"What on This Earth Are We Actually Watching?"

Categories: Dental Health

Have you ever been in a dental chair during your routine exam and heard your dentist say to the assistant, “Let’s put a watch on that tooth.”

 Well, think about it:

Does a food trap get better on its own?

Do cavities into the dentin actually reverse themselves?

Does a crack or fracture in a tooth heal itself?

Does a split tooth fuse back together on its own?

Does gum tissue recession “un-recede” or does gum tissue “re-grow” on its own?

Do gums that bleed when we brush, floss or have a dental cleaning represent health? (Hint – does ANY other part of our body bleed when we cleanse it?)

Does a new tooth grow in an area where a tooth has been removed?

The answer to all of these questions is a resounding “NO!”
WHY WOULD WE WANT TO WAIT TO TREAT THESE PROBLEMS?

WHY WOULD ANYONE EVEN SUGGEST  WAITING? ….Sometimes, it is because in the past, dentists didn’t have the diagnostic tools and advanced techniques to be able to know what was happening – or what to do about it. NOW we do!

To know what to do when a potential dental concern arises, it is helpful if your dental practice invests heavily in advanced technology and the education required to master that new technology. AND, your dentist and dental hygienist must take the TIME to properly evaluate your condition and explain to you what they see and what they know. (To be sure, there are times when we DO want to “watch” and wait. These are rare exceptions.)

Missed diagnoses are very likely happening to you now. Why? Because it’s happening everywhere! Often, with our advanced technology, what we find upon clinical examination is frightening. Have you ever had a tooth crack or split, (possibly into the nerve – yikes!) just while eating a banana or a sandwich? Perhaps you were on your honeymoon, or on your way to your “dream job” interview. Maybe you were preparing for the birth of your child. Or perhaps you were ready to go on stage for a long-awaited performance. Or maybe your husband was on deployment and you were home with four little ones and awakened in the middle of the night – not by a baby’s cry, but by your own – with the worst pain you have ever experienced – even next to childbirth. We dentists have treated individuals who have had all of these things happen.  Patients we have never seen before call us for relief from their dental emergencies at all hours.

Well, the crack that caused the pain didn’t just “happen.” Likely, it started months before. Wouldn’t it be nice to know about this before the tooth actually split and a toothache occured?

And with all the scientific research linking gum disease to tragic body conditions, wouldn’t it be nice to know BEFORE we get those conditions that gum disease is linked to heart attack, stroke, diabetes, lung abscesses, kidney disease, pregnancy complications, rheumatoid arthritis and a whole host of degenerative diseases, including breast, prostate, pancreatic, kidney and lung cancers?

We have seen patients from all over the world for 30 years. We have heard countless tragic stories of pain and anguish caused by dental emergencies. Sometimes, it is the patient who has neglected his or her care. We can understand that, especially with the recent state of the economy. And most dental diseases are silent until their later stages.

But sadly, many times, the patients with dental emergencies have had “regular” dental care – meaning the “traditional” kind, and their doctor was “watching” something in their mouth. Other times, the problems were occurring on a “microscopic” level and couldn’t be seen with the naked eye.  The good news is that there are methods to treat everyone safely and proactively, in a more conservative manner by finding the problems early. This often avoids the pain, the unexpected practical interruptions in life and the added expense of dental emergencies.

Conservative dental treatment is nearly ALWAYS the best investment in the long run. The above-listed dental problems will never correct themselves. With advanced, comprehensive dental examination, it is possible to find problems before a microscopic tooth fracture becomes a dental nightmare. The solution is to find the problem when it begins, not after the tooth requires a root canal, or worse yet, an extraction. Being proactive can mean the difference between a few hundred dollars and a short, uncomplicated dental visit – and a few thousand dollars and a long, complex dental visit.

Additionally, it is important to diagnose periodontal disease at the onset, uncovering the bacterial activity going on in your mouth with a simple swab test. Your dentist must find out how healthy – or diseased – your mouth really is. This is critical to overall health because the bacteria in your mouth can go straight to your heart! In fact, bacteria can travel to every tissue in the body.

With new diagnostic tools available in state-of-the-art dentistry, it is possible to thoroughly understand your needs and options so you can make the best decision for YOU!

At Port Warwick Dental Arts, we will listen to you and explain any issues of concern.  We will thoroughly explain your options, with pictures in hand. With the new diagnostic tools available in state-of-the-art dentistry, it is possible to thoroughly understand your needs and options so you can make the best decision for YOU! This is the core of our preventive wellness model of dental health care at PWDA. And we want to share it with you!