The destructive "Until" principle

This little guy is who we call "the little doc". He has all sorts of information ranging from a 1 minute "git-r-done" session to the latest scientific research papers supporting the invitation to "be cavity-free for life". You could even ask to be a student in his "dental school for patients" OR NOT.

After 35 years of being a family and preventive dentist in the "traditional" dental field, I had one recurring statement that I think you need to hear about.

I call it the "until" principle.

for example: "doc, I've never had a cavity......until:

I got pregnant, I had diabetes, I took a job as a sheriff's deputy, I took just one medicine for a while, I got into a car accident, I got divorced, the dog died.............and on and on.

You can understand now why when in a discussion with people, they insist that they just don't get cavities and their children don't get any cavities , I get very concerned for them. They really wanted me to go away and didn't want to hear about a possible "until" principle or the "pants on fire" test to their statement.

It seems possible that with 99% of people up to the age of 45 experience dental decay in Utah (report from Dental Select in Utah Business magazine), they probably are, in their mind, that lone 1% that really doesn't get cavities nor their children either.........BUT NOT PROBABLE.

In an article by one of the most respected dental science researchers in the nation:

that even a person who does not have "active caries" or "any signs of damage" cannot be assigned a definite "low risk" category in light of the CAMBRA or Caries Management by Risk Assessment methodology.

She suggested that even in this unusually rare situation this confident patient will definitely be "until", they are subject sometime in their life to "life's stressors"such as the illness or death of a loved one, a car accident, leaving home for the first time, an argument with your spouse producing a disease susceptibility by upsetting the "Caries Risk Balance"(Dr. Featherstone, Dean of the UC at SF Dental School) pushing that person into "at risk" or possibly even "extreme risk" to Dental Caries needing immediate "risk assessment and management" intervention, possibly chemotherapeutic intervention.

OR

"until"events seemingly as as inocuous as taking medication(there are an estimated 3000 medications that will contribute to dry mouth-see www.carifree.com for the list) for the flu or a pulled muscle or high blood pressure ....... which silently caused a slowing down in saliva flow causing "hypo salivation" or an out-right "dry mouth" and the list of seemingly "safe" life experiences flows but

not "until" dental cavities occur as a big nasty surprise, will they listen to the warnings to gain the knowledge and ability to see and manage these future unexpected destructive "caries risk factors"....

I share these ideas with you because, as you will notice, this "until" principle can and will be in dangerous effect with changes which do not even include sugar, soft drinks, snacking or poor oral hygiene habits, even though these are definite "risks" that need to be managed. So be wise and don't get into lock-step with traditional dentistry thinking that these diet and hygiene risk factors or "soft teeth" are the only risk factors.

So, don't lulliby yourself into a "I never have cavities...." stupor, and play it safe. Make certain you are doing what it takes, and think like it will take to be and remain..."cavity-free for life"

Thanks for listening. Eradication of Dental Caries Campaign: 801 643-1812. Call the CureDontist before calling a traditional dentist. ("drill and fill"?)