Dentals Needs: Getting Your Money's Worth
I have a couple quirks I want to share with you. The first one is that I get huge satisfaction from items in my possession that I feel have given me their money’s worth. So much pride and satisfaction actually, that I fight the urge to photograph and catalog these items along with a small backstory as my own non-interesting coffee table book.
A few items come to mind right away: 1) Four of my Thirteen guitars, especially my very first one which I refer to as Excaliber. And yes, the others are still paying off their debts and some don’t look to be working out. 2) My 1994 chrome GT Mach One BMX bike that I rode up until Dental School and that my children still ride to this day. 3) My 2003 Kia Sorento. “It takes a strong man to drive a Kia, but it takes a stronger man to laugh at that man” my laughing friend informs me. I’ll sell it someday and upgrade, but I won’t care what I get for it because it has served it’s term. I’m driving in the black if you know what I mean.
The other quirk that I have is fear of using new and shiny items. The fear is that I will scratch or deface these items in a some way. I have two guitars (...is he still talking about guitars? ...we get it.) that when I go to play you would think I’m scrubbing in for surgery. Others guitars I have are probably face down in one of my children’s bedrooms acting as a makeshift tea-party table. It’s not so much that these guitars are any more or less expensive, it’s that one is shiny and new and the other has given me well beyond it’s money’s worth. I also have a terrible time with new shoes. Now, let’s try and relate this to the field of dentistry.
Upon meeting a patient for the first time I initially ask them the following question: In order to better serve your dental needs, which of the following is most important to you?
Function
Comfort
Cosmetic
Longevity
I don’t let them off easy either. I realize that it is a mix of all four, but I want to know the one they value most. There is no wrong answer.
The patient that places the highest value on Function just wants to be able to bite efficiently, and hopefully it’s food most of the time ;). These folks likely know someone (mom and/or dad) who has transitioned to dentures and know the functional frustrations and adaptations that are necessary. Someone who values Comfort has probably experienced, or is presently experiencing dental discomfort and wants to do what is necessary to avoid it from persisting or recurring.
Cosmetically driven patients will prioritize treatment options based on the aesthetic outcome. They will fix the more visible teeth with more urgency than non-visible yet very functional teeth. Fortunately, almost all dental procedures improve the look of our teeth. Tooth-colored fillings and crowns often replace dark cavities or old silver fillings, and teeth cleanings remove plaque and stain while preventing inflamed and puffy gums.
Lastly, those interested in the Longevity of their teeth are concerned with whatever will strengthen their overall oral condition. These are the folks that have lost a tooth or two in the past and are resolute in preventing the loss of any more precious teeth.
Now, regardless of what you value most, the treatment needed is always the same. Cavities are cavities, plaque is plaque, and pain is pain. They have to be dealt with. In knowing what you value most, me and my staff can present treatment in a way that harmonizes with your values. Let’s take regular teeth cleanings for example, because everyone reading right now needs one within the next six months or sooner:
Mister Function: Gum inflammation caused by plaque will eventually become Gum Disease if left untreated. Gum Disease is characterized by the irreversible loss of the jawbone that supports your teeth. Advanced Gum Disease is characterized by the loosening and eventual loss of teeth. This is why it is so valuable to have your hygienist clean your teeth and gums on a regular basis.
Madam Comfort: Gum inflammation caused by plaque will eventually become Gum Disease if left untreated. Gum Disease is characterized by the irreversible loss of the jawbone that supports your teeth. Advanced Gum Disease can often include painful swellings known as periodontal abscesses. This is why it is so valuable to have your hygienist clean your teeth and gums on a regular basis.
Miss Cosmetic: Gum inflammation caused by plaque will eventually become Gum Disease if left untreated. Gum Disease is characterized by the irreversible loss of the jawbone that supports your teeth in addition to the recession of your gum tissue attached to this bone. Healthy, firm, and pink gums are just as important to great smile as nice white teeth. This is why it is so valuable to have your hygienist clean your teeth and gums on a regular basis.
Sir Longevity: Gum inflammation caused by plaque will eventually become Gum Disease if left untreated. Gum Disease is characterized by the irreversible loss of the jawbone that supports your teeth. Advanced Gum Disease is characterized by the loosening and eventual loss of teeth. This is why it is so valuable to have your hygienist clean your teeth and gums on a regular basis. (Yeah, Yeah. Function and Longevity are the same.)
These four values are used in every decision we make. Can you imagine if the above cast of imaginary characters had to work together to accomplish some reality television home decorating challenge? Comfort wants bean bags, Longevity wants Oak and Iron, and Function and Cosmetic are constantly at each other’s throats. Fortunately for our overall oral health the pillars of oral hygiene will satisfy all four values. So Brush and Floss for Function’s sake, for the sake of Cosmetics, for Comfort’s sake, and for the sake of Longevity. Doggone it!
If you gathered from the intro I’m a Function guy with a pinch of Longevity for good measure. I take pleasure when something fulfills the measure of it’s creation and realizes it’s full potential, and this typically takes a “long” time. I feel responsible for all of “my” Montana Smiles and hope to brighten them through education and motivation. So I thank you once again for making it to the end of another Dental rant. Until next time.
Read Dental Needs: Getting Your Money’s Worth by Dr. John F. Miller in 406 Woman.