“For educational purposes only”
The following is for educational purposes only and should not be taken as medical advice. For any questions, please see your health care professional.
Strong First Impression
When you walk into the courtroom or turn on your webcam for virtual court, the first thing that people are going to notice is not your clothes, but your teeth. Many people are concerned that their teeth do not look white enough. They use the paper test, where you smile in a mirror and hold up a piece of paper beside it, to judge how white their teeth are. I recommend using the Criminal Code because there is an appropriate amount of white-collar crime tinged with enough grit to give a natural look, unlike the unnatural whiteness you’d be comparing to from a Lord Denning judgment.
If the endless days of coffee while doing your readings followed by the endless nights of red wine because of your readings have taken their toll on your teeth, there are options. I always recommend professional whitening performed in a dental office for best results; however, I recognize the time (and cost) is something that, as students, we might not be able to afford. Whitening toothpastes can be useful for surface stains as they work by being more abrasive than regular toothpaste. Sometimes the stains go deeper and in those cases whitening strips will be the best solution. All forms of whitening can make your teeth more sensitive so care should be taken.
Convincing Arguments
You may craft the best arguments for your case, but you won’t be able to get through them if your breath stinks. You probably know that brushing your teeth two to three times a day is important, especially after eating discounted post-Valentine’s Day chocolates and candy. Not everyone knows though, that you also need to brush your tongue. Brushing your tongue does a good job, but if you want to elevate yourself from the Court of Appeal to the SCC, the use of a tongue scraper will make your breath fresher than our latest school scandal.
Strong Foundation
You may learn the lingo and know how to flourish your argument to make it appealing, but without a strong foundation, your case will fall apart. Similarly, you can have the best-looking teeth in the world, but if you don’t take care of your gums, your teeth will fall out anyways. This is why you need to floss every day and create a strong foundation for your teeth. Traditional floss is best to use, but the floss picks are better than nothing. The trickiest part about flossing is getting it into your routine. Simply add it into your nighttime routine in between your daily re-read of your acceptance letter and your nightly affirmation of the fundamentals of justice.
In Closing
Oral hygiene has benefits that go beyond just your mouth. There are proven systemic health benefits to taking care of your teeth. While it is easy to get caught up with everything going on in our lives, maintaining your oral health will benefit you not only the next time you get cold called, but throughout the rest of your life.
Editor’s Note: Paul Mohan is a registered dentist with the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario.
