Do you really need to visit a general dentist regularly?
We all know that happy people smile, but it's also been proven that smiling helps you feel happier. Unfortunately, many people, especially those of a more mature age, avoid smiling because of dental problems, because they have unhealthy teeth or have already lost some of them. So how do you keep your teeth healthy? We talked about this with AND klinika dentist Auksė Gervienė. The doctor has many years of experience and a great many good patient reviews.
How does tooth decay develop?
“Tooth decay can develop for a great many different reasons, but I'd name the main ones as poor diet, improperly performed personal oral care and, in a small proportion of cases, genetics. Food rich in carbohydrates has a big influence on decay developing, especially food that quickly breaks down into sugar while still in the mouth, like crisps and various sweets. And various bacteria in dental plaque and the gum grooves feed on sugar; these bacteria break down the enamel, and in the damaged areas tooth decay forms,” says Dr Auksė Gervienė.
How to care for your teeth properly?
“It's very important to regularly have your oral health checked by a dentist, because decay often develops in places a person can't see themselves, until it develops into big problems. And treating any inflammation or damage to the dental canals that has appeared will not only take longer and cause more inconvenience but also cost considerably more.
One of the most important factors in keeping teeth healthy is proper personal oral hygiene. If people brush their teeth incorrectly and improperly, they don't achieve good results, or at least not the results they hope for. New methods and technologies are constantly appearing in oral hygiene. So it's very important to visit an oral hygienist regularly, who will not only carry out professional oral hygiene but also draw up an individual oral care programme.”
Why is an individually drawn-up oral care programme needed?
“We're all different. An interdental brush may suit one person, but interdental floss won't, or vice versa. The technique of tooth-brushing can also differ, depending on the peculiarities of the mouth. Only a specialist, after an examination, can draw up an effective oral care programme designed specifically for you.
What you find online and on YouTube can't always all be applied to yourself. And it's absolutely not recommended to apply advertised new oral-hygiene methods and technologies to yourself without consulting a specialist, because adverts are often inaccurate and even misleading, and you could even harm yourself that way.
I remember a case in my practice where a patient came for a check-up every six months and each time several teeth had to be repaired. In the patient's opinion, genetics had the biggest influence on this; according to him, both his parents and grandparents had the same problem. A special oral care plan was drawn up for the patient, and he was shown how to care for his teeth properly at home. When the patient came for a check-up the next time, I was already prepared to have to deal with newly appeared decay… and there was no decay at all! The patient said he'd finally forced himself to care for his teeth according to the programme the doctor drew up, and it worked,” Dr Auksė Gervienė shares from her experience.
Does everyone need to have professional oral hygiene done every six months?
“After the oral hygiene procedure is done for the first time, or simply after a longer break, it's always recommended to visit the oral hygienist again 6 months later. Then the specialist, having assessed the situation, decides after how long to come again. Sometimes it's needed once a year, sometimes every three months, sometimes three times in two years – it's always decided according to the individual situation.
Sometimes patients say “I don't have tartar” – we all form tartar, just as we all have dandruff, we all sweat and so on. Some have bigger problems, others smaller. Just as we all wash and cut our nails at one pace or another, oral hygiene is needed by everyone too.
Oral hygiene is also diagnostics, during which the hygienist can spot decay that has appeared in places no one else would notice in time, perhaps not even the dentist, before it develops into a bigger problem that would be very complicated and also financially expensive to solve.”
Do people often fear and avoid a visit to the dentist?
“Yes. The fears most often come from childhood, from a painful experience. Also, people often hear all sorts of cases from those around them, about painful and unpleasant experiences, or – as is popular now – read up online. But it's very important to understand that the goal of the patient and the doctor is shared – that the patient shouldn't be in pain. It's easier for every doctor to work when the patient feels as little discomfort as possible and no pain.
For those patients who are very afraid, and for children too, we can offer treatment with sedation. During such a procedure, not one but several teeth can be dealt with.
Also, to patients who feel great fear, I'd advise coming to the doctor for the first time simply for a consultation, to look around, find out and get acquainted – then it's already easier for them, once they know the whole situation and know the doctor. A preventive check is very important not only for those who are afraid but for everyone else too. Fear most often comes from not knowing what awaits us, or from a mistaken idea. Knowing what will be done to me or my teeth reduces that fear a little.”
There are a great many dental clinics and even more dentists. How do you choose the right one?
“There has to be a rapport between the doctor and the patient. The doctor must clearly present the treatment plan to the patient and also know that the patient understood everything properly – what procedures, in what order and why they'll be carried out. It's very good if a clinic has more than one specialist in the same field, because even if someone recommended a doctor, that doctor won't necessarily suit that patient too.
It's also very important that each treatment procedure be carried out by a specialist doctor in their field. It used to be accepted that one dentist did everything; now often different doctors work in one clinic, each specialising in their own field. Help for the patient is far higher quality when a procedure is carried out by a specialist in their field, rather than a general dentist who can at most handle simple cases. In my opinion, dental treatment is teamwork. Everyone does what they can do best,” Dr Auksė Gervienė shares her opinion.