Mouth Mechanics with Dr. Tanzania Davis

On this episode of the Mouth Mechanics podcast, Tanzania Davis welcomes Michelle Brown and D’Nita Price to the podcast to talk about teeth whitening - when it works, when it doesn’t - and the personal side of the dental industry.  The women open up the conversation with an illuminating quote and inspiring scripture verse before moving on to discuss their varied starts in the industry.  As each one of them has overcome their own hurdles, the trio all believe strongly in the importance of dental care as it relates to self esteem and worth.  The women have found numerous times sitting in the chair with a gaping mouth in front of them that patients share rather personal stories of trauma, lives in prison, abuse, etc.   Afterall, that’s why Brown opened up her teeth whitening practice in Maryland: to change the way people see and take care of themselves.  She dives into what a smile consultation of hers looks like and why dental health is of the utmost importance.  She talks about why teeth whitening isn’t always the right treatment for people, especially if they have lingering dental issues that they need to resolve first.  It all comes down to motivating patients to make changes in their daily dental routine: a challenge all three dental experts are familiar with.  The conversation culminates in what the whitening process actually looks like and the science behind sensitivity.  Drawing the episode to a close, the women talk a bit more generally about staying true to you, whether that comes in the form of oral care, or in the case of these dental trailblazers, ignoring the fears of others when it comes to their career paths.   The Finer Details of This Episode:  From dentistry to teeth whiteningThe importance of CPR trainingThe personal side of dentistryThe ins and outs of Michelle’s smile consultationsThe challenges in motivating patients The whitening process Staying on your pathQuotes: “There’s nothing like a healthy smile.”“What occurred to me also with the CPR is that there were restaurants, there were bars, whose persons were not trained.  And with the drug epidemic going on, you should have at least someone on your staff to train those persons for it.”“If you aren't aware of it as a dental clinician or dental professional, I’ll just let you know, patients trust us with more than just their smile.”“At eight I wanted to be in dentistry. I wanted to be a dentist.”“I definitely look to see if your gums are healthy. I definitely want to know, because if your gums are not healthy, then that's where we're going to have to start as a dental hygienist. I'm bound to that; I have an oath.”“If you stick your tongue out and it's scalloped on the side, you may have been pressing your tongue against your teeth. Yeah, muscles have a memory, and so they remember what you do.”“I know, with me, when I deal with patients that are sensitive, it's because they've already started whitening at home. It's because they use charcoal paste.”“​​I say all that to say if you are out there and you're, you know, someone that is having some dental treatment done by someone that is not a licensed professional, you may want to stop, you may want to go and see a licensed professional, because you can absolutely cause a lot of problems with your gums or with your teeth.” Links:  Tanzania Davis, DDS, PC:  www.tdavisdds.comwww.mouthmechanics.com