Dental Decay and Gum Disease
Fear & Desire
Much of human behavior is influenced by a combination of these two emotions. Action is initiated when the scales tip either towards fear or desire. We will take action to avoid a less-pleasant circumstance or to obtain a more-pleasant one if the available evidence suggests the unpleasant situation is indeed avoidable and the more agreeable situation is indeed obtainable. There is however, another lesser known emotion known as the "it will never happen to me" feeling. This occurs when the evidence is insufficient to tip the scales towards the more-pleasant or less-pleasant. Keep in mind that everyone's scales have different sensitivity levels, and everyone has access to varying levels of evidence.
For example, I have never played the lottery because I do not want to spend money on a potential prize "that will never happen to me." Do I desire to win the lottery? I would be lying if I said no, but there isn't enough evidence to tip my scales into action. Others drive at speeds in excess of the posted limits because "they will never be pulled over."Do they fear being ticketed? A little I imagine, but not enough to abide by traffic laws. Now, I'm a Dentist and not a Psychologist so it's about time I stuck to my field of dentistry focuses much more on prevention and this expertise: The Mouth.
Shock & Awe Disbelief:
Emotions accurately describing how I would feel if I did happen to win the lottery (especially since I don't play). These same emotions occur in the dental office all too often. The diseases that affect your mouth (e.g. cavities, gum disease, oral cancer) are often painless and symptom free until it's too late. This is a blessing and a curse. On the one hand the patient isn't experiencing any discomfort, but this lack of discomfort prevents the scales from tipping towards action. These oral diseases are also largely invisible to the naked eye, and they progress rather slowly.
It is estimated that 40% of the population does not visit the dentist on a regular basis. What is regular you might ask? Regular means that you receive a dental cleaning every 6-months with a set of dental x-rays at every other cleaning. Yes, your routine dental needs are based on the cycles of the moon. This 6-month interval has been a mainstay in dentistry for nearly a century and it continues to be suitable for most patients' dental needs. However, contemporary interval can be shortened if a patient is considered at a greater risk for disease.
Shock and disbelief is rarely seen in patients who maintain a regular check-up and cleaning schedule with their dental office. As I mentioned before oral and dental disease progress slowly and can be intercepted and quite often prevented as a result of these regular visits.
Let's revisit dental decay and gum disease again and discuss what causes each:
Dental Decay (aka caries, cavities): few years back a children's movie came out titled Wreck it Ralph. This movie was based on a character in a video game that played the "bad guy" who wrecked everything. There was a protagonist, Fix-it Felix Junior, however who uses a magic golden hammer to fix everything that Ralph manages to destroy. Now imagine that these two characters are battling it out in your mouth 24/7. If Ralph is winning the battle you will develop cavities, and if Felix gains the upper hand your teeth will remain healthy. Ralph has an army of sugar and acid on his side while Felix is backed by saliva, toothpaste, good habits, and regular dental care. Whose side are you on? (For a more scientific analogy please refer to the 406 archives at http://issuu.com/406woman/docs/406_woman_vol6_no3.)
Gum Disease (aka periodontitis): We live in the shadow of the great Glacier National Park. A glacier is formed when the amount of snow and ice that melted during the summer is less than the amount of snow and ice that accumulated during the winter. This results in a net gain of snow and ice, and these accumulations can be found in the areas that receive the least amount of direct sunlight. Now, imagine that food plaque on our teeth and under our gums are snow and ice, and our toothbrush and floss represent the sunshine.
If our technique has flaws the sun isn't going to shine as bright between our teeth and underneath our gums, and a net gain of plaque will accumulate. Your body will interpret this as a foreign object and initiate an immune response to remedy the situation. Ultimately, if left untreated (in the shadows), your body will consider your teeth foreign objects because they are covered by foreign plaque. At this stage the bone supporting your teeth will start to disappear, and this is largely irreversible. So let the sun shine in the shadows of your mouth and remember your Hygienist holds the power of the sun in her hand.
If you have great brushing and flossing techniques and healthy nutritional habits by all means skip your 6 month cleaning and go once a year. You heard it from me. As dentists we really do have your best interests in mind and by keeping up your dental care can prevent the comforting It Will Never Happen to Me feeling from becoming Shock and Disbelief.
Read Dental Decay and Gum Disease and other Smile Montana articles by Dr. John F. Miller, DDS, in 406 Woman magazines.