Put Your Health First

Why do you see a dentist?

Is it because you think you should?

Are you worried about loosing your teeth?

Do you want a beautiful white smile?

Everybody sees a dentist for their own reasons. Today I would like to talk a little about what every dentist should do first and foremost – Protect and restore your whole body health.

This seems like an obvious “duty” of a dentist, as there is nothing more important than your body. BUT, I see new patients weekly that have many fillings, crowns, veneers, you name it but their oral health, and consequentially their body health, is very poor. When I explain to them that we need to take a step back and look at the infections, including the gum disease, first, they are surprised – nobody has mentioned this before and they just had their teeth cleaned not too long ago, and everything was fine.  How sad is that.

All new patients in my office go through a very thorough exam and presentation. Then I present treatment plans based in a simple 3 step process:

1: Infections: Gum disease, bone infections, hopeless teeth, etc.

2. Decay: Tooth decay, fractures, broken fillings, etc.

3. Esthetics and Function: Veneers, nightguards, etc.

I never veer from this order as that would be unethical. It seems that #1 above, especially gum disease, gets neglected most of the time. It is no surprise that the #1 reason for malpractice lawsuits is the failure to diagnose periodontal (gum) disease.

So, after you had a consultation with your dentist make certain #1 above comes first, your health depends on it!