self-care and that we are more than simply flesh and bone are part of the presentations of the Esoteric Wisdom which apply an understanding of the body and the human situation to our daily life. This awareness, as presented at length by Serge Benhayon, makes for a common sense approach to health and wellbeing that could easily be incorporated into a new model of dental care, where the way we live day to day and the state of our being are just as important as brushing and flossing our teeth.
What would happen if patients understood their responsibility and role in their own self-care and health and were able to see that dentistry was merely there to support them? What would occur if the prop of blaming the professional is removed? And what if the excuse of having regular check-ups as a justification for a lack of regular and effective self-care no longer held sway? Then, to what extent would patients, empowered with the knowledge that their oral health and wellbeing is now in their own hands, decide they are willing to take responsibility and implement lifestyle changes?
Medicine and Serge Benhayon 
“the way we live day to day and the state of our being are just as important as brushing and flossing our teeth.” This places the responsibility for self-care into the hands of who it is that chooses whatever is put into their mouth.
These days I actually prefer to know that I am responsible for my health. I may not act responsibly at all times but it is far better to be empowered to reflect and make changes or to live responsibly and not have as much go wrong then blame someone or something else for my ills.
I take very good care of my teeth, but this year alone I have had to go to dentist 3 times to fix my fillings on top of every 4 month check-up, because I grind my teeth – and this, my dentist can do nothing about other than giving me a mouthpiece to wear during sleep. It is my responsibility to look at the way I am with myself, with others, in what quality I am living, it is the whole thing.
“Would you be happy if every time you visited your GP you required a minor surgical procedure? I think not.” This question stopped me in my tracks, I wonder why we are much more relaxed with our teeth procedures than what happens to the rest of our body, I wonder if fillings have begun to be accepted as normal and not a big deal rather than a minor surgical procedure and we just need a quantum shift back to really truly caring for ourselves.
Thanks Rachel, it’s great to read something from the practitioners perspective and be reminded of the limitations of what dentists can do for patients, as it’s up to us to take on board all the supportive advice and apply it in our own lives.
It is empowering to be the gatekeeper of my own health but am I willing to accept that this comes with a responsibility to look at every aspect of how I am living and how that impacts on my health and wellbeing? The answer is some of the time and I am rigorous in my daily dental care routine but not always in the wider aspects of taking care of myself such as getting enough rest and eating to support my body rather than overburden it when I am seeking a way to dull uncomfortable feelings.
It is inspiring to have professionals such as you Rachel who are calling us to be more responsible whilst always offering loving support with this process. Thank for you for your dedication to the dental profession and the many ways that you offer not just your patients but the wider public alternative ways to more deeply love and care for themselves.
If we struggle to look after our teeth which is taught from the very young generally within the home and within schools then we’re certainly going to be up against changing our ways and looking after ourselves in other areas of our lives. Taking responsibility for our teeth and general wellbeing is not only empowering but it prevents us from blaming others including dentistry and the medical profession… we shouldn’t have to feel responsible for another’s choices.
I’d say it also helps educate others as well to also be responsible if it’s so normal for ourselves. I remember at school everyone was given a free toothbrush and single file marched into the bathroom to brush our teeth. I was roughly 6 or 7 but I don’t remember feeling particularly inspired to care for myself, more interested in getting a free toothbrush!
Yes there is no doubt that it is through our livingness that we inspire leading by example first and not by words or actions telling another what and how to do things.
It is indeed our choice as patients to be more proactive in our dental care than to expect dentists to fix our teeth when needed, the more deeply we understand how to support our own dental care the less likely we are to need a filling, this means taking self-responsibility for the way we clean and floss our teeth everyday.
“What would happen if patients understood their responsibility and role in their own self-care and health and were able to see that dentistry was merely there to support them?” What if indeed Rachel. If this were the case across all areas of health care, then potentially the state of health of humanity as a whole would have a completely different picture to the one we have now.
Self-responsibility sure does make for a ‘common sense approach to health and wellbeing, one that is not only empowering but also deeply nurturing and cherishing of who we are in essence. As we are clearly the ones making the choices that jeopardise our health and well-being and as a result leading us to experiencing illness and disease, we also are the one that can turn our health and well-being with the support of practitioners, through our willingness to be honest with how and why we are living the way we are. At every step our health and well-being is in our hands whether we are choosing to be aware of it or not.
“Then, to what extent would patients, empowered with the knowledge that their oral health and wellbeing is now in their own hands, decide they are willing to take responsibility and implement lifestyle changes?” There is a huge reluctance to take responsibility for our own health. We are quick to blame doctors, dentists, the NHS, but don’t want to look at the way we are living which contributes hugely to our own health – or lack of it.
What you share here Rachel concerning the need for more depth of sharing between the Dentist and patient is so true. I have just spoken with a lady I know who shared that having just come from the Dentist, although she is cavity free her gums have an issue! Even though she has looked after her teeth so well and believed she had done the right thing!
Rachel everything you share around dental health and hygiene makes complete sense to me, I can certainly feel where I am being irresponsible with my teeth and expecting another to ‘fix’ them because of my lack of self-care with my body. Thanks for this timely reminder as I feel inspired to bring more focus and care to my teeth.
I agree Rachel self responsibility assists us with both our dental health and health in general, it is very irresponsible if we think a dentist is just going to fix our lack of dental hygiene, or the fact that we have eaten too many sugary substances, we really need to help ourselves first, and that is simply by taking responsibility for our choices and our own self care.
Most of us want to be fixed up so that we can go back out and do whatever we “want” all over again. I was once like this but what is awesome is going to a health care professional that does not judge you in any way for doing this. I remember visiting the then Universal Medicine clinic, that was a room attached to Serge Benhayon’s house, when I was 19 and partying very hard. I would have a session because I felt so physically run down and then come out feeling amazing and go back to the pub that night. The thing that kept me going back for sessions was how I felt during and after, how I was never told what to do and that I was supported to come to things in my own time. I know that Serge is not a Dentist but he does set the standards for how we can care for patients. I go to an amazing dentist that takes such loving care of me, this it makes me look forward to going and makes it a joy to care and invest in my teeth.
The dentist patient relationship is like many relationships we have so reduced to its absolute minimum. In that I mean that with most people we do not know we talk about the weather or something alike and with the dentist we have the chat of that we need to brush our teeth more, better, more consistent etc and should not drink soft drinks or eat sweets. It is all things that just scratch the surface of a good chat with someone that really goes to the bottom of why we do things and how we could change things. Should all our connections not be about growing together instead of just the weather?
Absolutely dentists have a lot of wisdom they can share but so often they no doubt feel that the patient is not receptive so keep to safe topics like the weather to the detriment of society and our ever increasing lack of true health and wellbeing.
I agree – the patient participation is the key in any medicine. I go to my dentist every six month and I am amazed at how each time there seems to be something new being introduced to assist more effective treatment, but that would never mean that I no longer have to brush my teeth until my next check-up. I am constantly reminded that it is how I take care of myself every day that makes it different, and not the most advanced technology or a newest drug. It is such a blessing to find a doctor who are willing to spend time and explain things and answer questions so that we understand how empowering it is to be taking responsibility for our own well-being.
The idea that merely brushing and flossing our teeth regularly is enough to prevent tooth issues has certainly not held true for me personally, as I have had many teeth and gum issues even though I had been cleaning regularly. But what I have noticed is that there definitely is a correlation between the times I had been pushing my body a lot at work or at home and not really taking care to get enough sleep and listen to when my body needed rest, I would develop gum issues like bleeding or receding gums. This seems to obviously be caused by non-physical means, and even my dentist was perplexed as to why it was happening despite my good oral hygiene.
It is exceedingly evident the the current model of responsibility being about taking on responsibility of others is not working. It leaves us feeling exhausted and of full of bitterness and resentment. Could this be the one realisation we need to come too for us to begin to view self responsibility as the corner stone to halting humanity’s woes.
It’s only when we start to get that self-care is not just a token gesture when we feel like it, but part of our daily life and a way of doing things, not just self-caring activities, that things truly start to change. As we take better care of ourselves, we get to see all the many, tiny ways that we haven’t bothered to look after ourselves. Why does it matter? Because if we don’t care about ourselves, then we very likely don’t care much about others, either. I remember when I first met the Benhayons and I thought they were so arrogant because they really looked after themselves. Now I see that it was my own disregard and lack of care that had got me so annoyed and that was been shown up by what they were reflecting to me. It was uncomfortable, but it was also an opportunity to get honest about how I was living, and start to change it.
It’s tempting to see our teeth as icing on the cake, as small details in the picture of life which if need be, can be faked. Apart from the fact that this philosophy will cost you a lot, it’s also missing in a big way, the truth. Our teeth are a beautiful reflection of how we lead our life, our choices today and past. They show how we are choosing to be and unlock the fact that they are not special but every body part has this potential. They just show us how it’s not the regularity or products used but the quality we choose. Thank you Rachel for this up close and personal examination of the beauty of teeth.
I love the concept of the marriage of science, healing and complementary care to provide a holistic approach to health that offer messages that then empower people to make choices based on a greater understanding of the impact of their choices. No ill health, dental or otherwise, should be the responsibility of the professional to fix but rather for the patient to be taking responsibility for through their own self care… and together, with the support of professionals, addressing what arises from a holistic viewpoint.
When everyone starts to understand and accept that our own health care is our own responsibility the burden on the already overwhelmed health care system will start to lighten up.
When it comes to caring for our body prevention is so much more effective than having to correct our unwise choices and lack of care.
We often rely on dentists to keep our teeth healthy and fix any problems that we have, yet the responsibility really lies with us as individuals to take care of our teeth, I have been taking more care over the cleaning of my teeth, and it has made me more responsible in other areas of my life too.
I have started working in a medical clinic and am surprised, shocked at the amount of people who come in and don’t see a dentist regularly. When I was growing up I always went to the dentist regularly and at the time was resentful about going – and never enjoyed the whole experience but since beginning to initiate my own dental visits with a Dentist I know and trust it has been far more enjoyable and is adding value to my health. If we were taught how to value ourselves than a lot of things like going to the dentist, flossing, eating correctly etc would be our lived nature and not seen as the ‘right’ or ‘ideal’ things to do.
I for one, once misunderstood my responsibility for my own oral health between routine appointments, would go for months or a year without seeing a dentist, and considered dental appointment reminder letters an irritation. I have been there, lost in life, neglecting self. That’s all changed now and I have a new understanding of oral health: taking care of my teeth is a daily practice, not just brushing and flossing my teeth but also in my choice of food and drink. It took an inspiring dentist, attending Universal Medicine presentations and commitment to self care to get me to where I am now.
This is very true Rachel, taking responsibility for our oral health is far more than brushing twice a day and visiting the dentist. The care we take to floss properly, the choice of food and drink on a daily basis and the care and precision with brushing are all important aspect of our own self-care, determining substantially how much we might then have to undergo more expensive and extensive dental work.
It actually all comes down to us all being responsible for our own health and is the point we all have to humble down to. We cannot put the responsibility of our health into the hands of our GP, our dentist or the health care system in our societies in general as these are there to support us in our wellbeing but are absolutely not responsible for it.
Taking responsibility for our health is such an important element that is over looked and ignore. I know I have put off seeing my dentist because I simply used to think it didn’t matter. Now I realise you can’t have one area of your body well nurtured and looked after while an other area is ignored. Our health is every aspect of our body and then this continues into every aspect of our lives, not one more important than the other.
I recall in my twenties and thirties rarely going to the dentist because I thought it was too expensive. Whilst it may well be, but the question I now ask myself why was it expensive? I know that the more I have disregarded my teeth (and my health as our teeth and gums are a reflection of our whole body’s health, not just our teeth), the more expensive my dental visits. I have done a complete turn around when it comes to caring for my teeth, and they are showing me that caring for them pays.
There is no escaping the truth that our dental health reflects the choices of what we put into our mouth.
There is huge difference between doing a job routinely and being of service to another as an integral part of the work you do. True dentists care and are honest enough to say this is what I can do for you, this is what you can do for yourself. Dentists and patients need to be re-educated on the true purpose and nature of their relationship and see it as one that works best when based on partnership.
‘The way we live day to day and the state of our being are just as important as brushing and flossing our teeth’. That is a great observation Rachel and is really making me wonder why we place more and less importance of different parts of our life. Does not all that we do and feel add up to one life?
You offer so much wisdom Rachel. How wonderful to have you as a practitioner, offering so much more than a routine check up.
So it is possible the professional (e.g. dentist and doctor) can offer more to the patient than the ‘do’s and don’t’ and that the ‘patient’ can take more responsibility for their part in their own health. Both can be done through the livingness … the quality of how we live consistently and also the choices we make. Ultimately the responsibility of our health always lays within our own hands and I feel this is still something we have to truly learn.
I agree with what you have shared here Rachel Hall – we are the gatekeepers of our own dental health. It is so interesting to read the levels of detail and responsibility that go into dental care that obviously reflect what parts of our lives we are choosing to examine more closely or not. The whole is affected, with no doubt and the call here is to see why we choose the same currents of behaviour that go far beyond whether we are flossing and brushing daily.
“Would you be happy if every time you visited your GP you required a minor surgical procedure? I think not.” Such a great thought provoking line, as yes, it is for some normal to have every time they go to the dentist a filling done, which is actually a tooth that is ill and imbalanced where the illness is surgically removed. Because our mouth is connected to our whole body, it makes sense that if there is illness present somewhere in the body it does have an effect on the whole body, plus it can come from the whole and how we are we with our whole body. It is, as you say, time to start to see that it is not just about brushing our teeth to keep our teeth healthy, but equally important to care for our body and self as a whole.
Bringing back self responsibility is very important and necessary, ‘The concept that we have a responsibility for our own choices, health and self-care and that we are more than simply flesh and bone are part of the presentations of the Esoteric Wisdom’.
Awesome blog, very educational. I agree with you Rachel, I was one to act in this irresponsible way, especially towards flossing. The shift for me was just that I aspired to be attentive to taking deeper care for myself.
From experience it does feel like relying solely on the medical professions something is lacking in providing a whole form of healing whatever our body may be experiencing in terms of illness and disease. I had a dentist make a comment about bruxation – A clenching of the jaw or grinding of the teeth that could be seen in the ridges in my tongue. She offered me a mouth guard to wear while I slept and had I relied on this nothing would change. Instead my question to the offer was ‘What is the reason I would be clenching my jaw to such a degree that resulted in this? With this question I started to look at my life and look at the areas in life where I clench and tense up and through working with this I now have much less bruxation, in fact I didn’t even know how much less until I had a dental operation where I was numbed to the clenching to keep the bite pads in my mouth and saw the deep groves on my tongue! If I do now it is a big red light flashing to look at the reactions in myself in that particular moment, situation or day.
True medicine is how we live everyday, in every moment. The medical profession wouldn’t have to be focused around prevention, treatment, rescuing and fixing and maintenance if everyone knew this fact. Although, we DO get sick and the body does need to express corrections from the ills that we have lived, so the medical profession is very much needed but should not be weighted down by the lack of regard that we are choosing to live when our lives could be totally medicinal.
Our teeth reflect our choices, both past and present, of how we are choosing to live. When we do not want to take responsibility for our ill choices we are all too ready to hand this responsibility over to the dentist under the guise that we are looking after our teeth (by making regular appointments) when really we are just expecting someone else to fix the mess we have made by choosing to live in a way that does not support our health and vitality. It is little wonder that dentists have one of the highest rates of suicide amongst professions…that’s a lot that we are dumping on them. Great article Rachel Hall.
Thank you Rachel. Our teeth are part of our body and therefore we have a responsibility for the health of our teeth and gums as we do for all of our body.
Thank you Rachel. Ultimately every one of us is responsible for our own health and wellbeing. Yes, we have the support of healthcare professionals but that’s what it is – support.
For many years I avoided going to the dentist, but soon realised that if I am truly to connect to a deeper level of self care, I need to look at all parts of my body and not ignore any. My visit to the dentist was amazing it allowed me to look at my teeth in a completely different way. I changed my way of cleaning, combined with changes I had already made in my life, my teeth feel healthier than ever before. I have regular appointments booked to support my on going care.
As it always has been is the responsibility for our health in our own hands. But to me we have been conveniently been avoiding this by handing over that responsibility to our health professionals instead, imagening ourselves a convenient life in irresponsibility.
It is so true, we go to the dentist once a year, perhaps twice in order to deal with the consequences of our daily choices, often negating the fact that we have been consuming foods that directly impact our mouths many times each day in between. There is an immediate tension, how badly am I going to be told off, will what you are going to do hurt? Will it cost a lot? There is so much more, we as patients, can bring to our own oral hygiene by considering ourselves more responsible in our choices. I remind myself of this every day!!
‘Responsibility’ is a word we have been masterful at shirking, isn’t it… How strong is the preference to ‘go to the dentist’, for example, have that person perform the best treatment and ‘fix’ what they can under the circumstances, and then we go back to our merry way of the ‘same old’, without a second thought of HOW the ‘same old’ may have been contributing to our problem(s) in the first place… Phew…
It is beyond heartening to hear of a health professional who takes every step at her disposal in supporting her patients, and yet, who offers them the greatest gift there is – that such responsibility rests with the self, and should never be palmed off to another, for this is enormously retarding to our own growth (and health, no doubt).
Very well said Rachel Hall, and clearly from your immense depth of experience. The thing that strikes me, is how rare it is to hear a medical professional call for a deeper approach, as you describe – from the humble admission that as things stand, the medical model does not have ‘all the answers’.
It is only through such humility, and a letting go of the arrogance held by many in the medical profession (said with the utmost respect, but it is clearly there…), that the true understanding of what is causing the scale of our collective malaise can be entered into. And the marriage of western medicine and esoteric medicine can occur – as you yourself are clearly embracing. Thank-you.
We need to discern which dentists to say yes to. I’m reminded of a time when I didn’t take care of my self and consequently put up with shoddy treatment from medical practitioners. I had a dentist at the end of his career, going through the motions of dentistry, tired and disinterested. I knew the level of care was poor, but initially did nothing despite the experience of repeat appointments as fillings dropped out and needed to be re-filled. This changed when I changed, felt I deserved better and searched until I found a dentist that cared about me and my teeth. When we self care, we want the same from health practitioners and will not accept treatment that is less or disregarding.
Well said Rachel. lt is our responsibility. We need to appreciate this vessel and maintain it as best we can. lt is our call. Truly empowering. To step up to this responsibility and take charge, lovingly.
The relationship we have with health practitioners is important. It’s gorgeous to meet a dentist that relates you you as a person first meets and treats you as a human being (like I have), and is not just concerned with your teeth.
‘What would happen if patients understood their responsibility and role in their own self-care and health and were able to see that dentistry was merely there to support them? ‘ It’s the relationship we have with our teeth between dental appointments that counts, not the visit itself. The same can be said of sessions with esoteric health practitioners, the session offers a marker, but is never ‘it’, how we live between sessions is where true healing takes place.
Reading this blog offers me a greater awareness of the whole. How I choose to brush my teeth, flossing, the choice of foods and drinks I consume, my commitment to my teeth and seeing my dentist, how I feel about my teeth etc all have an impact on my teeth. It is impossible to separate a visit to my dentist and all my choices I have made in between the appointments. Ultimately it is my responsibility to love and care for my teeth.
No wonder they call it the Evolve Dentist Practice… you’ve taken this to a whole new level Rachel.
Great to see a dentist writing in this way Rachel, “What would happen if patients understood their responsibility and role in their own self-care and health and were able to see that dentistry was merely there to support them?” Not the answer to our problems but a support in how we care, I love the direction and attitude from this. We can take this to how we care for ourselves overall and then out to how we care about everything as this is a great way to look at how we are. ‘What would happen if we understood our responsibility and role in our own self-care and health and were about to see that everything else was merely there to support us?’
I have recently found a great dentist all about making the patient responsible for their own oral health. I got to see very clearly where I have neglected to be self responsible with my teeth and mouth, where I had gotten a bit perfunctory and taking things for granted. My awareness and care for my teeth has expanded enormously and with this I am noticing changes in other areas of my life too, more attention to detail being one.
What would happen if we more regularly stopped to clock our health? rather than leaving it to someone else to tell us in six-month, one month, every two weeks gaps? This is what the Our Cycles app has really been supporting me in reflecting on as with this check-in with how I feel, my moods and the goings on in my body I have become aware that how I live does change how this marker changes. But the longer we leave this gap between check-in’s the more lost, confused, blaming and expecting others to tell us or fix our conditions for us becomes the norm.
After your adult teeth have come through, you then only have one set of teeth for your life. Stuff up, ruin them, allow them to decay and you’re done. No 2nd chances. Smash your car, you can get a new one. Lose your phone – get a new one…But your teeth – a great reflection of our responsibility.
Yes great point Otto, teeth are a great reflection of how we are living and caring for our bodies.
Oral care is pretty intimate thing that we need to pride ourselves on as our teeth and breath hygiene are essentially and literally in the face of everyone we meet and talk to. It should be number one on everyone’s self care list. We should and do know what needs to be done. We need to take care of ourselves, what we eat, how we rest, exercise and work . Thank you Rachel for spelling it out so clearly.
It must be frustrating for you as a dentist when/if we, the general public, come in and display total disregard for our teeth, oral hygiene and thus our selves and expect you as a dentist to fix us.
This is brilliant
‘Would you be happy if every time you visited your GP you required a minor surgical procedure? I think not.’
Just because it has been normalised to need constant dental work, does not mean it has to be this way. I know that when I became a student of Universal Medicine and made big shifts in my life style my oral health just improved immensely, it was truly amazing, as most other dentists I had gone to in the past said that my ‘bad teeth’ were hereditary and did not bring the responsibility back to the way I was living.
As I prepare myself for a trip to the hygienist later this morning I am reminded of this blog and the wisdom therein. This approach to our oral and dental health offers us a reflection of our responsibilities throughout our lives not just in relation to our health. It occurs to me that we have created a situation where we can choose irresponsibility in other areas of our lives too – such as social care – because we have social workers and carers – and crime – because we have Police. My feeling is that the original intention in the creation of such services was all about working alongside those with specialist knowledge and skills rather than ‘leaving it up to them’. We are responsible for our lives – whether we like it or not. And if we choose to live irresponsibly – we are responsible for this too!
I love the proactive approach to health and wellbeing the dentistry model offers us all. It is a collaboration between the professional and ourselves, with us taking regular, daily – if not momentary – responsibility for our wellbeing and attending our check-ups for support, not just to be fixed. Isn’t this what our health services are truly intended to be? Not there to deal with irresponsible people who live in complete disregard of their health, but to work together with us all, supporting us to live well, not just fix our issues and problems.
I really like the clear, direct and common-sensical approach of this presentation of what dentistry could be, and actually is in truth. As patients we have disempowered ourselves, handing the reins of our own health to our health professionals. Granted, there is also a reluctance from some health professional to hand the reins back if we do decide to be responsible for our own health and wellbeing, however, for the most part it is more that we are refusing to take responsibility as it will involve making changes that we might not be willing to take. Then it’s far easier to blame the dentist for our own disregard and absolute irresponsibility.
Brilliant Rachel, it is up to us to take responsibility for our dental care, our health and our well being through our everyday choices and how we choose to live. It is not just about focusing on one aspect of care but to encompass love and care in all aspects and in all that we do to nurture our body and life back to true health and harmony
“The concept that we have a responsibility for our own choices, health and self-care and that we are more than simply flesh and bone” is common sense and perfectly clear.
We all need to take responsibility for all aspects of our lives, working in partnership with health professionals.
Thank you Rachel for sharing your knowledge and wisdom.
Great blog Rachel, highlighting that we need to take responsibility for all aspects of our lives, obviously including dental care.
“the way we live day to day and the state of our being are just as important as brushing and flossing our teeth.”
As naive as it sounds it hadn’t occurred to me that “As dentists our aim should be to be involved as partners in people’s health care,” of course it should! I am not a dentist, I am one of the partners in that healthcare, but I have to question how I did not get that before… I am the one who is with myself 24 hours in the day, I need to be responsible for my healthcare 24 hours a day and work in partnership to address any maintenance.
Great comment Lucy, we certainly do need to take responsibility for our own health 24/7. Our choices can either contribute to healing or harming our body.
“the way we live day to day and the state of our being are just as important as brushing and flossing our teeth.”
This should be hanging in every dental practice there is. The way we live and the state of our being determines the choices we make and the quality we do everything in, including brushing and flossing.
I found your article very interesting and agree with your words, ” As Dentists our aim should be to be involved as partners in peoples health care, advising patients on their responsibility for their own oral health”. We see responsibility coming into all areas of our lives. Really important not to expect someone else to do it for us!
I really enjoyed reading this article Rachel. I love the care and consideration it is written with as you’re not blaming or saying anyone is wrong, you’re just pointing out how we can be more responsible and in effect be in the drivers’ seat of our lives.
“This awareness, as presented at length by Serge Benhayon, makes for a common sense approach to health and wellbeing…” this awareness can in fact be applied to all professions, whether directly health care related or not and is based on the understanding that everything we do affects our health and well-being. In this regard, what better way to support our health and well-being than consider the quality and care in which we live…!
Rachel as I ponder my history with dental health I can honestly say that it has been one of irresponsibilty. As a child I was always at the dentist suffering all manner of treatment, from fillings to having teeth removed because my mouth was ‘too crowded’. So I gave up on myself and just thought bad teeth was my lot. I now realise that there is a lot more to the quality of our teeth than just the brushing, and have learned a lot about myself and the way I live from my teeth. I agree that if dentists could incorporate the simple practical tips on self-care into their living practce it would help everyone, because they reflect that level of responsibility to the clients who ultimately are the only ones who can decide to care for themselves or not.
Having just come from the dentist, a crown done, and teeth cleaned from the dental
hygienist, I pondered on my responsibility for my own oral hygiene and lifestyle choices, that would ensure that my next 6 month visit would be confirming of how lovingly I am looking after myself, instead of leaving it up to the dentist to “fix it”.
To me our teeth and oral hygienics are solely the responsibility of ourselves and we have to work in close co-operation with our dentist who can assist greatly to keep our teeth in optimum health. As this is not yet the way people tend to take the responsibility for their health in their own hands your job will be twofold, by doing the half years check and repairs, and in the same time informing your clients about the fact that taking care for their teeth is, as taking care for their overall health, part of their lifestyle and the way they live.
Teeth seem to get largely ignored when it comes to people’s health. The idea, as you say, that it’s normal to turn up every six months (and I suspect the majority don’t even do that) and along with having the teeth cleaned to have a filling or two is ludicrous. It’s amazing that it doesn’t occur to us when it is so obvious and “in our face” (so to speak) that so many can’t see the irresponsibility in this.
How much sooner would health issues be addressed if as patients we took responsibility for the life choices that led to our health issues/concerns. By blaming someone or something we remain as we are, we are not at fault so we don’t have to change is the arrogant thinking. All the while the issue escalates. By taking responsibility for what comes my way in the various degrees I have, I find the more I claim my part in the situation and change my part the situation changes equally so. To blame is to stay static and that’s when things stagnate.
Thanks Rachel. You really make us think about the difference it would make if we truly took full responsibility for our own health. How many of us ‘leave it to the professionals’? How could anyone be more professional than us regarding our own bodies? This scapegoat approach leaves us off the hook, so that we don’t have to admit that it is our doing that our bodies are in such poor form, and we can carry on trashing ourselves and leave the ‘fixing up’ to someone else.
That’s no way to live, at least it is no way I choose to live anymore, because as you say, there is somethng very empowering about taking responsibility for yourself.
Dentistry is one of the health professions which actually told me how it was, at the time what it was; too many lollies. I’m so glad my dentist advocated to me to take responsibility for my oral health. I now have the best opportunity to have a long life of great oral health.
“Would you be happy if every time you visited your GP you required a minor surgical procedure? I think not.- “This comment made me think how much we judge certain areas of our life and give them less focus and attention. It is as though our teeth care is less than other parts of our body. It’s because it is not on the surface and hidden away that we fell we can get away with it. If it was our arm we were taking a bit out of and filling up each time I am sure we would look at it differently.
Rachel great blog, your question ‘Would you be happy if every time you visited your GP you required a minor surgical procedure? I think not.’ is so telling, I never considered that but it’s true, we treat a visit to the dentist (in many cases) as a ‘fix it now’ but do not do enough to look at our day to day living, and that is where the gold is. By the time we get to the dentist’s office we are at the end of a way of living that led to how our teeth are, but if we took more active responsibility with how we live and stopped leaning on the prop of the dentist, that would be so empowering and place the responsibility where it truly lies with us. Our teeth and gums reflect how we live and our dentists are there to support us in their care, not to prop up our lack of care.
Great questions Rachel, ‘What would occur if the prop of blaming the professional is removed?’ I see and hear this so often, that it is the doctors or dentists fault for not noticing something earlier or for getting a diagnosis wrong, there is often little responsibility taken by the patient for their own health, it is common for us to give our power away to doctors and dentists and not observe and keep check of how our health is for ourselves. With general health and dental health declining it is important to ask these questions and for us all to take responsibility for our own health and well being.
“What would happen if patients understood their responsibility and role in their own self-care and health?” – there would be a revolution in the levels of health and well being globally. It is such a simple concept yet made, so consistently accessible by the presentations of Universal Medicine.
Amazing article Rachel, from reading this I have really got a sense of how little time I would spend at a dentist, so looking after my oral health is so important. Although I may brush my teeth 2 – 3 times a day and floss every now and then, I still do not bring the depth of attention to it like I can feel that you do. It’s super inspiring. I’m realising how every aspect of our health is so important and it’s so silly to be putting something more important then another or bringing less and more quality to different aspects of our health and wellbeing.
Thank you for questioning this belief that regular dental visits with the odd filling here and there, or most likely every visit if truth be told, are actually how it ought to be. Again, ‘normal’ is not natural and were we to take responsibility for our oral health, the emphasis would be much more on prevention, true prevention that is including the needed lifestyle choices in regard foods and beverages consumed especially.
I hadn’t really considered it before, but dental health is one area where prevention is at least spoken about and is considered a key part in dental health. Other areas of healthcare, this isn’t as obvious or as much attention given to prevention.
It’s true that so often we hand the responsibility of our health over to health professionals so that they can fix us. For a truly well being, the responsibility needs to be taken by the being and the practitioner works with them for their optimal health. How lovely for the practitioner to be working with patients who are in collaboration with them and how lovely for the patient to be seen and felt as an equal partner.
‘Would you be happy if every time you visited your GP you required a minor surgical procedure?’. Crazy how much we take for granted. This line really stood out for me. I have relatively healthy teeth, or so I have fooled myself into believing to shirk responsibility for them. I recently went to the dentist after it being 5 years, yes 5, since my last visit. Apart from a good dentist’s clean, I didn’t need anything else, and I felt smug that I got away with it. However, the fact that I have had some work done in the past is starting to show up and it is something I will need to keep a close eye on. So really, I haven’t got away with anything. If the same amount of work was the equivalent to minor surgery on my body, then actually, that’s quite significant. I am really starting to appreciate my body as a whole, and choosing to see that every part of it has an equally important role to play in my wellbeing.
No professional had ever given me an explanation for my ongoing dental problems. The best answer I could get was that some people are just plain unlucky and I accepted that fact like a sentence.Through Universal Medicine I have learnt self-responsibility. The state of my teeth is but a reflection of the way I have lived until now and although I cannot reverse the damage caused, I may be able to arrest it by the loving choices I make daily. My teeth belong to me so I care for them the way I do my body. I no longer sit in the dentist chair giving my power away in a fatalistic way.
Taking responsibility is truly empowering, we give our power away when we do not choose this. Awesome to read comment Patricia.
Responsibility definitely needs to lie with the patient, and even though there is much information from our practitioners, there is a lot of information and understanding we can research for ourselves. I had no idea how much my dental and oral health affected my whole body, so I educated myself, and it was extraordinary! I now am strict with six monthly visits and I pay close attention to my daily oral routines. It does make the world of difference.
That’s awesome Jo and so inspiring! thank you for sharing that. I can feel your commitment to your Oral health and hearing from you how it really makes a difference is what inspires me because it’s coming from someone who is not a dentist. This will be very accessible to many people because they will know you are not trying to promote your profession but rather speaking the truth of what you live.
Rachel not only does it seem common sense for us all to take the health of our whole body into our own hands it actually seems odd when you truly consider that we could think that another person is actually going to be able to truly care for us despite how we treat ourselves on a day to day level.
I agree Alexis, for people to give up on their own self care and then look to or expect medical professionals to alleviate the pain and suffering that is carried by this irresponsibility should no longer be an option if we are really going to get to the root of our ills.
I agree we must take responsibility for all aspects of our own health.
A very clear and super supportive message Rachel; that we are all responsibile for our health and our oral health, it is that simple, and our body is our guide in communicating with us what it needs and if we listen, it has much to tell us on what true reponsibility is; taking care of our own needs first.
Yes, this is very supportive Jacqmcfadden04. I agree, it is so simple and logical to take responsibility of our health and oral health. I also realise that taking care of our own needs first unfortunately isn’t the norm in society, especially due to a choice to disconnect from our body and ourselves leading us to focus more on what’s around us instead of what is within us.
It is so, that true responsibility needs to be taken by ourselves first, for all aspects of our lives, including health and oral health. Relying on the medical profession to fix us is giving our power away, it’s saying we don’t want to be responsible, we don’t know how to be responsible, we want you to be responsible for us. Dentists and other Medical professionals with all their outstanding skills are an amazing support for us and can give us helpful advice, but they are not there to solve our problems for us. It is our choice.
I love how you have presented that we are becoming more aware that there is more to us than our physicality that what we have previously thought. And with this awareness we then need to adjust the way we do things to support this evolving awareness. As what we have been taught has come from an ‘old school of thought’ so to speak. Esoteric Ageless Wisdom presented by Serge Benhayon offers a way, an opportunity for both practitioner and patient to understand the role that they have in being responsible for returning to and maintaining their health and well-being. A way that includes all of who we are, how we are choosing to live and essentially empowering us – the patient – with the awareness that the choice of our health and well-being is in our own hands with the support of our medical practitioners when needed.
While reading your comment Carola, I had the memory of people getting ill and saying “why is this happening to me?”. It seems to be the catch cry of our irresponsible way of living. As you said, how we are choosing to live, with awareness, is empowering the patient. This is exactly what is needed, to take our health well and truly into our own hands. No looking around for ‘who/what did this to me’, the responsibility lies firmly with ourselves.
Removing ‘ the prop of blaming the professional’ is a huge consciousness that cuts across just about all professions, including my own. It seems to be a rather too consistent approach for anyone who wants to victimise themselves and refuse to accept responsibility for their own health, finances, education etc etc. What is it about the consideration of responsibility that elucidates this ‘prop me up’ mentality? it can be fun taking responsibility, as well as being healthier and more logical.
Great point Coleen, I can see how this is a big issue across so many professions. It’s like the professionals seemingly have total responsibility for someone and their results, whereas they really don’t. They do not control the way someone is living and the way someone lives has the biggest impact on the results that they get throughout their life.
Rachel, this article has not dated and provides a wonderful reminder to both feel for ones self and claim our own part in the care of our gums and teeth. I can observe how many rules I have had about how and when to clean my teeth and have only recently begun to become more aware of the choices I have to bring a deeper level of care to this. I am finding dental hygiene much more fun as I now begin to choose this for myself rather than because ‘I have been told to and this is how it must be done’!
Dentistry has certainly changed over the years – my experience has always been ‘drill and fill’ with not one once of self responsibility. Mind you there wasn’t much education back then either. Now a days taking care of my teeth is all part of self care and self responsibility for better health. With this I am being educated on mouth hygiene, which is great to actually be actively involved in the outcome of my teeth. Thank you Rachel.
I wholeheartedly agree we need to be better educated to take personal responsibility for the health of our teeth (and body’s). Thank you for your enlightening and important Blog, Rachel.
I love this blog Rachel, it’s an anti promotion for your business in one way but at the same time not. It’s saying sure I can help but you can also help yourself. It’s like an invite for a co-operative relation towards dental health. But it’s also bigger than that. It’s bringing in a new dimension when it comes to the relationship between practitioner and client. That the practitioner isn’t the one having all the answers but the answers will come when both are working towards the same goal. For true healing to occur.
Thank you Rachel and Matts. I agree the more collaboration between Universal Medicine and Conventional Medicine, the better off clients will be. Having a greater awareness of the responsibilities for our own health as presented by Serge Benhayon, will also contribute to our well being.
I love what you have shared Matts and Greg. The effort is then being put in on both ends and not all being left up to the health practitioner. It’s so beautiful knowing that Rachel is not just out to get more clients and be successful in business, she actually has a REAL care for people and their dental health and that really comes through in her blog. She is the kind of dentist I would book in to see!
After reading your article I understand that how we live day by day and making more self loving choices is truly all a support in our dental care and in whole body care.
Thank you Rachel.
“And what if the excuse of having regular check-ups as a justification for a lack of regular and effective self-care no longer held sway?” Great question Rachel. The health of our teeth and our body is the result of our day to day choices. Thank you for this article and highlighting that going to the dentist is a support and that true care for our selves requires self responsibility. I have found that this starts with allowing myself to develop a deeply caring and supportive relationship with my body. This has supported me to know that my daily choices have an impact on my health and wellbeing.
I feel those regular check ups are an opportunity to improve our self care, not an excuse for handing over the responsibility of looking after our teeth to the dentist.
I agree Bianca this is such a great question for Rachel to ask of us. I had always blamed the dentist for the pain I endured whilst sitting in the dental chair but realising that my own personal choices caused my teeth to require a lot of treatment is solely my responsibility and highlighted there was a level of self-care that I had not been embracing. I’m deeply beginning to appreciate the self-loving decisions for myself that I am now choosing regarding my wellbeing.
This would be a win win for everyone. Each person, the health practitioner and the community as a whole.
Yes, I totally agree. I was thinking that as I read this as well.
Yes – this does extend the relationships out to others and offers the opportunity of communication, sharing of information as well as understanding and insight.
Yes, this would benefit everyone, especially as our health system which is not coping, if people took more care and responsibility with their teeth, maybe this understanding could then spread to all the other areas of the overburdened health system, where the same concept of responsibility applies.
Exactly Jennifer. An absolute win for EVERYONE involved, and yet somehow we continue to make other choices. I wonder what a difference it would make if we were better educated about the need for self responsibility. An ingrained truth would be far more worthwhile than the poor habit of neglect.
Thank you Rachel for pointing out clearly that when it comes to dental health we need to take responsibility with how we look after our teeth, diet and lifestyle, and not leave it up to the dentist to “fix it”.
Everything we do is either healing or harming, and contributes to our wellbeing or illness and disease.
I too enjoyed the clarity of this message from Rachel, really spells it out loud and clear, that it is our daily choices that count and not just the skill of the dentist. Working co-creatively together with the dentist, instead of dentistry being something that is done to you a couple of times a year that will fix you up.
This is such an important message to convey: “Everything we do is either healing or harming”. It should be at the forefront of any medical practitioner discussion with patients.
Well said Josephine… it’s not about the skills of the dentist.. it’s about our daily choices to look after our Oral health. It’s actually quite irresponsible to not look after ourselves thinking that we have so many health practitioners that can fix us up.
I love it Rachel – pointing out the self-responsibility that comes with our oral care. You have outlined the importance of us not just going to the dentist to ‘fix our teeth’ but to see our oral care as another part of our self-care.
Love this post Rachel, and your words “….a new model of dental care, where the way we live day to day and the state of our being are just as important as brushing and flossing our teeth”, can be applied to any profession. The way we live, is present in the way we work. And the quality in which we work is founded by the way live. Living and working are not 2 separate ways, but one-way.
Thank you Rachel for this clear insight into our responsibility as practitioner and patient alike.
An inspiring approach to dentistry that I believe should also be considered for all areas of health care. This article also is a great reminder of the responsibility we have to lovingly care for our bodies on a daily basis. Thank you Rachel.
Thank you Rachel for bringing an awareness to our responsibility in looking after our teeth.I remember when I was younger I used to get really anxious going to the dentist wondering if I would have to have a filling or not, and remember a feeling of relief when I didn’t. In between dentist appointments I didn’t really give my teeth another thought other than to brush them on an irregular basis.
Now I see my teeth as part of my overall well being and take a lot more care of them, and work with my dentist and hygienist to keep my teeth and gums healthy. I know the days when I am in disregard of my teeth, as my gums start to hurt or I get little sore area in the mouth.
Rachel – I love this approach to dentistry. I think I have finally found a dentist with more of a life support approach who gives me choices about dental care and the responsibility to manage my oral health. For my part I am more consciously present when doing my oral care. It feels to me that sometimes we do not see our teeth as belonging to us in the same way as we see our internal organs as being a part of our body!
Love the questions in that last paragraph – particularly: ‘What would happen if patients understood their responsibility and role in their own self-care and health and were able to see that dentistry was merely there to support them?’. I can imagine the difference for patients, teeth, gums and dentists themselves would be massive. No more dumping our stuff expecting others to pick up the pieces and fix us – and no more giving our power away to a professional that is in some way seen as better equipped than we are to care for our pearlers.
Straight to the point Rachel, I like it. Everything that happens to us is our choice. All health care related professions could adopt the same model here, and that is they are here to support the person, not just fix the problem.
It is great to read from a dentist about a wholistic approach to dentistry, including that our bodies – including our teeth – do respond to how we treat ourselves. Yes it is very simple, but it seems like it needs to be stated over and over again, because of how much ill health people are suffering.
Rachel, I loved reading your article. It is so empowering and what you write is so clear and true. Dentistry is there to support us but we don’t see it as that way. I have had very little problems with my teeth and went many years without going to my dentist, arrogantly thinking I didn’t need to! I now have regular check ups, realising it is such a loving and very important choice to make. Thank you.
…and what if all health care professionals held the same quality of patient care and integrity as the author of this blog? WOW!
Thanks Rachel, I really appreciate how direct and clear your sharing is of our own responsibility for our dental health and our health in general.
True point you make. The responsibility which lays with us, the care we give to our teeth during the year and not only when we visit the dentist. This year I went for the first time to the mouth hygiene specialist. I loved the clean up. I was going fine with my cleaning, but I could take deeper responsibility for the way I did it. What was fun at that moment was that I asked her what exactly can I
do differently with brushing and flossing. I felt like going back to learning to brush again, but now with more attention, precision and care. You know what? To get a lesson is one thing, to implement it into my daily rhythm is another. Still learning.
Love this Rachel “What would occur if the prop of blaming the professional is removed”? Hands up in the past I have been one of those people and that wasn’t just with my dentist – my dentist was so patient with me explaining lots of different ways to help with my sensitive teeth. Taking responsibility for me has changed completely the way I feel about self care, even to the point of expressing to my dentist clearly/honestly what diet changes I’ve made, the way I brush my teeth etc.
This serves us both.
As human beings there is certainly more to us than we once may have thought so I have a great deal of respect and trust for the medical professional who is honest and humble enough to say they don’t have all the answers… as nor should they be expected to. Instead and by combining their enormous medical knowledge and experience with a truly caring way, they can guide, support and empower their patients to take the responsibility of their wellbeing back into their own hands. There is much to be said for and I’ll quote: “The way we live day to day and the state of our being are just as important as brushing and flossing our teeth”.
I am one of those people who has spent more time in the dentist chair than with any other healthcare professional. I did brush my teeth, so hard in fact that my gums were receding. I was told by all the dentists and specialists I saw, and still see, that some people are just plain unlucky. Until I became a student of Universal Medicine I accepted this explanation and just waited for the next problem that was just around the corner. I now understand my responsibility in taking care of myself, I brush my teeth with more gentleness and thoroughness and try being in my presence while doing it. Thank you Rachel.
There is always so much pressure on medical practitioners to give us solutions or provide us with instant cures. As you expressed so beautifully, Rachel, even with regard to dental health people just want to be fixed with no true and honest intention to take responsibility for the way they eat, drink and live. By truly looking after ourselves, which includes looking after our oral hygiene as well, we discover that our health and general well-being improves on all levels. Thanks to Universal Medicine, I have learned to take greater responsibility in every area of my life with amazing results.
I like this philosophy with regards to dental health and patient care. I used to visit the dentist and would know from how apprehensive I was about the visit as to whether I had been taking care of myself or not in the previous 6 months. We shouldn’t expect a dentist to solve our problems, but instead manage our own health so that we can enjoy going to the dentist, as an aid to self care, knowing that we are doing all we can to live in a health filled way. I feel the check up at the dentist is a great marker of how well my being is from all the choices I have been making.
Thank you Rachel beautifully said, I know for years I would only floss a day or two before my appointment with the dentist. Instead of making that part of my daily routine and seeing the flossing as a way to support my dental health I saw it as a chore. Seeing the dentist I was looking for a quick fix, I was not taking the steps to self-care. Since attending Universal Medicine Presentations, I have taken greater responsibility in all areas of my health and well-being. My dental health has improved enormously and I have made flossing part of my routine – I even enjoy it.
I feel that this article represents almost all medical practitioners, in that fundamentally the patient is responsible for their condition and perhaps all of the medical fraternity could work by and highlight this one simple fact more so.
I was astonished when I found out how the health of my gums affected my overall health. My lifestyle didn’t seem too bad, but I had periodontal disease and the condition gave me much to consider. By incorporating the health principles presented by Universal Medicine and following a scheduled oral health care program, I today have very healthy gums and my overall health has improved enormously. It speaks volumes about the responsibility we have for our own health and wellbeing and the need to understand how our lifestyle choices are effecting our health in every way.
Thanks Rachel, it makes so much sense to take responsibility for our own oral health and not disempowering ourselves by handing that over to a dentist – this sets up the relationship with the dentist as one of support and care and building of the consistency of self care and self responsibility for oral health and otherwise. Something we can apply to life in general I would even say…
Great presentation of patient responsibility and as some have mentioned here this is applicable to everything in life. I take great care of myself on a daily basis and at my last dental check up I was informed that my teeth were in great shape and that I had no plaque at all and nothing else of note. This had not been my experience in the past when I lived with great disregard for myself and my health. By looking after ourselves on a daily basis we take the best us to our dental and medical professionals and if something needs attending to then we are starting on the front foot.
‘The responsibility that we have for our own choices…’ that for me is the key to staying healthy or becoming more healthy.
I fully agree Kerstin. Taking this responsibility will make it the most natural thing on earth to make loving and caring choices concerning our bodies – and everything in life.
And this is so much more powerful than suppressing symptoms with medication as these choices can bring true healing.
What you present – that we are all responsible for caring and looking after our teeth ourselves with the dentist being there as a support – is applicable, I feel to doctors and in fact everything in life. The mass majority expect the medical and dental profession to have all the answers, and patients arrive with a “fix me” attitude. What universal medicine has shown to me is how I look after, care and love myself is my responsibility, not someone else’s.
I love reading reading what you write Rachel, We all need to fully accept that every aspect of our health is our own responsibility and is a direct result of the choices we make.
Wow I’m almost blushing here Rachel – When I read the header “Responsibility and Dental Health I felt this one is for me. I haven’t been to a dentist for a long time and I can really feel it’s an area where I choose to not dig deeper into. Thank you for the gentle yet effective wakeup call.
Thank you Rachel, I am blessed to have a great dentist that I have been seeing for 20 years – we have a relationship based on regular checkups and preventative work. Having read your articles I know that I can do more directly by flossing with more attention and indirectly by making loving choices so I don’t have to walk around with a clenched jaw.
In the past I never really had any focus, attention or love for my teeth and dental hygiene. I went to the dentist and that was it. Over the past years, this has changed, as I started to take care of myself. How can I leave my teeth out, I wondered, as they are part of me, and such an important part. Now I go twice a year for a total cleaning of my teeth and I love it. I see this amazing and lovely woman and it feels like a present to myself after I have been. I also see the dentist once a year and I never have any dental issues. My teeth are my responsibility and nowadays, I take so much better care of them.
Great article Rachel and a welcome reminder for us all that our teeth and dental hygiene are just as much our responsibility as the food we put in our mouths, thanks.
Great article Rachel. I definitely know that it is my teeth, my body and my responsibility. I still visit the dentist for his expertise in identifying potential problems and dealing with them, in much the same way as I take my car for an annual service.
From experience I am finding that when I go to any healthcare professional if I go in with a sense of me being an equal to them, they are here to assist me with what they know about western medicine/knowledge of treating and preventing ill health I don’t feel small and helpless and there is not dropping all my issues at their feet and expecting them to magically make it all go away. And by not avoiding them, going for years without a check up, it does feel more self-empowering that I am stepping forward to understand my own health better. The more I understand the more willing I am to change without fighting or ‘doing it because I was told to’
Thank you Rachel and this is where the Esoteric Wisdom is so different as in the end as patients, we are in charge of our own lives and wellbeing. The esoteric wisdom can support us, if embraced, to step up to that and lovingly take charge of ourselves and our lives. I don’t know where I would be without it.
I love this perspective as well Jane. If someone honouring themselves were simply collaborating with medical professionals to learn more about themselves, it feels much…grander in a way. A sense of the great scale of possibility someone would have if they were that in touch with their body and taking that much responsibility. It felt for a long time that this body of mine was just a mere tool, but in conjunction with what I have learned through working with Universal Medicine I really feel the fragility and “preciousness” of my physical frame. And in many ways it’s teaching me to really listen to what all of me says rather than just my busy mind. It’s amazing to, as they say, listen from the neck down.
Awesome article Rachel advocating self care and inspiring the reader to take better responsibility for their own health. What we choose to eat and drink and our life style is going to directly impact our oral health. Taking responsibility in health care is fundamental if we are to truly heal.
Yes this is so true. It is the same lack of self responsibility the majority have towards the care of their teeth as they have for their general health. Problems just happen and are not caused by anything that I am doing or not doing and I just want to get it fixed up so that I don’t need to look at my role in it. I don’t need to change anything or start taking responsibility. It is a head in the sand approach, which leads nowhere but ever more illness and disease.
I enjoyed reading this article and the question “Would you be happy if every time you visited your GP you required a minor surgical procedure?” made me sit up. Since I have cut refined sugar and excessive sweet things from my diet, I can now taste sweetness in foods that I used to find sour. This shows me how addictive sugar can be and leads to cravings of more and more sugar laden food and drink.
It’s really sneaky hey Mary…I am feeling the same with Salt actually and the intense impact that is having on my body…All of a sudden it feels like “hey when am I going to be in charge of how my food is made…” Interesting that we have left it up to corporations to provide for us because it takes too long to decide on what seasonal produce is available and what we can make out of it. Haha…time to re-think the strategy a bit there hey people.
I really loved every word of this clearly and concisely written article. It is true – our true dental care starts with ourselves and it is indeed both empowering and humbling to know this.
About 16 or so years ago my dentist recommended me using an electric tooth brush as I was brushing my teeth so vigorously I was causing my gums to recede. I did so but still the red light would flash to tell me I was brushing too hard. As I have taken more gentle care of myself I have noticed the red light hardly comes on now and if it does I look at how I am being with myself and why .. like am I rushing, thinking about something else instead of focusing on what I am doing, or feeling tense.
Yes I have a similar toothbrush Ruth. Initially I thought it was faulty. I had no idea that brushing could be that gentle and still effective.
Wonder what else in my life would still be effective with less vigour.
This is such a great point Kathie – what else in our lives would still be effective (and possibly less damaging/harmful to our health and well being) if we were more gentle
Yes, I have found the same with my toothbrush – the red light is a great sensor for ‘being too hard and vigorous with my teeth. With more awareness now, it hardly comes on at all!
Red traffic lights may also be a great reminder to ‘just stop and simply be’ for those few precious seconds before moving on again
My toothbrush doesn’t have a red light, but I have noticed that when I am rushing or get a bit heavy handed, the toothbrush doesn’t sound, or feel, right. It’s a real ‘stop, connect and start again’ moment.
I don’t think I’ve ever had a conversation at the dentist about how I can look after my teeth better, and definitely not about lifestyle and how that can effect dental health. That would be fantastic though. I had my mercury fillings replaced last year, and I had no support with this from about 4 different dentists (all NHS) which I was quite surprised about. They all said it was unnecessary and that the mercury fillings would stay better. I made the choice to go ahead anyway, and one of the old fillings had deep erosion underneath it so I was glad that I went ahead for this reason and others. I also started talking about teeth with a lot of people around that time, and had to admit how lazy I was about flossing. One person I talked to was a dental nurse, and she explained in detail about the effects of flossing on gum disease and receding gums. With this understanding, I made a choice to be more committed to flossing every day, and pretty much still do 2 years later, and I never get bleeding gums anymore. woohoo!
Thanks for the flossing tip Laura!
Thanks Laura, I have had a similar experience. When I was researching amalgam replacement there was quite a lax and “I don’t know why you are making so much fuss” attitude. It was only through talking with Rachel Hall that I fully understood the affects of having mercury in my system.
My dentists haven’t in the past generally talked to me about what I am doing to look after my teeth, but my latest dentist did strongly advise me to floss every day, which I do without fail and it has made a huge difference. So I have found that a little consistent care goes a long way, as Elaine says above, and enjoy the responsibility of looking after my teeth and gums.
Thank you Rachel. I have been taking more care of my teeth and gums in the last few years and it is definitely paying off. My hygienist thought that the condition of my gums was irreparable but by my using inter-dental brushes and dental sticks on a daily basis, and being more careful in the way I brush my teeth she had to admit that actually the “pockets” are getting smaller. This shows that with constant care things can change.
Well said Elaine, I love your point “with constant care things can change”. This is so applicable to other areas of life as well as dental care
Great point Jessica and so true.
Thank you for this it is so clear about how the patient needs to take responsibilty. I must put my hands up on this one, I was one of those patients that would just go to my 2 visits every year to the dentist and expect everything would be okay, or they would sort it out. I am now taking much more responsibility for my health and choices including my teeth.
Thank you Rachel for an easy to read and understandable blog that relates to dental care as well as our overall health. Reading through it all makes absolute sense and how amazing would it be if we took responsibility for our choices and began to see how they impact on our dental and general health. Possibly less demanding and full up waiting rooms!
Thank you Rachel, this is an awesome article. We cannot escape the responsibility of looking after our teeth and our bodies after reading this. How amazing would it be if all healthcare professionals spoke to their patients in this way.
Rachel this is a great article thank you. It hands back the responsibility of dental health to the patient with a deeper role in the care and outcome of looking after our own health, teeth and way of being.
Thank you Rachel for your insights, yes something as apparently simple as taking responsibility to just being with myself whilst I brush my teeth
I always feel going to the dentist is a great expose of lifestyle choices, oral health can clearly show how we have been living. It is a great wake up call if we choose to see it and dentists have a great role to play in informing their patients. Taking responsibility for our own health care is key.
I loved the question you asked Rachel… Would you be happy if every time you visited your GP you required a minor surgical procedure? Taking responsibility for the state of our teeth is all part of the bigger picture of taking responsibility for our own health and wellbeing and not expecting the doctor or dentist to fix us when things go wrong.
I was struck by that question too Alison. It made me see how much we take our dentists for granted. Dental health is so much more than cleaning our teeth, it’s what we eat, and how we use our teeth – I sew, and used to use mine to ‘cut’ thread – not a good idea!
Thank you. I greatly appreciate what you have written.
It feels so clear, true and applicable to every industry not just the healing professions.
I agree Nicola – this is relevant to every industry and makes so much sense.