What Could Be Worse: Bad Breath Or A Dentist You Hate Going To

There are a lot of things, which come to mind when one thinks about dentistry. Two of those may be the cost of dental care, which I have focused on, in previous posts and also bad breath which is something that we all dead with everyday, either directly or indirectly. Seeing how these two topics revolve around dentistry, I chose to share with my readers in today’s post two comments, which I left on two other blogs. The first post, which inspired me to leave a comment, was from the blog, Dental Care – Smile Your Way and more specifically the post titled, “Get Ride of Your Bad Breath”. The second post, which I made a comment on dealt with the cost of dentistry coming from San Francisco Cosmetic Dentistry – Dr. Bernstien’s Blog and the post titled, “Comfort is the Highest Priority”.

"Get Ride of Your Bad Breath"
Comment:
I like how you began with the little story. I cant remember how many times i have began a conversation with somebody just to be hit with their bad breath and in turn not be able to escape until they finished talking. I have also though that even though it would be good to tell somebody that their breath is bad, they might get insulted so I never really mentioned it. As a pre-dental student and the son of a dentist, i have learned about all the ways things one can do to eliminated bad breath and i like how you mentioned that toward the bottom of your post. In all, good post and just another reminded to all the readers out there, brush, floss and use mouthwash at least twice a day to keep the bad breath away.

“Comfort is the Highest Priority”
Comment:
I agree with your post completely. As a pre-dental student and the son of a dentist I have always thought about and discussed with my father many different ways by which a Dentist may provide the highest level of comfort for patients. Other than being a well qualified dentist and obviously being able to perform the required procedures, a dentist must provide comfort for his or her patients if he or she wants them to come back in the future for all their other dental needs. If a dentist can do the procedures, but doesn't provide a comfortable atmosphere for the patient and make the patient feel comfortable, the patient will be looking for another dentist for future oral care.

Halloween: Dooms Day For Your Teeth

Nobody ever gets too old to celebrate Halloween. It is a day that most young adults and even some older adults look forward to even more than Christmas. Halloween is a day that you can let go of your normal life’s routine and be somebody or in some cases, something else. The one big difference about Halloween that comes with age is what people look forward to. Today, adults look forward to hanging out with close friends and having a meal and a couple drinks but when we were all younger, we went to sleep on October 30th thinking about only one thing; candy. Even though candy is cheap, it may become very expensive with its long-term effect. It is a major cause of cavities in children but as Dr. Anne Wilson, a pediatric dentist said, “letting kids have a one-time candy binge is a small offense to enamel.” One major scare for young children is that certain hard candies can fracture teeth, and other sticky candies may keep sugar in the mouth much long after the candy is eaten. No matter what type of candy the kids eat, they need to remember and be reminded by their parents to brush, floss, and used mouthwash everyday and especially after eating candy. Many dentists are doing all they can to try and keep kids from eating candy, even if it takes bribing them with money. Dr. Kurt Black and Dr.’s Eli Jackson and Brad Graham are promising 1 dollar for every pound of candy. Some dentists are even going to ship all that candy to the troops overseas. Last year, Dr. Black collected more than 200 pounds in candy.
I think that the doctors exchanging money for candy is a wonderful idea. Not only does it keep the kids from eating excess candy, which can damage teeth but also the kids get money, which they can use for anything they would want. I do not agree with Dr. Anne Wilson and her statement that “letting kids have a one-time candy binge is a small offense on enamel” because that one time candy binge might get them hooked on certain candies which they could become addicted to and from Halloween on constantly have candy. Then what was a small offense on enamel may turn into a childhood of tooth ache and cavities after which the child might stop eating candy but they may also be stubborn and have no regard for their teeth as they continue to eat as much candy as they can.

Making A Difference: Baltimore Health Care Professionals Reach Out To Community

Another week begins with a feel good story about health care involving children. Dr. Patricia Bell-McDuffie, the director of Oral Health Services for the Baltimore City Health Department, along with many other medical professionals came together Monday morning at an East Baltimore community center to provide check up and oral health inspections on children. This clinic was intended to help low-income inner-city children improve their dental care. The simplest instructions from “don’t forget to brush every night before you go to bed” really went a long way in helping these children who might be to young to understand the importance of brushing.
At this clinic, doctors were able to notice, through simple examinations, many problems from tooth decay to gum disease which were prevalent in the children. It is hard to discuss the importance of oral health care among children without remembered young Deamonte Driver who died at the age of 12 from a tooth infection. All these programs and clinics, which are happening across the United States, might be because of that young boy. They are in one sense being done in the memory of that young boy who by giving his life might have saved the lives of hundreds or even thousands of children across the world. U.S. Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, a Maryland Democrat, accused the Bush administration of failing to provide adequate dental care to poor children, and in May introduced "Deamonte's Law," which would increase dental services in community health centers and train more pediatric dentists. "We must protect our children from this sort of needless suffering, and we must begin with the youngest of children," Cummings said this morning at the community center before the examinations got under way. "An untreated tooth infection is far scarier and uncomfortable than the routine care that can prevent it."
It’s a wonderful thing to be able to read about doctors and other health care professionals helping volunteer their time to provide valuable information and life lessons to children which in turn can keep them healthy and alive for many years. Not everybody’s charity work goes noticed but that does not mean people aren’t out there helping children and teaching them about health care. I believe this article should be motivation for anyone who has been educated and knows how to practice health care to go out into their community and teach not only the young but also people of all ages. Going out into the community and providing oral health care for those who are in need is one of the reasons why I want to attend dental school and become a dentist. It is not possible to help everyone at once but by helping one person, they are able to take the same knowledge and hopefully pass it on to others or even tell other that they should attend a free clinic for a check-up or examination. Provide health slowly but surely is better than not providing it at all. Hopefully, for months and years to come we will be reading more articles about good deeds like the one that inspired this post.

The Bill That Never Was: 35 Billion Reasons Why President Bush Made A Mistake

Just when low-income families thought that help was on the way in the form of health insurance coverage, their hope was shot down by a man. The same man who was elected to help this country but has done nothing but hinder the progress of America. Last week, President Bush vetoed a bill to add $35 billion to programs providing health insurance to children of lower-income families. "The policies of the government ought to be to help poor children and to focus on poor children, and the policies of the government ought to be to help people find private insurance, not federal coverage. And that's where the philosophical divide comes in," Bush said.

One man who was openly critical about Presidents Bushs decision to veto the State Children’s Health Insurance Program was, Dean of the USC School of Dentistry, Harold Slavkin (seen below) . Dean Slavkin stated that the veto compromises California’s poorest children, the ones who are most vulnerable in our communities. Diseases surround this country, some to which we have cures and other to which we are yet to find cures for. Tooth decay is the most prevalent disease among children in this country and can be extremely deadly. In Los Angeles County in particular, cavities and oral infections are the number one reason children are missing school. "This bill is crucial for the health of America's children and is a fitting tribute to the memory of Deamonte Driver, the Maryland boy who died earlier this year when his untreated tooth abscess led to a brain infection,” adds Slavkin.

As much as I hate sounding like a broken record, that’s probably what somebody would think of me while reading my recent posts. Every post seems to emphasize the importance of providing health insurance, especially dental insurance to American Citizens. This post is no different. Just when I though that, like Spain did in providing free dental care to all children between the ages of 7 – 15, the United States was going to step up and provide for those who are most in need. Instead, the step taken was in the wrong direction. President Bush was elected to lead this country and work towards positive progress everyday. The only problem I see is a huge problem in itself. President Bush is leading this country in the wrong direction. We had a chance to accomplish something great with the new States Children’s Health Insurance Program but what once seemed like a bright idea for the future is nothing more than a dark moment in the past. By vetoing the bill, President Bush has left the door open for American Citizens to either not seek any kind of care for medical problems which they might have or to seek not only dental care, but also all kinds of health care outside the borders of the United States. The potential outside care which patients in need may receive might not be safe or effective which in turn, could lead to infection, disease or worst of all, death. So, in a way, President Bush has left the door open for our own American citizens to die, all while he could have simply passed a bill which could have made a difference in million of lives. Would have, could have, but simply didn’t.

Price of Health: Cheaper is not always better

Some things are meant to grab someone's attention One of the easiest and most likely attention grabbers is the opportunity to save money in any case. Charlie Kingston and his wife Lucia, whose real names remained undisclosed, are trying to do exactly that. They want to catch potential customers by providing the opportunity for them to save moeny. Charlie and Lucia developed a dental clinic simply known as “Greengos” whose slogan is; “American dental care, Mexican price.” Greengos, which is also a derogatory term referring to people of Hispanic heritage, has attracted much attention. It is the name of the dental clinic located in Mexico at Matamoros near the Texas/Mexico border. What the owners of Greengos are trying to accomplish is to attract patients from not only Mexico but also from the United States to come to their dental clinic for all their dental cares and they are doing this by offering prices which can not be beat in the United States. Just a couple examples of what kind of potential savings Greengos can offer you are braces for only $2,499 as opposed to $8,500 in the U.S. and also teeth cleaning and oral examples for only $29.99 compares to a whooping $160 in the United States. “The border culture is unique,” said Charlie Kingston. “People in Mexico come (to the U.S) to buy their televisions, for example. Well, Americans cross the border to get their cheap stuff too. In this case, healthcare.” Along with their favorable prices, Greengos also offers the latest dental technology including a Sirona Cerec 3 (pictured below to the right), which is used to make crowns, and also a DENTZ digital x-ray machine.(pictures below to the left)

Some patients might be attracted to the discount prices but they must also wonder, is the reward greater than the risk. Matthew Messina, a dentist and consumer spokesman for the ADA provided his insight on the topic by stating, “as long as patients are receiving good dental care it doesn’t matter where it happens.” He also added that, “People need to be aware that some things they take for granted (in the U.S.) are not necessarily true in other countries. There is a reason they are able to offer reduced rates, but you have to look at the reasons they cost less and the potential risk for patients.” This happy-go-lucky story about dentists in Mexico trying to do the right thing and provide affordable dental care to patients who can’t afford it in the United States, but I believe that this tale is one, which can turn sour with one faulty procedure.

After reading this article about Greengos, I could not help but think about how important it is for our own government to establish a new dental care plan, which would provide for all citizens. By doing this, Americans could remain in the states and receive the dental care they deserve without having to worry about cost. Leaving the states and searching for not only dental care, but also all kinds of health care in other countries could backfire on the patient. The patients would most likely be excited about the money they are saving, but I personally believe it is not worth taking the chance with ones health, risking possible infection and other malpractice. Some of these patients might end up spending even more money to repair possible damage done as a result of seeking cheaper care in the first place. In no way am I saying that health care in other countries is not viable, I am just saying that it isn’t the same as here in the United States. The states are known to offer a wide range of procedures with the newest machines and technology. They provide a clean and sterile environment which other countries may also be able to provide, but that is neither known nor unknown, it is a mystery and I believe that health care, dental and otherwise is not something that somebody should gamble with because stepping into the unknown is nothing more than a gamble.

Dentistry: The 2 Aspects of Life As A Dentist

Dentistry, just like other medical fields, is always looking at advancements and ways to help people keep their mouth healthier but there is also the business side of dentistry that every dentist has to deal with. Seeing how these two sides are the biggest parts of a dentist’s life, I chose to share with my readers in today’s post the two comments I left on two other blog’s. One of the blog’s had a post which discussed the health and advancements in dental care while the other blog consisted of a post looking at more of a business aspect of a dentists life. The first post, which inspired me to leave a comment, was from The Dental Implant Blog and more specifically the post titled, “iTero Digital Impression System”. The second post, which I made a comment on dealt with the business aspect of dentistry coming from Dental Insider Blog and the post titled, “3M/ESPE addresses Gray Market Issue”.

"iTero Digital Impression System"
Comment:
Your post was very informative about this wonderful advance in dentistry. I believe that every dentist should try and get their hands on the new iTero digital impression system (pictured above) because as a person who has had a tradition impression taken, I know how uncomfortable it was so take a traditional impression and if I had a choice I would definitely prefer anything as an alternative. This machine seems to offer a much more comfortable way to not only take an impression but also to provide increased patient satisfaction and improved dental clinical outcomes. As a pre-dental student, I agree that not only would this make the patients impression experience more comfortable but also it would definitely enhance ones reputation as a high quality practice. If I were already a dentist I would make sure to get one of these machines because its down the road it would eventually pay for itself by eliminating consumable expenses and also surely bring in new patients.

"3M/ESPE Addresses Grey Market Issue"
Comment:
I believe that that 3M/ESPE is doing a good thing in helping dentists deal with “gray market” goods including ways to detect if a dentist has grey market goods. As a pre-dental student and someone who will soon be dealing with these different aspects of the business world of dentistry, I would not want to have any or use any “grey market” goods while operating my business and office. I believe that it might be unsafe and that using goods that are acquired from channels other than ones that are authorized is wrong. There needs to be a “crack down” on all those who deal the products illegally because if there are no ramifications then it will never stop.

Dental Care: More Important Than We Think.

One of the top priorities for every American parent is the well being of their children. That well being includes their oral health as well. Dental Care is unattainable to many Americans who in turn, are not able to provide it for their children. So when those same American citizens read about Spain's plan to provide free dental care to all children between the ages of seven to fifteen, they began to wonder why the United States doesn't provide the same for their own children. Last week, Bernat Soria (pictured on the right) announced his new dental care plan, which would include dental treatments such as cleanings, fillings, tooth extractions, and check ups. This program would benefit close to a million children in 2008 and upwards of four million in 2012. Surely, the health minister’s proposal must have made most Spanish parents happy but it did a good job to anger one Spaniard in particular. Spanish minister for the economy, Pedro Solbes was openly critical of the health minter’s plan, stating that it would be too expensive as well as questioning its viability. This may have come as no surprise to the Spanish citizens seeing how Mr. Solbes had shot down countless ideas suggested by the government because of cost reasons. The minister for economy was critical. He was against not only the health minister's new dental care plan but, many other plans which came before.

After coming across this article, questions about our own dental care plan here in the United States began to rise. Seeing how we consider ourselves ahead of other countries, why did we not already have a dental plan, which would provide free dental care to all children? More than money, free health care is probably one of the most important things that the government can provide for families throughout the United States. This would allow parents the freedom to not have to worry about their children’s oral care. It was quite recently when twelve-year-old Deamonte Driver (pictured to the left) died from what most people would call a ‘toothache’. What began with some simple pin in his mouth turned into a severe infection, which eventually worked its way up to the young boy's brain and lead to his eventual death. This one event should have been enough for the United States government to take action. The government should use its money not to keep our troops overseas in Iraq, but to help children back here on our home soil with simple things like the ability to get a cleaning, filling, a tooth extraction or even a simple check up.

Reading this article and realizing how much help some people need in the United States makes me wish I could jump into the future, where I plan to use my Dental degree for not only start a private practice, but to also do pro bono work. Much of this pro bono work would be like something similar to what is currently being done in Florida as part of what is called Project: Dentists Care. Establish and supported by the Florida Dental Association, (pictured to the right) this program includes a community of dentist volunteer their time and services to provide a safety net to preventive and restorative dental care for those in greatest need. I believe that, by providing free dental care for all children, should be plan implemented in the United States to help prevent what happened to young Deamonte Driver from happening to other young children. There is no reason why somebody should suffer or even die from something that is treatable and can be taken care of so early and easily.