This is not your Parent’s Hygiene Visit Part I

Orinda Dentist” See your Dentist twice a year”

We’ve all heard this, heck, we’ve all heard this all our lives. Your Dentist tell’s you all the time. But, where did it come from? Did it come from research? Studies? Anecdotal evidence?

Nope. It came from a toothpaste commercial on the Amos n’ Andy radio show! Yes, that’s right, your Dentist has been relying on marketing done 90 years ago to decide when you should come in for a visit. “See the Dentist twice a year”, it’s so ingrained into our culture that even the scientist’s didn’t bother to do studies until only recently.

Today, if we look at the research it shows that most people should see their Dentist for a Hygiene visit every 3-4 months(this is all based on the amount of time it takes bacterial colonies to start to form and cause problems). 6 months is much too long for the vast majority of adults. But, my insurance only pay’s for cleaning’s twice a year – that’s a subject for a different blog!

Every time Dr. Oz was on Oprah my wife would record it and we would watch. I’ll never forget the show when he said,”anytime a thin, fit, otherwise healthy person walks into my office with Heart Disease the first thing I do is look into their mouth’s to see if they have gum disease”. Dentist’s have known this for year’s and decades of research show’s that “gum disease” is directly related to: Heart Disease, Heart Attack, Stroke, Respiratory infections, Diabetes, Low birth weight, Alzheimers, Pancreatic Cancer, etc. The list goes on and on but the point is that the healthier your mouth is – The healthier you will be!

In Part II Orinda Dentist, Dr. Jess Santucci,will explain what a modern Hygiene Exam should entail.

 

 

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