Time

We all have demands on our time these days. Work, family, free time (whatever that is!). But we need to give ourselves the time to accomplish tasks, no matter how small they might be. It the world of teeth there is a lot of emphasis placed on time and productivity. Of course we need to keep this in mind while doing things, but this is not the way the world works or is successful.

Think of all the things that have to be done during a periodontal maintenance or "cleaning" appointment. We won't get in a discussion of timing things, but let's just understand that there is a lot going on there. Each patient deserves the appropriate amount of time for their individual needs. I have some patients that only have 2 teeth, now their appointment is obviously much less than someone with 32. But during this time, you still have to give the same value for that patient.

Hygienists are constantly in the battle of quality versus time with their dentists. Dentists think that more patients per hour is the key, and that is completely wrong. It has been proven time and again, not only in dental practice management studies, but in all aspects of the business world, that decreasing time is not the best way to increase profits.

With saying that comes the other side of the coin. If you have someone who is very slow at doing something, because that's their style, then you have to make an adjustment. It is not fair to you, your other hygienists, or your patients if you have someone who is just plain slow. They will end up costing you a lot of money over the years. But if you can equate everything, then you can get a good fee that is equally fair to the patients and to yourself and to the hygienists.

Straight Teeth and Periodontal Health

As a strong advocate for overall periodontal health through prevention, we often forget about some of the issues that cause or contribute to this disease. Now if you look at research that talks about periodontal indices for health, plaque, gingivitis, etc., they all will say that it doesn't matter if the teeth are straight or not. I say hogwash to that. Let's look at the majority of the population and how well they behave.

Most patients will not floss unless they get something stuck in their teeth and then they yell and say, "Hey Ethel, where's that string to get stuff out of your teeth?" This is pretty typical. Now we also know that the orthodontists of the world would love to have everyone in braces so that we could all have straight teeth. Most people do this for cosmetics, but the best reason to do so is to keep things cleaner and healthier.

When the teeth are straight, food is naturally cleansed and is easier to take care of at home and in the dental office. Straight teeth are not just about cosmetics, but are important for a sound bite and periodontal health. I would say that straight teeth and a straight bite is much more important for a healthier body than they are for cosmetics.

Braces and straight teeth are not just for a pretty smile and I think that we lose sight of this a lot. We need straight teeth for better periodontal health which we all know leads to better overall systemic health.

Gum Disease and the Whole Body

A Healthy Mouth = A Healthy Body

Many studies show that healthy gums and bones of the mouth can lead to a much healthier body because the amount of bacteria that is circulating through the body is greatly reduced. There is a tremendous amount of support for the link between gum disease and many other problems that exist in the body, mainly heart disease, lung disease, pre-term babies, diabetes, and many others. New research has also identified early links of brain diseases, arthritis, and even certain types of cancers.
Although we have known that gum disease causes the loss of bone and teeth, which is extremely damaging to the mouth and a big problem for eating, speaking, and smiling, we now know that dental disease can lead to serious systemic diseases.

So What Are You to Do?

Gum disease needs to be diagnosed and treated like any other disease. There are many treatments for gum disease based on the severity, that can be tailored to each person. Most preventative treatments need to be modified based on new evidence, but prevention is still the best overall treatment. It is never too early to start preventing the chain reaction of diseases. Even children can get gum disease.
A periodontist is an expert in all types of gum disease. They are dental specialist who’s entire job is to make sure that the foundation of your mouth is in the best care. Just like a sound foundation is necessary for a long-lasting building, the bones and gums must be taken care for good health. If teeth are missing or need to be replaced, they can place dental implants, if disease is present then they can correct it, and if preventative treatments need to be done, they can direct a plan that will lessen the chances of future systemic disease.