Enjoying the Dental Future Your Parents Never Had

By Brian J. Gray, DDS, MAGD, FICOI

What did your parents tell you about going to the dentist? Did they talk about how your dentist could help you take care of your teeth and gums? Instead, they probably emphasized the negative: "It won't hurt much," or "Your toothache will be gone."

For most of us, the stories we heard about dentists described how the person in the white jacket helped relieve tooth pain. We didn't hear about dentists creating opportunities for attractive good health and a bright smile.

Comparing the dentistry our parents knew with the new dentistry that has emerged over the past ten to fifteen years is like comparing the computers of the 1950's with today's powerful desktop machines. The differences are vast. Yet, as dental care consumers, most of us have not updated our old stories. We haven't added new chapters about the great possibilities for dental well-being that the new dentistry offers.

You and I can experience these new possibilities for oral and dental health by creating partnerships with our dentists and their dental teams. We can take advantage of innovations and advances in:

  • Treatment technologies and equipment
  • Specialization
  • New materials
  • Preventive techniques
  • Scientific knowledge
  • Cosmetic enhancements
  • Integrated multi-specialty treatment teams

A good way to begin is by establishing a partnership for dental and oral health with your dentist. Today's dental teams have the knowledge, skills, and information to help create a positive dental future. A partnership is based on communication and mutual responsibility, and you and I can actively foster that first communication.

We can begin to partner with our dentists and their dental teams by:

  • Asking about advancements in treatment technologies and materials.
  • Finding out what steps we can take to maintain healthy teeth and gums.
  • Creating a positive dental future through the recommended steps of flossing and brushing.
  • Taking an active role in contacting our dental team at the first sign of any concern about teeth or gums.
  • Using our curiosity to make sure we understand the reasons for a referral to a specialist such as a periodontist or endodontist and the outcomes our dentists are seeking.

Our parents didn't have the choices or the opportunities that you and I have today for optimal dental health. The new dentistry can create more than a warm bright smile; it can improve your overall health.

The future of our dental health is in our hands just as the future of our bodily health is. Taking steps to increase your knowledge about the new dentistry will provide great benefits for you today and tomorrow.