I recently treated a patient that I will call Matt. He is just over 60 and a handsome man I might add. One problem though. He had not seen a dentist in 35 years. Matt fortunately had a happy ending. Even though his teeth were caked in plaque, he had great genes and very healthy teeth. His smile has been restored to a Hollywood look and life is good.
However, Matt's case begs the question. What took him so long? Matt disclosed that he had a horrible experience when he was 30 something and just never went back. Please remember, your mouth is part of your body. It needs preventive care and maintenance. If you had a bad experience with your family doctor years ago, would you just stop going to the doctor? Of course not. God forbid what would have happened to your physical health over those years. My theory is that are many more people, especially ages 55-64, that feel just like Matt about going to the dentist.
Let's face it. The tools my colleagues had 3 decades ago weren't very good compared to what we have today. Their drills sounded like 3 speed lawnmowers and their needles were as wide as the Alaska Pipeline.
Modern dentistry has made life easier for the patients and us docs. We have extra light for our more precise instruments. We can pinpoint. The methods available to us in diagnosing specific problems are nothing short of awesome. This is not your father's dentist office. Gee, my childhood dentist worked out of his house. Believe it or not, my parents were asking him for estimates to fill my teeth with and without Novacaine. Yikes!!
It is so senseless, with all of the advancement in technology, not to have a healthy and pain free mouth and a beautiful smile to go with it.
All we are saying, is give modern dentistry a chance...
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