BROTHER I FEEL YOUR PAIN !!!

Greetings from the office of Dr. Jack Bodie!

I never thought after graduating from dental school 34 years ago, that the most important lessons concerning patient care would be learned by my own experience in the dental chair as a patient. Yes you heard me right. I have had, by my count, over 30 dental appointments, not including dental cleanings, since graduating.

Believe it or not, I have had 5 fillings, 2 root canals, 2 extractions, 8 crowns, a bridge, an implant, and invisible braces. Some would say it is only fitting that someone that has doled out thousands and thousands of dental procedures would get a little of his own medicine! But seriously, how could someone that knows so much about teeth have so many dental problems? Well, that’s the interesting part of this story and something that you as a dental patient might benefit from knowing.

Growing up in the 1950’s and 60’s, I did not get the benefits of fluoridated public water. That meant more cavities in young permanent teeth, which were filled.  Add to that my youthful activities and indiscretions of football, motorcycle racing, a few fistfights, and ice chewing, and you get a recipe for cracked teeth! So how did cracked teeth end up in so much dental work? The answer is the real point of this whole story.

You see, it is not surprising that a filled tooth can show signs of structural fatigue after years of normal chewing. It has been estimated that three meals a day equals roughly 1000 chews a day. That’s a million chomps in just three years! A pounding to be sure! Now cracked teeth can be difficult to detect, especially before the widespread use of magnification in dentistry, which really did not begin until the early 1990’s. So, I also missed out on the advantages of early detection that this technology provides.

So the sequence went like this: filled teeth, cracked teeth, root canals, root canals failed due to extensive vertical fractures, extractions, bridge and implant placed. So how could I have avoided this? Early detection and early treatment would have given me the best chance to keep these teeth (i.e. strengthening the teeth in early cracked stage).

The point is that early detection and minimally invasive early treatment saves teeth and money! If you have cavities, fillings and/or broken or cracked teeth, take it from me! I don’t want YOU to feel your pain! Call us at 972 235 4767 or e-mail us at [email protected] for an appointment today!

Best Regards,

Dr. Jack Bodie