I went to the dentist last week for the ritual quarterly cleaning (don’t ask). And I have to say that I always come away from there feeling a little blue.

It’s not because of the threat of pain, lying in the prone position with the TV volume just a shade too low to hear over the whirring machine, or having a hygienist chip away at my teeth for what seems like an eternity.

No. It’s because no matter what I do to take care of my molars, the dental establishment always wants MORE.

Case in point: I have learned how to brush, rinse and floss over the course of many years of oral hygiene. And these are rituals I practice on a quotidian basis. Yet each time I visit the dentist, they tell me: I could be doing a better job; I’m not doing it right; I should be brushing without toothpaste first; I should brush in a circular motion (versus up and down); I should … The litany is endless.

Dental professionals, believe me when I say I’m listening to you and I’m trying. I really am.

Just once, I’d like you to ‘build me up buttercup’; but you, as the song says, just ‘let me down’.

How about a little positive reinforcement for a change?

And while I’m on the subject, why do they continue to give me a regular toothbrush when they keep trying to get me to use an electric? Just asking.

About Martin Waxman


Martin Waxman, MCM, is a digital communications strategist. He conducts AI research, leads digital and social media training workshops and speaks at events across North America. He's co-founder of two PR agencies, president of a consultancy and has worked in the industry for nearly 30 years. Martin is a LinkedIn Learning instructor, teaches digital strategy and social media at McMaster University, the Schulich School of Business, University of Toronto SCS and Seneca College. He's a member of the Institute for Public Relations Digital Media Research Center and a past-chair of PRSA Counselors Academy. He has a Master of Communications Management (MCM) from McMaster-Syracuse Universities.