When you’re a proactive patient you have no problem asking questions about your oral health or what the foreign dental lingo actually translates to. But have you ever wondered how many questions and/or comments your dentist actually has for YOU?
Here are six common things dentists around the country say they want to tell their patients while they are working inside their mouths!
You Probably Aren’t Brushing Correctly or Flossing Enough
Did you know that most people brush their teeth for less than one minute – basically leaving more than half of the plaque from the night before still hanging onto their teeth?
It’s so important that you take the time to brush your teeth for the full two minutes each session to make sure that all of that harmful plaque is removed by your toothbrush. It’s also important to make sure that you are flossing daily, because the floss gets in-between the teeth where the toothbrush can’t.
Trust us, your teeth and smile will benefit (and so will your conscience) from you making sure that you have a stellar home-care routine. You’ll have more confidence when you know you’ve done a good job keeping your teeth and gums healthy!
Did You Know that You Can’t Be Healthy Without a Healthy Mouth?
You might be like many people who assume that your mouth is a completely separate thing when it comes to your health, but, guess what, in reality, your mouth is a part of a whole. In holistic terms, your mouth and body are intrinsically connected.
And the health (or lack thereof) of your mouth will affect the health of the rest of your body. Studies have shown how inflammation from infection of the gums releases acids that eat away at the gums and bone structure holding your teeth in place.
But guess what else inflammation does — it weakens the body’s ability to control blood sugar so that people with diabetes have trouble processing sugar from a lack of insulin (the hormone converting sugar into energy). It can affect your heart and is associated with many other chronic systemic diseases.
Doctors are taking a more holistic approach to their patients’ overall health, so oral health isn’t just about the mouth —and when the mouth has problems, chances are other areas of the body are also impacted.
Initial Periodontal Therapy isn’t an “Extra”
As we’ve covered in another post, periodontal disease is a progressive disease with different stages. Once that bacteria (aka biofilm) has had its chance to set up camp and wreak havoc, you will be in a constant battle to keep it from doing more harm.
The first line of defense is always going to be your home-care. The second is what licensed professionals can do in-office with their training and expertise. So when you’re told that you need to have initial periodontal therapy, there is no way to do a basic cleaning. It not only is not what you need, and would be a huge disservice to you and your health, it can actually cause bacteria to get trapped below your gums.
When your hygienist and dentist are telling you that you need that inital perio therapy, it’s because they have your health at the top of their mind and not because they want you to get an “extra” service. The goal is to do it ONCE, get that bacteria under control, and allow your gums to heal. As long as you step up your game with your home-care and come for your cleanings at the recommended times there’s an incredibly good chance that, together, we will keep that bad bacteria in its place! (aka not setting up camp in your mouth.)
Oral Cancer Is One of the Most Deadly Cancers Around
People don’t normally check for signs of oral cancer as much as they should, and this is a shame because it’s actually one of the most deadly cancers you can get.
It’s easy to spot the signs of oral cancer. Look for multiple, consistent lesions on your tongue or on the soft tissue of your mouth. Mouth sores that won’t heal, really bad breath, pain when you swallow, ear pain, tongue pain or loose teeth should be discussed with our dentist. Basically, if anything looks abnormal, be sure to bring it up and tell our team.
Additionally, we offer Velscope enhanced oral cancer screenings for you when you come in for your annual evaluation, and it’s worth it. Seriously, it could end up saving your life and we are totally here for that!
Take off Your Lipstick!
Most of us forget that when we go to the dentist, we still want to look nice so we put on the lipstick. But, when our dental team starts working in your mouth, that Sephora Desert Red shade is likely going to get everywhere – all over our dental instruments, gloves, X-ray devices and of course, YOU.
It’s just basically messy to work around, and we don’t like smearing it on your face accidentally. Save that beautiful shade for after your dental visit so you can show off your smile while making life as easy as possible for those working inside your mouth. We thank you in advance!
Allowing A Faceless 3rd Party to Dictate Your Health & Quality of Care is Horrifying
We get it — dental insurance is here to stay, and of course, it can be a benefit for many people. The thing is: insurance companies do not care about you and your health. They care about staying in business, which means they will do pretty much whatever it takes to pay as little as they can. And that’s not cool.
But the good news is: you do have people that will advocate for you and your health. And those people are your dental team! The treatments that are recommended in our office are always going to be based on your individual needs, and never on what a third party company will or won’t pay.
When you consider that insurance companies have failed to keep up with inflation, and many people’s coverage is still what it was in the sixties, it’s a real shame. What’s worse is that some people say, “I only want to do what my insurance covers.”
Insurance barely covers basic preventative care, and most people need more than basic care.
Our vision is to positively impact your life by improving your quality of life through quality dental care, and we won’t let a third party compromise that for you because you honestly deserve the best.
So we will do whatever we can to maximize whatever benefits you have, we even offer interest-free financing to help you get the treatments you need — but we just hope people realize we work 100% for our patients and not for an insurance company.
Give us a call today to boost your smile!
We hope these six dental visits tidbits give you something to smile about. When all is said and done, we really care about you and we will do everything we can to make your time in the chair as comfortable, relaxing and positive as possible!
Of course, even though today we’ve covered what we professionals have to say, we are always available to answer any of your questions or address your dental concerns! We welcome you to call today to set up your next visit or you can easily reserve your dental reservation with us online.
