Chewing Ice--Don't Do It!

One of my employees was chomping on ice today when she saw me and said, "I know, I'm not supposed to chew ice! But what's the big deal? Besides, it's crushed ice."

The big deal is that even with crushed ice you could be causing microfractures in your teeth. These are thin cracks that travel from the crown of your molar down to the root. This means that bacteria, and possibly infection, can now pass through your tough enamel and get all the way to the root and nerve of your tooth.

The result is you are susceptible to decay without it being obvious like a cavity. If you were to shine a light from behind your teeth, you would very likely be able to see some of these cracks.

As strong as enamel is, as the hardest bone in your body, your jaws are very powerful, and your teeth aren't for crushing ice, or opening bottles or really anything except eating regular food.

Don't risk needing a root canal down the road, or worse, losing a tooth. Talk to your dentist about this. Chew gum instead. But make sure it's gum with xylitol in it, not sugar or some other non-sugar sweetener. The xylitol is actually good for your teeth. And if you don't have a dentist, time to get one, especially if you're using your teeth as an ice crusher!

The Fearful Patient

I just talked one of my employees, who admitted to being an extremely fearful patient, and told her she had to get to the dentist. Angel kept insisting that she needed someone gentle, that everything hurts, and expressed the usual fears. I explained that she should go to this specific dentist, Dr. LaBounty, because I know how gentle both he and his hygienist are. I also told her she should ask for nitrous oxide for any treatment she has.

She told me she had a root canal a while ago but never put the crown on--that there was just a hole there--but it didn't hurt. I said, "Angel, you're not going to grow a new tooth. You're not a shark. That's not what happens in humans." She laughed. I think she realized that her procrastinating was only going to make things worse.

I stood there while she called and made an appointment. Her heart was actually racing. It reminded me how afraid many people are, and how important it is for dentists to realize this and make the extra effort to put their patients at ease, use the best comfort-conscious technology, and do their best to educate their patients. It made me even more resolved to make sure that the dentists that we recommend to people at 1-800-DENTIST are compassionate, caring, and use the latest technology.

Angel has an appointment on Monday. I'll bet she goes, and it changes her whole experience of the dentist.