A Letter to Patients from the Dental Office
Dear Patients,
Dentistry has come a long way in the last thirty years. It’s a profession that requires constant learning because science and technology keep evolving. To think it wasn’t that long ago that we performed dentistry without gloves and maybe with a cigarette hanging out of our mouth. But now we know better, and more than anything, we want better for you. And hopefully you want us to do better by you!
Change can be slow. It’s way easier to keep doing things “the way we’ve always done it,” but you, our patient, deserve more.
Our promise
At our office, we promise you that we will look at you as a whole person. Not just with a mouth but with a body and mind attached to it. The science is clear that what happens in your mouth affects your body, and what happens in your body affects your mouth. Funny that it took our profession so long to really grasp this, to put your oral health into a larger wellness context, but I promise we’re there now.
So what does this mean for you?
Once upon a time, dentistry accepted bleeding gums as normal. Pretty much everyone’s gums bled when they came in for their cleaning, so it must be no big deal. Well, we were wrong. Healthy gums don’t bleed. They don’t. Just like if you had a hangnail that kept bleeding, you’d get an antimicrobial ointment and band aid and make sure it heals. If it didn’t heal, you’d go to the doctor. We need to think of bleeding gums the same way. No, not with band aids, but with advances in oral care.
When you come in to see us, it’s not just to trade stories about the latest TV shows or look at vacation pictures; this is a healthcare visit. (Although we still want to know about your new puppy!) We want to ensure your time with our hygienist is spent getting you as healthy as possible. Gone are the days of the “chat and tooth polish.” Now, you enter into an appointment of discovery and co-diagnosis. Where we are the teeth expert, and you are the you expert.
What you should demand from us
We want to work with you to understand your overall health, your goals, and how we can work together to achieve them. But we have a favor to ask. Hold us accountable. Insist that don’t just go through the motions. Ask if there’s bleeding in your mouth and how you can best treat those infections at home.
One adjunct our office is seeing great success with is Perio Tray™ therapy. Custom-made (so they are comfortable!) form-fitting trays gentle deliver a hydrogen peroxide gel deep below the gums to attack that bacteria that causes bleeding and gum disease which can contribute to systemic inflammation in your body. The trays are easy to use at home, for just 10-15 minutes as you shower or while you watch TV. These are a game changer for not only getting our patients healthy but also for freshening breath and whitening your teeth.
Let’s make a deal
Contrary to popular belief we’d love to keep you out of the dentist’s chair and prevent disease as opposed to constantly giving you treatment plans. So, let’s all get on a path to health and wellness. Because we want more for you and we are determined to provide it!
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