Part of what separates The Toothboss from other dental practices is our thoroughness and commitment to your oral health. The key part of that commitment comes with a written evaluation after your initial examination and periodically after that. Here’s a sample of a treatment plan for a recent patient:
Toothboss Patient,
Generally, your level of homecare is excellent. As with most of my patients, there are a few areas that will require more attention. I pointed those areas out in your examination after we applied the red solution. Please be advised to ramp up your efforts to remove the identified plaque, especially in those areas, so you can ensure your future dental health will be excellent.
Unfortunately, you have multiple cavities between your teeth. Some are small but others are a moderate size. All these teeth (13) need to be restored with fillings before they get any worse.
I would like you to take a day to try to determine how this happened. I believe it’s an old wives tail to think that a patient’s teeth may be inherently “soft”. And I don’t believe the philosophy that having a child takes calcium away from you as a Mom and affects your teeth in a negative manner. I do believe a new Mom may be so exhausted that personal care takes a back seat and that may be a more reliable reason why dental health matters get out of control during these times in a woman’s life.
Genetics may play a role in regard to the susceptibility someone has to the bacteria that present in the mouth. It is important to realize that if you adequately rid yourself of the bacteria (that is in dental plaque) that it will no longer be a concern. If plaque is allowed to “hang around” the bacteria take advantage of the sugar in your diet and creates an acid. This acid dissolves the enamel on your teeth and inflames your gum tissue, destroying both the teeth and surrounding tissues.
The answer then is to break the chain so that dental disease is kept at bay. We recommend this be done in two ways. One is to limit the sugar intake in your diet. The other is a thorough removal of plaque on a daily basis.
Too much sugar has become a modern-day dietary issue. In dentistry what I see are the sugary drinks that my patients choose to imbibe is a significant culprit to supporting this dilemma. This would include the popular sugary coffee drinks and energy (sports) drinks. I’d say the past popularity of sugary soda has taken a back seat to these new vices.
I just examined an older patient who suddenly was developing cavities at an age (63) that new cavities don’t normally develop. His home care was adequate, so we needed to think outside the box a little. It seems he was taking a medication that made his mouth dry and his breath was affected in a negative manner. Since he still worked with the public, he was “popping” Altoids” all day long. Essentially, he was bathing his teeth and gums in bacteria produced acid from the sugar in the Altoids all day long. As the acid levels built up in his mouth, the tooth enamel began to deteriorate and he developed new cavities without realizing his new habit was contributing to the problem.
Try to consider your own scenario and figure out if maybe, unbeknownst to you, you are also taking in far too much sugar than you realize, causing these cavities to occur.
I strongly recommend that we start restoring these teeth to health by removing the decay and placing fillings ASAP. I can take care of more than one filling at a time, especially when the cavities are close together. To save trips and time at my office, I recommend we take care of at least two at a time. More if you can tolerate it.
Since this is all new to you, and you are new to me, I suggest we start with a couple of the less challenging teeth and move on from there. Before you know it, your teeth will be cleaned, your cavities will be restored and you will be on a regular “recare” schedule. For you, I recommend having your teeth attended to every six (6) months by our highly qualified hygienist. Once “cleaned” I will examine your teeth and gums to make sure you are continuing on the right track toward healthy teeth and gums.
I look forward to treating you and making that happen for you!
Thank you for allowing me to do a comprehensive examination. I will certainly show my appreciation to your friend for having the confidence in me and my office staff to refer you to our practice.
Rick Wolfert
