Dr. Mogell Dental Blog

Boca Raton Cosmetic Dentist

Monkey see, monkey do.....

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

If a Monkey can do it....

You know that saying "I could train a monkey to do it". Well it turns out that monkeys are have been observed showing their young to - of all things - floss!
Professor Nobuo Masataka of Kyoto University and his team of researchers observed how female long=tailed macaques and their offspring often cleaned the spaces between their teeth with strands of human hair. The mom monkeys flossed twice as often and more deliberately when the baby monkeys were watching them. Professor Masataka says that this behavior suggested that the females were deliberatively teaching their young to floss! It seems that even macaques understand the importance of a healthy mouth.

One the biggest challenges we have as dentists and hygienists is motivating our patients to be diligent in their flossing habits. So if a monkey can be trained....

Please call our office at 561-394-9000 to schedule your next hygienie visit so that we can help you with your flossing habit!

Kenneth A. Mogell, D.M.D.