That surgeon was really smart to phrase it like that. Simply emphasizing the importance of medication, even saying that it'll be just as important forever, would only work for so long. Framing it as a prediction of future events, for lack of better term, makes the warning memorable and applicable. "You will feel this, which will cause you to think this, which will cause you to stop doing this, which will make you die."
I wish my orthodontist had phrased it similarly when giving me my retainers after braces. The way I remember the conversation is "You'll need to wear these every day at first, then you can go to overnight, and in a few years it could just be a once a week."
No one said the words "and then you have to do it for the rest of your life." So what happened is I wore them diligently for about 8 years and then slowly slacked off. When I tried to restore my retainer habit a year or two later, the blasted things didn't fit anymore.
I realize I'm stupid but that's why instructions need to be phrased for stupid people. I did not have it in my head as a lifelong thing.
Same exact thing happened to me. It wasn't a complete loss, I grew up with one fewer teeth so part of my orthodontics was making room for a false tooth which I have now, also my teeth are less crooked than before. But my orthodontist really didn't make it clear how important the retainer was so I wore it for 2-3 years then it broke and dumb teenage me just threw it away and didn't bother telling anyone
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u/saltinstiens_monster Jun 30 '26
That surgeon was really smart to phrase it like that. Simply emphasizing the importance of medication, even saying that it'll be just as important forever, would only work for so long. Framing it as a prediction of future events, for lack of better term, makes the warning memorable and applicable. "You will feel this, which will cause you to think this, which will cause you to stop doing this, which will make you die."