Your dentist will see the difference. (Probably.)

“So, have you been brushing regularly? Flossing?”

You can’t tell?

“What do you mean?”

I mean, you’re the dentist. Seems like you should be able to tell, just by looking, if I’ve been taking care of my teeth.

“Sure, I can. I totally can. But it always helps to know more.”

But why take my word for it? I could sit here and tell you I use the Panasonic Sonic Vibration twice a day, with its 31,000 strokes per minute of tooth-cleaning power. I could go on and on about how I usually use its triple-edge brush, but I swap it out for the point brush to get those for harder-to-reach corners of my teeth, and once in a while I use the silicone brush to stimulate my gums. But who’s to say I’m not lying?

“Your teeth look pretty good. I’d believe it.”

But do you really think that? Or have I just planted the suggestion in your mind that they must look good since I’ve been using the Panasonic Sonic Vibration? It’s hard to believe you really remember how my teeth looked six months ago in enough detail to make a real comparison to how they look today.

“Well, I do. Good job. Keep up the good work.”

Thanks. I hope you really mean that. I hope dentistry isn’t just some elaborate social-engineering scam, like fortune-telling, where you pick up offhand psychological clues and use those to make me think you’re taking good care of my teeth.

“I assure you, it isn’t. Also, you should really stop smoking.”

Whaa-a-at? What are you talking about? I don’t, uh, I don’t smoke.