“Billy. Here is one marshmallow for you. I’m going to leave the room and come back in 15 minutes. You can eat the one marshmallow while I’m gone, but if you don’t, and you wait the 15 minutes, I’ll give you a second marshmallow when I return.”
This is the famous Stanford Marshmallow Experiment which involved hundreds of kids between the ages of 4 and 6. They were studying something called “delayed gratification”.
Follow up studies (when the kids reached adulthood) showed that the kids who had waited the 15 minutes had achieved more success in life.
What exactly is delayed gratification?
It’s the old saying, “short term pain for long term gain”. The concept can be seen everywhere—exercising daily, eating a healthy diet, making monthly deposits into a 401K, attending school, and so on.
You probably won’t be surprised to hear that the concept also applies to your teeth and gums.
Consistent brushing and flossing
Short term pain = Dragging yourself to the bathroom to brush and floss when you’re half asleep.
Long term gain = Dental health
Consistent dental visits
Short term pain = Biting down on those uncomfortable x-rays!
Long term gain = Dental health
Practicing Delayed Gratification = Healthy Teeth and Gums for Life.
If you’re currently looking for a dentist in the Taunton, MA area, go see Dr. Mark Turner. He won’t offer you any marshmallows, but he will help you achieve that long term gain. Dental health.
Links
The Bing “Marshmallow Studies”: 50 Years of Continuing Research
https://bingschool.stanford.edu/news/bing-marshmallow-studies-50-years-continuing-research
Oral health: Brush up on dental care basics
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/dental/art-20045536