As a kid, you probably remember your dentist taking out the oversized mouth prop to teach the basics of dental hygiene. Holding a matching bulky toothbrush with imaginary toothpaste, your dentist might have repeated the same phrases mine did.
Brush in a small, circular motion.
Make sure to get your back teeth.
Don’t forget to brush your tongue.
Ring a bell?
Except for me, this demonstration didn’t stop at eight years old. I heard it again at 12. Then at 14. Then at 16. Yes, this newly licensed teen was seeing the cartoon-like display in between texting friends and picking out prom dresses.
Why? Because the professionals at my dentist office noticed that my oral health was presenting some red flags — no pun intended. The color of my gum tissue mirrored that of a tomato.
The Failed Diagnosis Merry-Go-Round
After countless visits to specialists, I found that I stumped a variety of medical professionals, from dentists to periodontists to orthodontists to dermatologists. Each individual hygienist, assistant, and doctor did their best to help, but the answers began sounding the same. Worse, none were truly making a difference. I was advised to do everything from brushing with a homemade toothpaste (which tasted awful) to taping my mouth closed when I slept (which seemed scary, so I opted out of this one).
A certain cycle began to appear. One doctor would recommend another doctor. I would visit the recommended doctor. They would ask me questions about my oral hygiene, which was quite humbling for someone who used an electric toothbrush, string floss, water floss, and mouthwash every night. They would nod their heads in approval and acknowledge that the problem was rare. They’d suggest I come back in six months, and, when I did, they’d recommend me to another specialist. This continued for around a decade.
A Girl Boss, Her Grit, & My Gain
It wasn’t until 2024 that I received a call from a dermatologist I had seen the year prior. She said that she had remembered my story over the course of those months. Not liking to have a patient with an unresolved symptom, she had kept an eye out for any information that could help me. She told me a fellow doctor she was friends with had just released a study and that she would love to test out their findings with me.
I was quite burnt out from the tiring sequence of unsuccessful appointments, but I was touched that she had thought of me all that time and respected her #girlboss grit. So I said yes. We biopsied a portion of my gum tissue and waited for the results.
And (drumroll please) the culprit? Food.
The past decade of appointments, confusion, and frustration was literally a matter of what I was eating.
The testing showed that I had an overgrowth of a specific type of bacteria in the gum tissue. While I can neither spell nor pronounce the species of bacteria, I do know that the food I was eating meant life or death for the bacteria’s environment, and I learned that this discovery was linked to the stomach problems I had also experienced since childhood.
Further testing showed that my stomach had difficulty digesting gluten, corn, sugar, and even fermented foods, the latter of which are ironically the poster child for gut health influencers. While these findings closed the door on pizza parties and complementary cookies, they pointed me in the right direction for my career.
New Foods, New Goals
I was already a University of Florida public relations major when I began to embark on this personal diet rebrand, but I was experiencing an inner struggle regarding how I wanted to practice my craft. I even wrote about this thought process in my Her Campus UFL column. I had learned that the endless opportunities unlocked by a versatile degree like public relations can be a double-edged sword. Even my degree concentration — tourism, hospitality and event management — didn’t help because this “narrower scope” still housed the airline industry, lodging industry, food and beverage industry, entertainment industry and more. When you can be a part of any and every field, how are you supposed to choose what to do?
Yet when I walked down the aisles of the grocery store during this saga, I was introduced to new food companies that I had never noticed before, like Sweet Loren’s, which had both delightful packaging and delicious products. As a journalism school student, I naturally started following many of these brands on social media and became captivated by the way their content told their story while playing a role in mine. I realized that I could use this experience to become better at helping brands communicate with their audiences. After all, for individuals like me, these brands offered more than snacks; they showed me that I wasn’t alone.
If you’re a fellow PR major, you know the term “publics” well. If not, I got you! The Public Relations Society of America defines the concept as “any group of people tied together by some common factor or interest.” Like you, I have fit the definition of a public for many brands throughout my life. I like to travel. I like pop culture. I am a Gen Z woman. These factors, and a myriad of others, make me the ideal public for many brands. But for the first time, I was able to discern which brands were the ideal candidate for me. The relationship changed from a one-way, subconscious one to a connection in which I was an active participant, cheering for their success and actively acknowledging their role in mine.
This period of being a patient, student, and informed shopper all at once ultimately showed me the importance of solid branding, which is demonstrated through aspects like captivating packaging, bold storytelling and, most importantly, genuine caring. Before this experience, I had never explored the field of brand design, but, lucky for me, it falls under the umbrella of public relations. I feel an authentic excitement about this pathway, and I have my gums to thank for it. When I graduate this December, I want to begin a career in web design, social media management and copywriting so that I can help people like me. Turns out my mom was right — everything really does happen for a reason.
Today, my gums are pink. My tummy is happy. And I am thrilled to embark on a career that helps brands tell their stories and encourages publics to share their perspectives as well.