Spring Hill Then & Now, Dentistry Then & Now
In the June 13-19, 2018 issue of the Advertiser News, there is a special insert focusing on Spring Hill and the many changes that we have seen around our town over the past few decades. The aerial views in that insert are of the part of town where my office is located. Having operated my dental practice from the same location for almost 35 years, I have witnessed those changes, several, right outside my window. It is still mind-boggling to drive into a part of town that I am not in frequently and realize that Spring Hill is still changing and expanding on a daily basis.
And, not only have the changes outside my office over the past 35 years been dramatic, but the changes in the dental profession have been almost as challenging. The only dental services that I perform in practically the same way that I was taught in dental school are extractions and dentures. But believe it or not, even those processes are changing!
Thankfully, the big changes in dentistry are for the good. When I graduated from dental school I had placed four tooth-colored fillings. Now those restorations are our mainstay. Speaking of decay, we can now arrest decay by brushing on a special type of fluoride, something we only wished we could do 30 years ago. And you can’t help but notice that practically every teenager you know nowadays is having or has had braces. We couldn’t do that until we were able to control tooth decay. And implants have become the standard of care for replacing missing teeth.
I would be remiss if I did not emphasize what we know now about the connection between dental diseases and overall health. I frequently see patients to treat infection in their mouth so that they can better control their diabetes. Orthopedic surgeons insist that their joint replacement candidates be free of dental infection prior to surgery. There is a correlation in many cases between migraine headaches and jaw joint dysfunction. I also treat sleep apnea for those patients that are CPAP intolerant.
Unfortunately I, like so many of my colleagues, are realizing that tooth decay is very much on the increase again. I will address this issue in a future blog. For now, I just want to say that there is so much that we can do that will improve your dental and systemic health. I encourage you to call our office for an appointment. Let us help you enjoy the benefits of good health.
DrG