Dentists as Evaluators and Fitness Trainers

Patients certainly expect dentists to be concerned about helping them avoid disease, infection, cavities, and tooth loss. On the other hand, I have found that some people worry that their dentist will be upset about losing business if healthy mouths prevail. The dentists I know are delighted to find an effective way to protect patients from unnecessary treatments. I frequently talk to hygienists and dentists about my method of dental care, and although some are skeptical at first, they are always enthusiastic when they discover how effective this system is for preventing dental disease.

Patients should seek out dental professionals who believe in prevention and who will help them avoid treatments. I hope that dentists will be viewed more as dental evaluators who use their expertise to alert patients in advance of a cavity, so that patients could take steps to avoid the need for fillings or treatments. Dental care would be more akin to a visit to the gym—hygienists and dentists would be mouth fitness trainers, measuring your risk for cavities and offering ways to strengthen and protect your teeth.25 You may have decided to select your current dentist because he or she accepts your insurance plan, but in the future you may think about selecting someone who believes in remineralizing teeth and who is known for a caring and effective approach to preventing dental disease.

Imagine if your dentist could alert you that your teeth were about to soften and give you time to prevent cavities in them with healing home-treatment methods, before the need for fillings. If you kept regular visits they would be for screening and to help you prevent cavities so that you would never again need to go to the dentist for extractions, root canals, or fillings.26

Dentists who help their patients enjoy healthier teeth see positive changes in their offices. Dentists who help patients take control of their dental health develop new relationships, especially as their patients become confident about dental visits. The number of broken appointments is reduced, and although less treatment may be done, more patients can be seen each day. Furthermore, happy patients refer many others.

The best news is how simple it is to prevent dental problems with correct home care. By using the system I describe in part VI, you will find that by yourself you can begin to successfully avoid cavities and many annoying dental problems. You can begin the preventive program whenever you choose, and because it is simple and convenient, you will most likely find that it quickly becomes an enjoyable and rewarding daily routine that you will use forever.