Authored by Dr. Roper
As a dentist, whenever I meet people they tell me that they don’t like going to see their dentist because each routine visit leads to problems that land them in the dental chair with a drill in their mouth. I then ask them what they have done to avoid going to the dentist. Each time I have this encounter, I draw this conclusion: people have not connected their daily habits with their ability to stay away from the dental chair!
How does this work? By controlling dental caries. Usually by this point in the conversation I realize that dental caries is not understood by people outside of my profession, so let’s talk about it…
WHAT IS DENTAL CARIES?
Dental caries is the name of the disease that causes cavities. Dental caries is a dangerous progressive disease. Having dental caries is not normal, although visiting the dentist to have a cavity filled has become normalized. I have found that many people do not realize that cavities and tooth decay are a form of disease. The good news is that this disease can be controlled and prevented! The most common form of treatment is the traditional restorative approach with time spent in the dental chair. A less common way to treat dental caries is to investigate the cause and attempt to reverse the decay and bypass the restoration all together. This can be done if the destruction is in the very early stages and the decision on which method to choose is based on an individualized assessment. Our office is equipped to perform this assessment through plaque disclosing, diet analysis, microscopic evaluation of bacteria, and even DNA testing. Looking for the cause of dental caries will give you a better long-term prognosis AND can aid in the prevention of future decay.
Without learning to control the cause of your disease, you will find yourself on a path towards tooth destruction and eventual tooth loss. There is a common misunderstanding that filling a cavity solves the problem, however, if you haven’t identified and removed the cause of the cavities, the destruction will continue. Cavities can occur under fillings, under crowns, lead to infection of the nerve and blood supply, possibly lead to bone loss, and lastly, dental caries can cause tooth loss. Loss of natural tooth structure throws off the equilibrium in the chewing system and causes stress in the jaw joint.
Controlling the two biggest causes of oral deterioration, cavities and gum disease, requires complete removal of plaque every 24 hours. Ninety-nine percent of the adults that come into my practice are not doing an adequate job of daily plaque removal. I know this because my team and I check! Looking and checking isn’t enough though. If you are wanting to change your habits and rid yourself of disease you will have to learn the PROPER way of removing plaque and bacteria from your teeth and gums. This will take great effort and dedication. There are several benefits to learning the most efficient oral hygiene techniques such as, saving tooth structure, saving money, avoiding the drill, and preventing problems in the future.
Changing habits and learning new techniques involves a lot of practice and reinforcement. Growing up, I played softball. I did everything from t-ball, to machine-pitch, and then fast-pitch softball. I had coaches the entire time, but my junior year of high school our team acquired a very skilled coach. He used a device that forced me to swing at a very specific angle down toward the plate and within about a 18” window. The goal was to get more hits and less pop-ups and outs. I spent a lot of time practicing with this device and when I slacked off it showed. I’d hit the frame instead of the ball.
Similarly, the proper mechanics of holding and directing a toothbrush is just as important if the end goal is tooth preservation and prevention of decay. Likewise, flossing needs to be performed in a specific way in order to be effective. I am finding that most of our patients perform these daily tasks with the best of intentions, but they have never been coached on the proper mechanics of doing so. Dedicated practice is necessary for excelling at any skill, and dental hygiene shouldn’t be any different.
I started my own practice because I am passionate about coaching my patients to achieve optimal oral health. I will provide you with the skills that you need and then coach you until you master them. I do not want you to have to come see me for caries related dental work. This isn’t the business model that most dental offices choose and that is because it takes time and patience and insurance doesn’t pay for prevention. I know how I would like to be treated, though, and I would like to partner with someone that can be my coach, my educator, and help me to achieve the goals that I have established, so that is what I choose to offer to our patients.
Whether we like it or not, this year has taught us that life is unpredictable and we need to be able to be able to be self-sufficient with everything, including our health. Wouldn’t it be nice to know that you could go an extra month or two without any harm? Wouldn’t it be nice to go in for your annual exams without any surprises and with total confidence that you’re in control of your health? Come into New Castle Dental. Meet me. We will show you what it takes to obtain and maintain health so that you could spend any period of time out of the office without losing ground on your oral health.
