Preventative dentistry and what it means to you!

I know some, a few, many?? have dental fear, phobia or anxiety. For many of those who grew up in a time when preventive dentistry was not the norm, I can understand why. Back in the day, dentistry was different than what it is now. Dentistry nowadays revolves around prevention-meaning preventing dental problems before they start.

Prevention means dental exams, dental cleanings/therapy and dental xrays as needed, all on a regular basis. These 'regular' appointments can help detect potential issues within the oral cavity and the head/neck area. As well, each patient's needs determine how frequent they should visit the office. For one patient who has very good oral health determined by a lack of gingivitis/periodontal disease/decay I may see this person every 6 months for dental therapy with the dental hygienist and an exam.For another patient who has gingivitis/periodontal disease or other underlying illnesses which put them at higher risk for developing these diseases I usually will see them every 3-4 months.

Unfortunately for some dental benefits dictates how often they see us, even though recommendations may be otherwise. A big thing to remember with dental insurance is concerned is that it is there to help us with our dental treatment needs but sometimes it will not cover all of it. To look at it in a medical perspective, if you needed treatment for something that was inflammed like say your appendix and the physician decided you needed it removed because it was close to bursting would you wait to treat it because theoretically saying your insurance didn't cover it. For most, probably not, this is a medical condition that needs to be treated. Unfortunately in some occasions, developing gingivitis, periodontal disease and cavities are not looked at in the same fashion. Realistically, these diseases, specifically periodontal disease has far reaching sytemic effects and can put us at higher risk for diseases like type 2 diabetes, heart attack, stroke, pre-term low birth weight babies and lung infections. Knowing all this, should we wait to treat a disease that has systemic implications and could possibly shorten our lifespan. Education is the key to understanding how oral health is completely intwined with our overall health, the need to prevent/treat oral infection is HUGE. These diseases are all bacteria in nature and can be 'caught' just like any common cold, flu or sore throat, but once they find a home in our mouth they have the potential to cause disease.

Insurance is a great benefit, don't get me wrong, being someone who is self-employed I don't have any benefits, but if I worked for a company that offered it I would be happy to accept it. The biggest thing I am saying is try not to let it dictate what dental treatment you should choose for yourself.

Last thought, look to our neighbour to the south and see what kinds of problems many have had with medical insurance down there. Some have great medical insurance, some have mediocre and some have none, but overall the insurance dictates what gets done and what doesn't, unfortunately for some that means long term illness, suffering or death.

Nathan