SECRETS

YOUR
DENTIST
WILL
Never
TELL
YOU
BY CHRIS WOOLSTON
130 readersdigest.com 7/09
‘ What your insurance
company wants us

,
to do isn’t necessarily
what’s best for you.
Do you floss about as often as you flip your mattress?
Do you spend more time putting toothpaste on your brush
than actually cleaning your teeth? Dentists notice these
things. And that’s not all. They also know when you’re asking
for a procedure that’s going to disappoint you and when
insurance companies are stinting on the care your smile needs.
We asked 22 dentists from across the country to tell us what
they’re really thinking as they peer at our teeth. What came
out of their mouths will change the way you treat yours.

You Don’t Get It >> Many of my patients have peri-

>> Some truly educated people think
that if nothing in their mouth hurts,
they’re fine. High cholesterol doesn’t
hurt, either, but it’s a big problem. I
honestly think that the general popu-
odontal disease affecting their back
teeth, but their front teeth are fine.
Evidently, they brush only what others
see. Joel Slaven, DDS,
general dentist, Valencia, California

lation doesn’t understand that their

mouth is part of their body.
D a nine F resch Gray, DDS,
general dentist, Arlington, Virginia
>> If your hands bled when you washed
them, you’d run to the doctor. But in
the public’s mind, bleeding gums are
okay. Unless you’re really whaling away
>> Dentists often tell patients with
advanced gum disease to floss more
often. But flossing is useless at that
point. Imagine trying to clean out the
bottom of a shirt pocket with a piece
of string tied to your fingers.
Reid Winick, DDS,
holistic dentist, New York, New York

with your brush, if your gums bleed

even a little, that’s periodontal disease,
period. Ron Schefdore, DMD,
general dentist, Chicago, Illinois
>> The advice to see your dentist
>> People come to me with a mouthful
of tooth decay and say, “I got my grand-
father’s soft teeth.” I don’t even know
what soft teeth are. Bryan Tervo, DDS,
general dentist, Trenton, Ohio

twice a year applies only if you have

healthy gums. Most people don’t. >> When someone meets you for the
Chris Kammer, DDS, first time, the first thing they notice
cosmetic dentist, Middleton, Wisconsin is eyes. Second is teeth, and third is
132 readersdigest.com 7/09
hair. But people spend way more
money on their hair than their teeth.
D a mian D achowski, DM D,
general dentist, Horsham, Pennsylvania
>> Proper oral hygiene requires ten
minutes of brushing and flossing every
day. The average adult spends two or
three minutes total, and kids do even
worse. J oel Slaven, D D S
‘ IF YOUR BREATH
IS BAD, WE WON’T TELL
YOU UNLESS YOU ASK.
Our Noses Still Work
>> People who smoke try to cover it
up with mints or mouthwash, but that
stench is steeped into their gum tis-
sue and the tissues in their mouth.
J ennif er Jablow, DDS,
cosmetic dentist, New York, New York
>> Brushing doesn’t go deep enough
into the gums to reach the plaque that
Gary Herskov its, DDS, family dentist, Brooklyn, New York
causes bad breath. You need to floss
every day and get a cleaning every few
months. If you do all that and still have
bad breath, I start looking into diet and
checking for health problems.
N ed Windmiller, DDS,
general dentist, Stillwater, Minnesota
>> A mouthwash with alcohol dries
out your mouth—you’ll smell nice and
minty for a half hour, but then the bad
breath comes back worse than ever.
Gary Hersk ovits, DDS
“New and Improved”?
Yeah, Right
>> There’s no reason to sanitize a
toothbrush unless you’re sharing it
with other people. Those UV devices
’
and other germ zappers are totally
unnecessary. Joel Slaven, DDS
>> There’s a limit to what toothpaste
can do. New whitening formula? It can
get rid of surface stains, but it can’t
whiten like a bleach.
Careen Young, DDS,
prosthodontist, Beverly Hills, California
>> The electric toothbrush is one of
the best things to ever happen to den-
tistry. The newer ones replicate pro-
fessional cleaning—they won’t reach
much below the gum line, but they’re
far superior to regular toothbrushes.
The cheap ones are okay for kids, but
you’ll have to pay more than $75 for a
really good brush with a warranty and
replacement heads.
Danine Fresch Gray, DDS
133
>> I wish people still used the Water-
pik [a water-shooting device that was
popular in the 1970s]. Each tooth is
surrounded by a putrid, germy moat of
saliva. If you replace that moat every
day, you’ll go a long way toward keep-
ing your mouth clean and your gums
healthy. Chris K ammer, DDS
We Blame You When
Baby Teeth Go Bad
>> It’s not unusual for me to see a
beautiful little child dressed to the
nines with teeth rotted down to the
‘
I CALL SODA POP THE LIQUID
CHAIN SAW. IT CUTS THROUGH
TEETH. AND IT’S NOT JUST THE
SUGAR—IT’S THE ACID.
gums. And I’ll see teenagers from
affluent homes with nine cavities.
It’s just a total breakdown in parental
supervision. J oel Slaven, D D S
>> For the past 20 years, we’ve been
telling parents about baby bottle tooth
decay and not to let a child go to sleep
with a bottle. But I haven’t seen much
of a change. W inif red J. Booker, DDS,
pediatric dentist, Owings Mills, Maryland
>> The bacteria that cause cavities
can be spread from mother to baby
through saliva. If you have poor den-
134
tal health and you taste your baby’s
food and then pop the same spoon into
his mouth, you’re putting him at risk.
Mark Help in, DMD,
pediatric dentist, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
>> Kids with dental problems often
struggle in school. They’re distracted
and easily agitated. Teachers will say
they have behavior problems, but they
really have toothaches.
Winifred J. Book er, DD S
>> I have to extract a lot of baby teeth
that are abscessed or heavily decayed.
’
Chris Kammer, DDS
Parents think there’s no reason to pay
attention to baby teeth because they
fall out. But when a tooth comes out
prematurely, other teeth crowd in to
fill up the space. Without the right
treatment, it turns into a mess.
Paul Hettinger, DMD,
general dentist, Orlando, Florida
Free Advice
>> If you want to reduce the bad bac-
teria in your mouth, you should be all
over xylitol [a sugar substitute found
in chewing gum]. It changes the chem-
istry of your mouth. Six or seven pieces
readersdigest.com 7/09
of xylitol gum every day will help keep
cavities away. Chris Ka mmer, DDS
>> Some people give up on tooth
whitening because the gel irritates their
teeth and gums. Just use a fluoride rinse
or gel before and after—it’ll make your
teeth much less sensitive.
N ed Windmill er, DDS
>> With any kind of mouth piercing,
there’s a huge risk of infection if it’s
not done in a really sterile environ-
ment. I’ve seen cases where we’ve had
to cut out pieces of the tongue because
the infection was so rampant. Even
when things go well, virtually every-
one I see with a tongue piercing has
chipped front teeth. Don’t pierce your
tongue. J a y Grossman, DDS,
cosmetic dentist, Brentwood, California
Quit Worrying
>> Amalgam [silver] fillings do release
a small amount of mercury through
wear and tear in the mouth. But you’d
have to have about 300 fillings for the
mercury level to get high enough to
pose even the smallest risk.
Ed mond Hewlett, DDS,
prosthodontist, Los Angeles, California
>> Taking metal fillings out can release
more mercury than leaving them in.
Brody Hildebrand, DDS, orthodontist, Dallas, Texas
>> Composite [tooth-colored] fillings
are popular, but a metal filling is going
to be more durable, especially for big-
ger jobs. B rody Hildebrand, DDS
>> I have amalgam fillings in my own
mouth. There’s no proof that they do
any harm. Convincing patients to re-
move their fillings for health reasons
is quackery. Michael Alk on, DMD,
general dentist, Holmdel, New Jersey
>> A lot of patients are worried that
dental X-rays can cause cancer, but if
you’re outside for an hour, you’re ex-
posed to more radiation than you’d
get from a full set of dental X-rays.
What I worry about is that if I don’t
take an X-ray, I might miss something
serious. Bryan Tervo, DDS
We Hate Insurers Too
>> A few decades ago, most insurance
plans would cover up to $1,000 or
$1,500 in dental bills every year. Today,
a single crown can cost that much, but
most policies still have the same limit.
People are getting teeth pulled that
could be fixed because they can’t af-
ford to pay for the work.
Bryan Tervo, D DS
>> Patients seem receptive to every-
thing I say until I tell them how much
it costs. I feel really good when pa-
tients accept 40 percent of what I
recommend. Joel Slaven, DDS
>> If you’re missing teeth, chances
are that your insurance company
won’t cover implants—only one out
22 insurance companies I deal with
covers them, even though they’re bet-
ter than dentures in every way.
Joel Slaven, DDS
135
Your Teeth Can Alert
Us to Disease
>> Misaligned teeth can cause mi-
graine headaches. If we can align the
teeth and fix the bite, the pain often
goes away. M a i-Ly Ramirez, DDS,
general dentist, San Francisco, California
>> One of the first signs of diabetes is
bleeding gums. I started taking blood
samples from all my patients with
bleeding gums and bone loss around
‘ WHEN CHOOSING A DENTIST, CHECK
IF THE MAGAZINES IN THE WAITING
ROOM ARE CURRENT. THAT
SHOWS ATTENTION TO DETAIL.
the teeth and discovered that many of
them were diabetic or prediabetic.
We’re Not
Miracle Workers
Ron Schefdore, DMD
>> Patients come in with pictures of
celebrities and say, “I want to look just
like her.” I’m sitting there thinking, You
can’t have a smile that looks like An-
gelina Jolie’s, because you don’t have a
face that fits those teeth. It’s like when
you get your hair color done—you can’t
just put the same highlights or lowlights
in everybody’s hair. J a y Grossman, DDS
136
>> Teeth get whiter when they dry
out. Some dentists promise that their
office procedures will make your
teeth four shades whiter. But if you
leave your mouth open for an hour,
you could easily be two shades whiter
just from dehydration.
Careen Young, DD S
>> If you bleach your teeth too often,
it can thin the enamel. Your teeth can
end up almost translucent.
Jennifer Jablow, D DS
Michael Alkon, DMD
We Feel Your Pain
>> People say something difficult is
like pulling teeth. But pulling teeth is
’
really fast and easy. Mark Mutschler, DDS,
pediatric dentist, Oregon City, Oregon
>> Everyone should be able to get
basic dental care. At our public health
clinic in the Shenandoah Valley, we
see a lot of people who don’t have
money, and some of them need to have
every tooth in their head taken out.
It’s like a Third World country.
Lori W ilson, DDS,
general dentist, Petersburg, Virginia
readersdigest.com 7/09
>> I tell nervous patients that we can
give them the sedative triazolam an
hour or so before their appointment—
they just need to have someone else
drive. It works so well that sometimes
they don’t remember the appointment.
Chris Kammer, DDS
>> A study showed that tooth implants
increase libido, probably because peo-
ple feel much more confident without
missing teeth or dentures sliding all
over the place. J im J a nak iev ski, DDS,
periodontist, Tacoma, Washington
>> Many people without insurance
don’t go to a dentist until they’re in a
tragic situation. They could wind up
needing $20,000 worth of work.
Pa ul Hettinger, DMD
We Choose Our Own
Dentists Carefully
>> Cosmetic dentistry works only on
a healthy mouth—you can’t build a
house on a swamp. But if you look
around, you can find a dentist who will
do cosmetic work without treating
your gum disease first. There are a lot
of incompetents and outright charla-
tans in my profession.
J oel Slaven, D DS
>> I put in veneers for a living, but
they’re really overused. At some of-
fices, patients come in for a simple
cleaning and are sold on the idea of
getting veneers too. Veneers are ex-
cellent for making teeth longer, but if
what you want is to get your teeth
whiter, use a bleach. If they’re too
crowded, get them straightened.
Careen Young, DDS
>> Some dentists will say you need
a deep cleaning because they can
charge your insurance company more
for that than for a standard cleaning.
But unless an exam shows you have
a lot of tartar on your roots or other
specific signs of disease, you proba-
bly don’t need it. Careen Young, DDS
>> People assume that the more a den-
tist charges, the better the dentist is.
But I see no correlation. Ask cowork-
ers or friends and family for a recom-
mendation, but make sure they’ve
been going to their dentist for at least
five years. It takes that long to know if
crowns and fillings are any good.
Paul Hettinger, D MD
We Wish You’d
Think Ahead
>> People come in for an appoint-
ment without knowing what their in-
surance covers. They think we have
a crystal ball that tells us everyone’s
insurance information. We don’t. And
we need to find out what’s covered
before we can do anything.
Damian Dachowski, DMD
>> Don’t eat a heavy garlic lunch be-
fore coming to see us—we’d appreci-
ate that. Jennifer Jabl ow, DDS
Keep your smile healthy: Get info about
bad breath, gum disease, and more at
readersdigest.com/dental.
137