First and foremost, I would like to thank all of those who have left comments on this blog. I read each and every comment and am so grateful for your input and support. I have learned from your experiences and opinions. Also, your comments often help me develop ideas for new posts or explanations. So thank you!
In February 2010 — Oral Answers’ first full month — it had 149 page views. Last month, September 2011, it had 76,559 page views. All of those page views each month bring with them hundreds of comments.
When I first started Oral Answers nearly two years ago, it was easy to respond to every comment and email. Over the past several months, it has become increasingly difficult for me to respond to each and every comment. I’m several weeks behind, but I do intend to catch up over the next week!
I plan to finish responding to the comments that have been left so far. However, due to personal time restraints I have decided that I will no longer be able to respond to every comment. My intention with this blog is to help as many people learn about oral health as possible. I feel that I can most effectively do that by writing new posts about various topics rather than responding to every single comment. While responding to a comment can directly help the person who commented and a few others who read it, each post has the potential to help many more people.
Just to be clear — I’m not giving up on answering comments completely. I will still read them all and plan on responding to many of them.
Top 10’s
I thought it would be fun to make a few lists of the top 10 posts over the past couple of years in a few different categories.
10 Most Popular Posts on Oral Answers
1 – What You Should Do When a Crown Falls Off of Your Tooth
2 – What a Baby’s Gums Look Like While Teething
3 – Adult Permanent Teeth Coming In Behind Baby Teeth: Shark Teeth
4 – Colored Braces: What Colors of Braces Can You Get?
5 – Power Chains: Why Some Colored Braces are Connected
6 – What a Frenectomy is and Why Your Child Might Need One
7 – Why You Get Swollen Cheeks After Wisdom Teeth Removal
8 – Pulpitis: What’s the Difference Between Reversible Pulpitis and Irreversible Pulpitis?
9 – What’s the Best Temporary Crown Cement and Method to Re-Cement Crowns?
10 – What to Do When Your Child’s Baby Tooth Gets Knocked Out
The 10 Most Interesting Search Terms That Brought Someone to Oral Answers
I guess this is a bit subjective, but people do enter some interesting stuff in the search box that somehow brings them to Oral Answers. Here are ten of my favorite search terms that have brought people to Oral Answers.
I can only say that I hope they found what they were looking for! And I promise, I didn’t make any of them up.
1 – disappear completely on lying down on dental chair …… – I get more confused each time I read it. I guess it’s a good reason not to go to your dentist if he is also a magician.
2 – for sale chipped tooth composite filling – Sounds like a classic do-it-yourselfer!
3 – does sparkling water erode tooth enamel 2010 – No, but it might in 2011, so watch out!
4 – sexy bitten nails – Well, I had to find out, and just so you know, I am the 193rd result that comes up when someone searches for sexy bitten nails. The embarrassing thing is that toponlinelexapro.com someone just walked by the computer and saw me searching for sexy bitten nails.
5 – can i sue dentist for telling me about my bad odor – They sound pretty offended, but wouldn’t you want your dentist to let you know? I guess it depends on how they tell you…
6 – legal alternative to bad dentistry – I would say that the best legal alternative to bad dentistry is…good dentistry.
7 – why do dentists love wisdom – The simple answer is: It makes us smarter!
8 – if crap falls off tooth and has post in it can you put cap back on – I hope they meant cap both times!
9 – help i’m a horrible tooth fairy – Maybe a post about how to be a better tooth fairy to your children is in order.
10 – 10 ways that meth damages affects relationships – Hopefully they learned something about how meth damages teeth. If only I were a psychologist.
And here’s a bonus:
11 – help! ferret eaten bubble gum – I’m still wondering how on earth this search landed them at Oral Answers. I’d Google it right now but I’m a little worried that the same guy who saw me search for sexy bitten nails will walk by again.
Top 10 Least Welcoming Posts on Oral Answers
Sadly, around 9 out of every 10 people who looked at the following posts ended up leaving Oral Answers without reading any other posts. I’d like to think that maybe they found the answer to their question and then just moved on, but perhaps it was something I said?
1 – A Popping Click When You Open Your Jaw Is Pretty Common
2 – Does Teething Cause a Fever in Teething Babies?
3 – Why Teeth Whitening Toothpaste Isn’t Making Your Teeth Any Whiter
4 – Should You Replace Your Toothbrush After You’re Sick?
5 – What Is The Difference Between Dentists with DMD and DDS Degrees?
6 – Natal Teeth: When Your Baby Is Born With Teeth
7 – At What Age Should Your Child Go to the Dentist for the First Time?
8 – Six Reasons Why You Should Wear a Protective Mouthguard
9 – Teeth Whitening: Two Side Effects of Whitening Your Teeth
10 – Don’t Let Your Teeth Get Hurt This Cold & Flu Season
Top 10 Most Engaging Posts on Oral Answers
Here’s a list of the 10 posts that people spend the most time reading, and how long the average reader spends on it.
1 – How to Really Win a Dental Malpractice Lawsuit – 5 minutes, 22 seconds.
2 – What to Do When Your Child’s Baby Tooth Gets Knocked Out – 4 minutes, 25 seconds.
3 – Why People Hate the Dentist, My Theory Part II – 4 minutes, 24 seconds.
4 – Pain Caused by a High Filling: Why It Happens & How to Fix It – 4 minutes, 22 seconds.
5 – Why You Might Need to Premedicate With Antibiotics Before You See Your Dentist – 4 minutes, 19 seconds.
6 – Top 10 Reasons to Oppose Water Fluoridation – 4 minutes, 17 seconds.
7 – Yes the $3 Teeth Whitening Trial is a Scam – 4 minutes, 10 seconds.
8 – Pulpitis: What’s the Difference Between Reversible & Irreversible Pulpitis – 3 minutes, 57 seconds.
9 – An Alternative to Suing Your Dentist: Peer Review – 3 minutes, 55 seconds.
10 – Tooth Traditions Around the World: It’s Not Just the Tooth Fairy – 3 minutes, 53 seconds.
How Can I Improve Oral Answers?
Do you have any suggestions on what I can do to make Oral Answers better? Please let me know below in the comments. Thanks for reading!
Hi Tom,
First and foremost let me just congratulate you on a really wonderful website. About two months ago now I started working as a writer / journalist for a dental PR company here in the UK, and your site has provided me with a great deal of insight and inspiration and has taught me an awful lot. Your enthusiasm for your work really shines through and I find that I have fast become one of your most avid followers!
Keep up the good work, and good luck with your career.
Mike
HI Mike – Thanks for the kind words of support! I just stumbled upon your comment while getting ready to update the site. It’s been a while with all the stress of dental licensing exams and finishing up with dental school. Good luck with your writing!