Hi White Park Dental Family!
We received a lot of great feedback after the last newsletter, and it is time for another. We hope your fall is going well. We have been staying busy at the office! I recently completed a 65-hour, six-day training at the Kois Center in Seattle, Washington. It happens to be the “longest continuing education course in the world”! This continuing education continuum teaches how to gather patient information systematically to determine a diagnosis and individual treatment plan for patients. Dr. John Kois is a leading authority and has been teaching at his highly regarded institute for 30 years. He provides a wealth of knowledge with his degrees and experience in Prosthodontics (restorative work) and Periodontics (gum health). His courses provide the most up to date, literature/research-based information to benefit dentists and patients alike. This is the second course that I have taken, and I plan to graduate from his program over the next few years.
The information we gather includes periodontal charting, radiographs, photographs and questionnaires to assess teeth, gums, bone, bite, jaw joint and smile characteristics. Our goal is to help you with health and cosmetics if desired.
Gum Disease:
Assessing your bone levels on radiographs (x-rays) and recording your periodontal charting (gum numbers) determines your periodontal diagnosis and your susceptibility to determine the monthly Recare schedule that we recommend for maintenance. Your risk will also help us determine what we advise you to do at home every day to prevent inflammation for your mouth and overall wellness, as we discussed in our last newsletter.
Cavities:
Assessing for decalcification/enamel loss, visually and radiographically, helps with cavity risk management and erosion prevention. This is why we may recommend a prescription fluoride toothpaste or request you assess your diet for sugar and/or acid. There are other medical cofactors that may come into play such as Xerostomia (dry mouth) or GERD (acid reflux). Cavities are diseases of susceptibility (predisposition to developing an illness due to a mix of genetic and environmental factors), not just neglect, and we are here to help!
Restoring your mouth one tooth at a time is my responsibility, but even better – treating you comprehensively and designing restorative transformations is my passion! Our office will continue to help you build oral literacy so that you may be an advocate for your own dental health. We use our mouth to chew, swallow, speak and breathe; therefore, a healthy mouth is a happy mouth! Our goal is to make sure that your concerns and/or conditions become corrected to improve your quality of life. Don’t be surprised if we ask you questions such as: have your teeth changed or shortened within the last five years OR do you feel like you have more than one bite/squeeze to fit your jaw into a comfortable, even bite? As always, please ask us if you have any questions as well.
Interesting fact: A person should not lose more than one millimeter of tooth structure in their lifetime unless there is progression of bite/jaw disease.
It is our pleasure at White Park Dental to serve and care for you, and we are excited to continue and treat our patients with purpose, metrics and modern systems to achieve overall wellness!
Sincerely,
Dr. Kristen Harvey