A Word From Dr. H

By Dr. Ivan Henrickson

Have you ever wondered how there could be so many dentists in town? It sometimes seems like there is a dentist on every comer. The truth is, there is a need for all those dentists because dental disease is the most widespread disease known to man. It literally touches the lives of 100% our population; no other disease is so wide spread.

The good news is, dental disease is also the most preventable of any disease, and can be nearly 100% controlled by the patient. However, the patient must have the right knowledge and just a little bit of self discipline.

Nearly all dental disease comes from the three forces that are at work in everyone's mouth: 1) tooth decay 2) gum disease and 3) poor bite. If you could control these forces, you could save, and use, your teeth for a lifetime with very little time, or money, spent at the dental office.

The widespread nature of the disease, and the large number of dentists, however, prove that most people are not very good at controlling the disease process. Many studies have shown that while most of us do brush our teeth, most of us are not very effective at it. Even when we do brush everyday, most of us are only getting our teeth about 30% clean. A recent survey revealed that most of us brush for less than 20 seconds; that is not enough time to really clean the plaque off. We are, however, doing better than we used to, and new improvements in technique, understanding of the disease, and even technology, are making a difference in overall population health.

The new electric toothbrushes are making quite a difference in how well many patients control the plaque. With health care costs going up, that electric toothbrush may be a better investment than the stock market.
The only way I know to get ahead of the game is to stay as healthy as possible. With better health there would be fewer dentists.
Yours for better dental health, Dr. H