I’m at the beginning of what should be a pretty tough semester! I have nine classes on top of seeing patients four days a week. I’ll try to keep writing three days a week, but if I miss one here or there, know that it’s because I’m busy studying!
Why Is Dental Care so Expensive?
I discovered a really interesting blog over the past week written by Dr. Dean Brandon, a pediatric dentist from Alabama. If you have young kids, he has a lot of great, accurate information on his blog, Cyber Dentist. One article I really enjoyed was Why Does Dentistry Cost So Much? Dr. Brandon boiled it down to two main reasons: time and expertise.
Don’t Swallow Your Toothbrush
This was one of the most interesting dental-related articles I’ve read in a long time. A 15 year old girl swallowed her seven inch toothbrush while running up the stairs. She started choking and her brother tried to pull it out, but her strong gag reflex made the toothbrush disappear down into her stomach. It took a hospital visit and general anesthesia, but they got the toothbrush out! It’s a good reminder to not run with objects in your mouth.
Bad Oral Hygiene Can Give You a Heart Attack
Bacteria from your mouth can increase the risk of blood clots and heart attack. A study done in the United Kingdom adds to the evidence that bad oral hygiene can be bad for your whole body. Dr Howard Jenkinson, professor of Oral Microbiology at Bristol’s School of Oral and Dental Science, presented the findings. He said the following: “Poor dental hygiene can lead to bleeding gums, providing bacteria with an escape route into the bloodstream, where they can initiate blood clots leading to heart disease.”
West Virginia Children Not Seeing Dentist… Why?
The Weirton Daily Times in Weirton, West Virginia had an interesting article about dental visits. They reported that 43% of children in school that have been seen through Marshall University’s public health dental program had untreated dental decay. What I found most interesting was that nearly 90% of the kids had dental insurance — they simply weren’t going to the dentist. The program’s coordinator, Bobbi Muto said, “I truly believe it’s an educational thing. I don’t think we place a value on dental care and dental services like we should.”
I think I agree with Bobbi. Most people don’t understand how important oral health is to your overall health. That’s one of the reasons that I started blogging about dentistry: to help more people understand the importance of keeping your mouth in good shape.
This article reminded me of a post I wrote a month or so ago: Why Don’t You Go to the Dentist?
Questions or Comments?
Do you have any questions or comments on these articles? Please feel free to leave them below in the comments section. Thanks for reading!
