When I was young, I went through a period of time when I was allowed to eat candy and drink sodas on a daily basis. I'm sure I wasn't brushing well or often, and I had never heard of floss. As a result, I spent many painful hours in the dentist's chair having cavity after cavity filled. At the time, I never saw the cause and effect, and I doubt anyone mentioned diet or home care to my parents. And so it wasn't until I was hired to work as a dental assistant after high school that I began to understand why brushing and flossing mattered, and the effects that dietary choices could have on oral health.
When I decided to become a dentist myself, prevention naturally became the cornerstone of the way I wanted to present dentistry to my patients. Over the years, as I broadened my understanding of health, I came to see that oral disease prevention really went much further than the mouth and teeth.
The health of the mouth is a mirror for the health of the entire body. It's all connected. Every year, we discover more and more just how intertwined the health of the mouth and body can be. And what's good for one is often good for the other. I have spent my career studying these overlaps in the hopes of helping my patients create the lifestyle habits that promote healthy mouths and bodies.
Of course, preventing all the damage and disease that can occur in the mouth isn't always possible. Accidents happen, and sometimes we just don't have all the information we need to make the best choices for ourselves.
It is my goal to not only teach you what you need to know in order to prevent oral damage and disease, but also to provide you with a safe and pleasant healing environment for those times when further treatment becomes necessary.
In many cases, we are often able to go one step further and actually have a little fun as we work together. Laughter in a dental office? That can be healing, too.
When I was young, I went through a period of time when I was allowed to eat candy and drink sodas on a daily basis. I'm sure I wasn't brushing well or often, and I had never heard of floss. As a result, I spent many painful hours in the dentist's chair having cavity after cavity filled. At the time, I never saw the cause and effect, and I doubt anyone mentioned diet or home care to my parents. And so it wasn't until I was hired to work as a dental assistant after high school that I began to understand why brushing and flossing mattered, and the effects that dietary choices could have on oral health.
