Answers to commonly asked questions, and some you never thought to ask, about what goes on in your mouth.
Bruce C. McArthur, DDS has been creating gorgeous, healthy smiles since 1982. His office is located in Lakewood, Colorado.
Archive for January, 2010
Green and Growing or Ripe and Rotting
Dentists spend a lot of time in school to earn their “Doctor of Dental Surgery” degree. (Ever wonder what the DDS meant?) (Some universities call it a DMD, from the Latin for Doctor of Medical Dentistry)
But the point I want to make here is that when all the years in school are finished, the education is just starting! That’s why we say we “Practice” dentistry!
Most states have requirements for doctors to complete a certain number of hours of “continuing education” per year. In Colorado, the liability insurance company requires a minimum of 15 hours of clinical “CE” annually. I personally love getting CE time, and usually exceed this number in January! Last year I accomplished over 156 hours of CE… over ten times the requirement.
I think when choosing a dentist, it is important to see if they value staying current in all the latest procedures, equipment and techniques. People usually don’t ask how much CE I have done so far this year, but maybe they should! There are always new things coming out, and it is important to stay informed! A favorite dental management person has rightly said “You’re either green and growing, or ripe and rotting!”
I prefer the growing part!
Movie Star Smile
“I don’t need to look like a movie star!”
“I’ve had these crooked teeth forever; why change now?”
And then my favorite: “I’m already married – I don’t have to look great!”
There are many lines I hear from people with crowded teeth… often like those above. What many people do not realize is that when teeth are crowded, they move outside the ideal arch form. Then they hit against other teeth in ways they weren’t designed to do, and they wear prematurely. Sometimes worn teeth are more sensitive to hot, cold or sweets. I often see teeth so dramatically worn that they fracture and need to be rebuilt. That obviously involves time and money.
The good news here is that there are now cool options for straightening teeth! Invisalign is a system for straightening teeth without brackets and wires! It really is almost invisible! It is fast and efficient, easy to keep teeth clean and no metal in your mouth to deal with!
So the bottom line is this: there are long term reasons why you should have nice straight teeth. And the icing on the cake – it’s OK to look better too! Even if you’re already married!