I love talking dentistry. When a patient asks me a question I enjoy taking the time to answer. People being more educated about their mouths ultimately makes my job easier (and I just like talking about teeth). However, there are some conversations I have so many times that I think it would be easier to just have my responses ready to go on a card to hand people. “Well Ms. Jones, it looks like John has cavities on two of his baby teeth. The good news is that we caught them early and they just need two small … [Read more...] about They’ll Just Fall Out
Common Conversations
The Best Patient
“I hate dentists.” It’s something any dentist probably hears weekly. I often get asked by friends if this bothers me or gets to me. And it honestly doesn’t, but it is definitely and attitude I strive to change. I love my profession and would like to help other people see it in a new light, or at the very least hate it a little less. Not only would this have fewer people telling me they hate me, but it would also create a population of people who are comfortable coming to me with their problems and concerns, instead of … [Read more...] about The Best Patient
Words We Never Say
When I was living in New York, I spent 6 months working at a hospital in downtown Manhattan. We mostly did regular dentistry there, nothing very exciting. But occasionally, we would be asked to work with oral surgeons, either to assist, help take out teeth, or to shadow and gain experience. There was one surgeon who I would sometimes work with who had a thing about pain. Not causing it, but saying it. Anytime anyone said the word “pain” there would be glove thrown at you, or some reminder to not say that word. It took … [Read more...] about Words We Never Say
The Price of a Crown
So you’ve just broken a tooth. Or just had a root canal on one of your molars. Or maybe have a large cavity that hasn’t been treated yet but is covering most of the tooth. You come see us and we take a look. At this point I usually give you 3 options: we leave the tooth as it is and do nothing (which I rarely will recommend), we place a large filling, or we do a crown. This is a fairly common scenario. A discussion I probably have once a week with patients. I go through the risks and benefits of each option and what I … [Read more...] about The Price of a Crown
What Do You Do All Day?
Growing up I had no idea what my dentist did when he wasn’t seeing me for a check-up. Or why sometimes I’d have to sit in the chair waiting for a while before he would come in. I just assumed he had other check-ups to do and was making his way down the line of hygienists to me. I’d get my teeth cleaned, wait a few minutes, have him take a look, and call it a day. Most of the adults I talk with or see as patients have the same perception of the dentist as I did. Chances are if you’ve ever wondered what the dentist does … [Read more...] about What Do You Do All Day?
In pain now, wasn’t before
One prevalent issue that we come across in dentistry is tooth pain and its management. The majority of patients that we treat are not in pain but come to us for routine dental work (cavity fillings, crowns, cleanings, etc.). Occasionally we will treat someone who was pain-free but will return in a few days mentioning discomfort on a tooth that was recently worked on. Before we dive into a look at this, it’s important to discuss some terminology. Pulp - the vital nerve and vascular tissue in the middle of the tooth … [Read more...] about In pain now, wasn’t before