If your teeth are unhealthy, would you know it?

5 September 2011 0 Comments

Ah, I can hear it now… mom’s warning to Jonathan and I when we were kids: “You keep that up and you’ll rot your own teeth right outta your head!” Usually referring to the mass quantities of junk we consumed, I thought she was just talking to Jonathan. Well, guess what! A couple of weeks ago, one of my molars broke (#30, to be exact). It wasn’t anything serious, I mean, I didn’t hurt and it wasn’t major; just a small slice out of the back side. Still, a broken tooth requires attention, so I scheduled an appointment with the dentist and along with a cleaning while I was at it.

The dentist visit went just like any other, and the cleaning was the same as usual. The dentist looked at the broken tooth and said he could either put a big-ass filling in it, or put on a crown, which is a more proper solution. Alright, let’s schedule that.

But the exam didn’t go very well, though. What were all those red dots on my chart? The hygienist said my gums were receding, and that it was due to “stuff” getting down into my gums where brushing, flossing, and rinsing can’t reach. I also had a few cavities in between my teeth. D’oh. But why? I mean, it’s not like I had a filthy mouth. I brush every day, and I floss whenever I have the stuff to do it. I have one of those toothbrush-like handles with the disposable floss heads, but I run out, and forget to buy new ones. But still, I felt I was providing adequate care.

So I explained this to the hygienist, and asked her why I was still having trouble. She said for a lot of people with this problem, they consume a lot of acidic foods and drinks. BINGO! I just LOVE to drink Dr. Pepper, although I have cut back immensely in the past year. I don’t keep sodas in the fridge anymore, but Jessica and I still stop by Sonic on the weekend for half-price drinks, and I always get a large Dr. Pepper when I eat at fast food places.

The hygienist said that drinking Dr. Pepper isn’t necessarily the entire cause, but sipping on it all day certainly is. BINGO again! That’s why I always get a large: I like to sip on it all afternoon. Looks like this is a no-no. [sigh...] Anyway, she said go ahead and have a soda if you want it, but drink it — don’t sip on it all day. And if you can’t brush after meals, at least go to a sink and rinse with water. Makes sense.

To fix all of this, I’ve been prescribed 3M ClinPro 5000, a high-fluoride toothpaste to help with strengthen my teeth and rebuild enamel (it has 1.1% of sodium fluoride whereas most over-the-counter anti-cavity toothpaste only has about 0.32%). Awesome. I’ve also signed up for the periodontal therapy to let them clean below my gums, which will be performed in two separate visits. To be honest, I can hardly wait for the treatment — I really want my teeth and gums to be as healthy as possible. And, what son doesn’t want to prove his mother wrong?

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