I have recently started going to a new dentist..
Those of you who know me will also know that I don't care much for dental work -- I've been afraid of dentists since I was a child and never really trusted them (you know.. the old.. "it's not going to hurt" and then it's like they are drilling your brain!!)
Anyway, a few months back we somehow found out about this dentist who is open to some solutions for your health that are not strictly medical, but also include nutritional options and life-style changes. Enough to make us curious. Enough to make ME curious. So, we got in the car and traveled about an hour and a half away to meet and do a visit with him.
Nice guy. Nice and seemingly competent enough that I felt comfortable setting up an appointment and starting some much needed work in my mouth.
My first appointment consisted in probing my gums. And, as expected, they were not in great shape, but according to him not as bad as he thought. He recommended brushing my teeth once a day with a mix of half baking soda and half salt.
I go back for the next appointment so that they can do some (again, much needed) cleaning. And then he probes my gums again. I admit I hadn't been completely faithful with the soda/salt tooth brushing, but, after probing again, my gums are a bit better. At this point he starts saying that I really need to get my gums in good shape, that gengivitis is a systemic disease and that next time I go see him we should start "this" gum treatment. Right there and then I didn't think too much about it. So, I get out of his room and at the front desk the secretary reiterates the fact that he highly recommends this treatment. Ok.. "And how much would that cost me?" "$750" (and, by the way, just for the cleaning and probing I paid $200)
Are they kidding me???? My polite answer is: "I'll think about it"
I get a few weeks to chew on the idea and then stew on it. I cannot believe that my gums get better, but I end up having a "systemic disease".
So I call and ask if we can go ahead and just do my fillings and my crown without the gum work and the secretary says that the doctor doesn't like to do the other work unless the gums are ok.. and, by the way, the office will be closed next week because they are all in Hawaii for a conference.
UHM.
Well, my husband had an appointment with him today for his teeth to be cleaned and I tag along for a scheduled talk with the doctor.
And - in my opinion - this is the best part.
We get into his office and he shows me my x-rays and all the problems that I have in my mouth. No arguing there. I know exactly how neglected my mouth is. But, then we get into the infamous gum talk. And was I ready for it! He told me that my gums bled too much because of the 4 mm gaps present between my teeth and my gums. The depth should not exceed 3 mm. The fact is, however (and I reminded him of this) that the first time he probed I had 3 such gaps and the second time (even after getting rid of the tartar) I only had 1. We went back and forth somewhat arguing about it, with him trying to convince me and me not being convinced (especially on the need to spend $750)..
.. and then it happened -- the pearl of the whole conversation.
He had the guts to say that gum disease is a systemic disease, that it gets in the bloodstream and can cause all kinds of problems including diabetes and heart attack: "If you want to be alive for your kids, you need to do this"
I still want to roll on the floor laughing!!! (I laughed about it all the way back home in the car!)
I cannot believe that I received a "death threat" from the dentist! To which I responded that .. actually I don't remember exactly what I said.. oh, yeah! I know what I said. "How come here in America you have all those miracle cures that just so happen to cost a lot of money?" Good grief -- do the gum treatment, get Mannatech, load up on magnets, vitamins, cleanses, organic foods and you're going to be cured of everything.. but poverty.
Come on! I may lose all my teeth and maybe even develop some other stuff from my gums, but let's face it, it seems to me such statement would be offensive to people who are truly suffering and dying of cancers, starvation and all sorts of other things. Plus, I can develop all sort of things because of the air I breath and the food I eat.. what am I going to do about that?
(on an added note -- everybody keeps saying how bad foods are here, with all the antibiotics, hormones and pesticides used on them.. so my question is -- why don't you do something about the foods and not try to find a miracle cure for a damage already done? Why don't you protest? Why don't you refuse to elect people who won't do anything about it? Or is it maybe that everybody, food producers and miracle cure producers, want a slice of that money pie?)
Anyway, my conversation with him went on a little bit longer to the point that when I asked what caused my gums to improve in between probings, he said that it was because of the soda/salt tooth brushing. So why can't I continue to do that?
"Because sometimes you are more motivated to do something if you've paid a lot of money for it"
HA!! HA!! HA!! How much do you want to bet that I am more motivated not to spend that money????
I mean, the guy told me that I would get the same result by regularly flossing and brushing my teeth with baking soda and salt that I would by doing "his" treatment that costs $750!!!!!!!!!!!
You gotta admit, I had fun this afternoon!
We came to the agreement that I would do the soda/salt thing, have my gums probed again in a month and see if we can proceed with the rest of the work.
My temptation? Get there a month from now with the healthiest gums ever. He probes them and gives the ok for the fillings and crown. And at that point I'd say: "Thank you, but no thank you. I'm going to another dentist"
