Sometimes the Simplest Dentistry is the Best? By Lawrence Spindel DDS
We've all heard the expression 'Less is More' and sometimes it applies to dentistry. The best dentistry is dentistry not needed. Clearly, A healthy mouth and healthy teeth should be the ultimate goal of every dentist caring for a patient. Oral health can best be accomplished simply by a combination of good patient homecare, diet, and maintenance of a proper recall schedule. At recall appointments the dentist and hygienist must be observant and pick up small problems before they become bigger. If a particular area of the mouth is displaying inflammation, then it should be noted and the patient encouraged to clean that area better. Sometimes the patient has to be 'coached' on his or her tooth brushing technique. This is accomplished by having a patient demonstrate the technique that they use and the hygienist or dentist can suggest technique improvements. Sometimes a simple change of toothbrush can help. It is not enough to just say "do a better job".
Although Dentists and hygienists must hone their skills in performing clinical procedures, sometimes the easiest problems to fix are the most important. Prevention and small easy to do repairs are the key to maintaining a healthy mouth and preventiing tooth loss. It really is true that "A stitch in time save nine". Often times it is worth the extra time spent looking for hard to find problems during a dental exam, since small problems that are easiest to correct are often the hardest to find. It is not hard to detect a large cavity on a patients radiographs, but it actually can be difficult picking up small cavities, as they are just starting, beause they can be hard to see.
Although all dental professionals pay lip service to prevention and preventive dentistry, sometimes not enough effort is made in actual clinical practice. Probably it is not surprising, but when I taught preventive dentistry, it seemed that dental students were far more motivated with learning about how to make crowns or perform periodontal surgery than they were in Preventive Dentistry. It seems that it is human nature that health care providers are interested in perfecting skills that will make them money and often the simplest and easiest to master skills are not learned or given the emphasis that they deserve.
This Article was excerpted from the Ask DR Spindel Blog for more articles like this please visit http://lspindelnycdds.blogspot.com/
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