Time
What is time? How does one define this concept? “Time is the indefinite continued progress of existence and events that occur in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future.” According to Wikipedia.
If time is a commodity, then it must have value. At this point I also want the reader to understand that what something costs is not always representative of its value. Time has no cost, you cannot buy it. It is being doled out evenly to every living thing at this very moment, but how it is respectively being valued varies greatly. The value of time is relative and obeys the universal laws of supply and demand.
Have you ever watched a sporting event where the trailing team really turns up the intensity towards the end of the game and the result is them catching up giving them a chance at victory? Have you, like me, ever thought, “why don’t they play like that the whole game?” It’s because in the beginning of the game there is an abundance of time and therefore it has little value. On the flip side, if you have the lead when time is running out the value of time to you is basically zero. In fact, teams in this position have designed strategies in order to “burn the clock,” or in other words waste time. It seems so cruel that one team would squander that which the opposition values most.
In the above scenario both teams have the advantage of at least knowing how much time remains. It is not a mystery. This is not the case with most things in life. All too often we only know when time has run out...when it’s too late for the heroic comeback.
Now I have the complicated task of tying the above intro into my profession of Dentistry. In thinking about the concept of time as it relates to dentistry, the phrase Too Little Too Late comes to mind. As I have mentioned multiple times in previous editions of 406 Woman, the two major oral pathological processes are for the large part painless. These are tooth decay aka cavities, and bone loss aka gum disease. And to make matters worse, both of these issues are not visible to the naked eye in their early stages. In other words, you can’t feel them or see them until they’re in an advanced stage, sometimes the “too little too late” stage.
Because of this, the dental profession highly recommends regular dental evaluations which include radiographs/x-rays. Dental X-rays when taken properly allow us to visualize very clearly any loss of bone around teeth in addition to any loss or weakening of tooth enamel. Quite often we see very minor issues in which we just bring awareness to the patient and re-emphasize ideal oral hygiene practices in hopes to stabilize the problem without the need for a dental procedure. However, if you are receiving routine dental evaluations, any problem that needs to be fixed will be very small and easy to eliminate...it will not be too little or too late.
Occasionally I have the unfortunate task of informing someone that a tooth or teeth are not able to be saved. Any attempt at restoration would indeed be too little and too late. It is not uncommon for a patient to express the desire to go back in time and avoid their present oral health problems.
As of this year Two thousand and Twenty, we still cannot go back in time. If you are currently under the regular care of one of the great dentists that we have in the Flathead Valley, great! Please continue. If you have not seen a dentist recently I would strongly encourage making an appointment. We don’t like telling someone it’s too little too late any more than they like hearing it. Don’t find yourself in a position wanting to go back in time, that’s wasted worry. Let’s keep ourselves as healthy as we can and look optimistically towards the future...with enthusiasm for the adventures it holds.
During our lives we climb this mountain of time and our horizon of perspective expands. We can figuratively “look down” at the stretches and pitches of our lives and think, “Man, I was in such a hurry to pass that section when I should have tarried...should have enjoyed the view and the companionship of my fellow ‘climbers.’ Instead I kept my head down thinking something better was just past the next rise.”
Of course, I’m being a little dramatic. This kind of thing always happens to me around the new year, especially after turning the page on a new decade. Don’t worry about me, I have had an incredible life. That’s not to say it came without blisters and cramps, sunrises and sunsets, hailstorms and sunshowers, or weeds and wildflowers as it most certainly has. It’s just that on this mountain there are a lot of forks on the way funneling cherished acquaintances on to separate paths. Paths that may rarely or never cross again.
We’d be foolish not to understand, however, that there are convergent paths ahead carrying the greatest of friends that we have yet to meet. Prepare yourselves to meet them with a SMILE and have a deeply positive impact on their journey. Happy New Year and New Decade Everyone!! How the hell did we make it this far?
Read Time by Dr. John F. Miller, DDS in 406 Woman magazine.