Munster Dental Blog

Winning the Popularity Contest

Deny it all you like, when people like you, things just seem to work better. And who doesn’t want to be liked? To go to an event where people are happy to see you makes it more enjoyable for you.

But what is it about people that makes them popular? Are they just naturally charismatic? One would think so, for very young children can turn on the charm when they want to.

That really isn’t it. Some people are naturally more gregarious than others, but the good news for you is that learning to be more popular, more likeable can be learned.

The first thing is to not judge others. Listen to their side of the story. Be sympathetic without taking sides. And whenever possible, try to hid how much you don’t like something. Look at all situations logically rather than emotionally. As soon as emotion becomes a component in a situation, all bets are off. At work, managers have to recognize that they will be unable to change the behavior of certain workers. They may be asked to, but instead of getting emotionally involved, they accept what is out of their control and move ahead accordingly.

Be genuine. Share events in your life, with a balance of good and bad. In this way, people can relate to you, know that you understand what they’re going through. Being genuine can make you vulnerable, but it also makes you very attractive to other people.

Get people to talk about themselves. This is one of the best techniques. Try it at the next gathering you attend. Rather than focusing on how uncomfortable you feel meeting all these people you’ve never met before, find a person to talk to. Start by asking them some questions about themselves, staying away from questions that can be answered with a single word. Then as they answer, really listen. Make eye contact, ask clarifying questions. Be yourself, but engaged. It was said that if you ever spoke with Jacqueline Kennedy you felt as if you were the only person in the room. That trait is the keystone to being a likable and popular person.

Photo Credit :
Most Beautiful Woman is Next Top Model of Spain from epSos .de
via Flickr

The Great Wall in Your Mouth

The definition of plaque is really very interesting as described by Wikipedia:

Dental plaque is a biofilm, usually a pale yellow that develops naturally on the teeth. Like any biofilm, dental plaque is formed by colonizing bacteria . . . It has been speculated that plaque forms part of the defense systems of the host by helping to prevent colonization of microorganisms that may be pathogenic.

It is not a huge leap to compare plaque to the Great Wall of China. The building of plaque never ceases and the Great Wall took centuries to build and it’s still not complete. The Great Wall was built to keep attackers out while at the same time keeping people in. The Great Wall of China can be seen from space; if you have a lot of plaque build-up, it can be seen pretty easily, too.

If we heed only Wikipedia’s definition above, one might wonder what is so bad about plaque. The above definition is only a partial one and there are many more resources available online or at your local dental office that will point out the drawbacks of plaque. While building up its defenses the same material that protects erodes the enamel of the teeth. Of course the erosion does not take place over night. And, neither will the “take down.”

Like the Great Wall, plaque is very formidable. Both will never be totally deconstructed however, the Great Wall is maintained and cleaned for its millions of visitors. Plaque helps protect against billions of visitors, too (microorganisms). However, if you do not keep the plaque at bay (it occurs naturally, and can not be cleaned 100% away) it will destroy your teeth.

So, get into see your dentist, help them help you control plaque. Ask your dentist if the recommended twice-yearly cleaning is all you need, or, if there are other issues to deal with like periodontal disease or gingivitis. Remember your dentist is the expert and they love helping people get the oral care they should have; it’s what they do!

Used under Creative Commons Licensing courtesy of Rob Boudon

Stop Trying To Do It All

There are plenty of people who give the illusion that they have everything under control and they get astounding amounts of work and activities done and completed on time. How do they do it?

The truth is, they don’t. They’ve figured out what they need to do to get what is important done and then limit their involvement in other things. They learn to say yes to the things that matter and no to the things that don’t. And when you can do that, you can relax in your down time and still look like you’re in total control of your life.

Here are some tips on how you can accomplish that illusion for yourself:

1. Accept yourself as a human being. You’re not a machine and neither are the people around you. We have been battling the illusion that people can be treated like machines ever since the Industrial Revolution. But even machines suffer from wear and tear and need repair and eventually replacement. By forcing yourself to continue going on and on as if there were no end in sight, you’re at risk of total burnout.

2. Identify your top values and remained focused on them. Once you know what is important in your life, it becomes easier to make decisions based on whether they support your values or or they don’t. Things that don’t support your values can easily be turned down. Things either hurt or help you on your journey. If it helps, do it. If it doesn’t help, turn it down.

3. Focus on one task at a time. There is no truth in the theory that multitasking makes us more productive. In fact, it’s been proven to be a fallacy. In order to be productive and efficient, choose the most important task facing you and put your best effort toward it. If you are most productive in the morning, then do it first thing in the morning. If you’re a night owl and you hit your stride sometime between 10 pm and 2 am, then focus on your important task at that time.

4. Be flexible and accept your best effort as the best. Life has a tendency to throw a monkey wrench into all your best efforts and being flexible gives you other options. Being inflexible is not a lot different than simply being stubborn. The last time you met someone really stubborn, how well did your efforts at collaboration work? People usually prefer to work with those who are more flexible in their attitude and the way they approach things.

5. Celebrate all wins. It doesn’t matter how big or how small the win, celebrate it. Take the time to savor the feeling that you did something and you finished it. Teach this to your co-workers, your employees, your children. Celebrating all wins just feels good and when something feels good, we want more of it. That means we’re willing to go that extra mile the next time in order to get that good feeling again.

The Great Wall in Your Mouth

The definition of plaque is really very interesting as described by Wikipedia:

If we heed only Wikipedia’s definition above, one might wonder what is so bad about plaque. The above definition is only a partial one and there are many more resources available online or at your local dental office that will point out the drawbacks of plaque. While building up its defenses the same material that protects erodes the enamel of the teeth. Of course the erosion does not take place over night. And, neither will the “take down.”

Image Used under Creative Commons license. Photo Credit: Tooth Decay To Be A Thing Of The Past? Enzyme Responsible For Dental Plaque Sticking To Teeth Deciphered

Mommy! Mommy! Can We Go to the Dentist?

If you haven’t been to the dentist lately, you really should go check one out. With all of the new technology that is now available and all of the advancements that are being done in dentistry, going to the dentist is almost like going to a spa.

Have you ever had a mouth that just didn’t feel right, no matter how many times you brushed or flossed? Like a body that is just a little bit out of whack sometimes – a day when you focus on your body is exactly the kind of day your mouth occasionally needs.

Of course you will not be able to take a mud bath at the dentist or have hot stones placed on you back. But, you can have lovely people taking care of your mouth, toys and activities for your kids, and most dentists now have Wi-Fi and music available not to mention healthy snacks and beverages.

This isn’t to say that if you need a root canal that you will not feel it. However, with Sedation Dentistry and other medications available, it will be more pleasant than not.

What’s more is when you take your children for their dental care, a pediatric dentist who specializes in children will do their best to make sure that your child and you are in the happiest place on earth that is not Disneyland and where oral health is focal point.

If you are unsure of which dentist to go to, look online; most dentists have pretty nice websites that introduce them, their team and their office. Seriously, compare the dentist websites to the website of your local spa, I think you’ll notice several similarities.

So treat yourself and your family to a mouth day; visit your local dental office, even if you don’t have a dentist yet, and just check out the office. You’ll find that the bygone era of pain dentistry is all but gone. Most dentists go out of their way to insure that the entire family will be comfortable and have fun while they are at the dental office.

Image Used under Creative Commons license. Photo Credit: Marilyn_Monroe_Kids by mustafasoydan

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