Is It Safe?

This past week I've had a lot of conversations about going to the dentist. I don't know why, but I've seen several posts from people on Facebook about it and have even had several conversations with different people about this. Looking for something to write about, I chose oral hygiene.



Finding a dentist is a pain. Going to one is a pain, too, but it's necessary. You only get one set of teeth, so you should take care of them. For many years, I went to the same dentist in New Jersey, Dr. Carl Byck. He was great. But then he retired. Finding a replacement was something I wasn't motivated to do and for several years I didn't go to the dentist. During this period, I'm sure I had the oil changed in my car regularly. Think about that!

Eventually I think I went to my mom's dentist and all was good. But then I moved away to California and needed to find a dentist. Asking for recommendations didn't really help. No one seems to like their dentist or there's some flaw they tell you about. One had fundamentalist Christian propaganda in the office, ("You can go if that doesn't bother you") or another is way out in Santa Monica. Finding a dentist was a challenge. Again, I didn't go for a few years. My car was running wonderfully, however.

Finally, a friend recommended her dentist and we made a "dental date" and went to the dentist together. This is key. Going to the dentist once is not going to solve all of your dental problems. Here's the secret for going to the dentist regularly. If you like this dentist, and I like mine, Dr. William Weissman, DDS, schedule your next appointment before you leave the office! That's important. Now you're seeing your dentist regularly. Those six months will fly and if it's been awhile since you've seen a dentist things will improve for you.

Now it's not all fun. I like to think I have good habits. First a confession. I don't have any cavities. Neither does my sister. Our parents instilled in us good habits I guess. I won't bore you this time with the details of my brushing habits, but I will say I spend a lot of time on my teeth in the morning and even more in the evening. I have a whole routine. When I go to bed, nothing is going on in my mouth! But when I go to the dentist? First he tells me what a good job I'm doing. (Secret confession, I also go to the dentist regularly to get praise like that.) And then after I feel good being told this, he then goes on to scrape my teeth for 20 minutes. I brush, and floss, and mouthwash regularly to avoid this!



At the end of the visit I feel like a million dollars though. My mouth is clean, I'm reassured that I'm doing the right thing and I know that in six months, I'll be back to do it all over again. It's very simple to have a regular dental routine. If you're already doing this, great! If not, I recommend you start today.