What Works for Oral Health?
David Snape
Recently, within the last seven days actually, I purchased a HydroFloss. A what? Well, it is sort of like a high powered waterpik that uses magnetized water.
Why? For starters, I'm tired of my dentist complaining about my gingivitis which has now become mild to moderate periodontal disease. Will a HydroFloss change that? I honestly don't know, yet. Based on what I've read about them, it may be possible. I'm a skeptic by nature though, but I'm also curious enough to try out different things. Sometimes that strategy works for me and sometimes it doesn't.
I've had a lot of problems with dentists over the years. I don't believe that all dentists are completely honest. In fact, I had a dentist tell me that I had a 'trouble spot' that she wanted to drill into. I went to another dentist who didn't appear to detect any problem or any 'trouble spot' at all. That was after waiting six months. If there was a problem that was going to get worse, it certainly didn't do so.
Another time, a dentist cheerfully suggested a root canal for a pain I was having in a tooth. I declined. In less than two weeks, that pain went away and never came back, without a root canal being done. That was about 14 years ago. I've heard stories from people who went to a dentist to be told that they had several cavities. Upon visiting a different dentist they were told they had none!
I find this trend disturbing. I go to a dentist to maintain my teeth and gums and to make sure that I keep the teeth with minimal damage to the gums. So when unnecessary procedures are recommended, I find it a little annoying. I should be able to trust my dentist but instead, I view her much like I view a car dealership when taking my car in for service. Watch the wallet or get taken. I shouldn't have to feel that way about my dentist. But I do.
One of the best sales presentations I have ever seen was that of a dental hygienist. She wanted to sell me a 'root scaling and planing'. During this procedure they anesthetize your gums and use metal instruments to scrape and scale along the root to remove plaque under the gumline.
I bet it hurts a lot when the anesthesia wears off. I was told this was the 'only' way to get rid of plaque under the gums. Since I declined the procedure, they wanted me to sign a waiver in case I lost my teeth as a result of not undergoing their prescribed treatment. I viewed this as another scare tactic. It also motivated me to find another solution.
Like I said before, I have only had my HydroFloss for a week, but I like the results I'm seeing so far. When finished using it, I feel like my gums have just had a good massage and it only takes a few minutes to go over my entire gumline.
I asked my dentist what she thought about the HydroFloss. She wasn't convinced that it was any better than a waterpik. I decided to try it. If my dentist doesn't like it, it might actually be good for me.
I'm not interested in losing my teeth due to gum disease. I have always kept good care of my teeth. It seems that brushing and flossing are just not enough for most people to avoid periodontal disease or gingivitis. Brushing too hard can erode the gumline, precisely what I wish to avoid. I reason that if I followed the same old advice, I would get the same results.
As for the HydroFloss, I believe I'm seeing a difference already, but I can't be sure. There are no double blind studies being conducted on my body. My results are subjective. But I think I'll know for sure in about a month. For now, I'm impressed.
If you have any questions about what your dentists finds or suggests, you may want to get a second opinion. That doesn't hurt!
This article is for information purposes only. It is not meant to offer advice, diagnosis, prevention or treatment of any health condition. Please see your dental or health care professional for proper advice, care and treatment.
About the author:
Dave Snape writes for ToBeInformed. For more information on this
particular topic, visit:
http://tobeinformed.com/gingivitis/gingi2.html