The “Sip All Day, Get Decay” slogan isn’t just meant to be a catchy tagline – it’s literally the truth!

Sugar in soda combines with bacteria in your mouth to form acid, which attacks the teeth. Diet or “sugar-free” soda contains its own acid, which also can damage teeth. Each attack lasts about 20 minutes and starts over with every sip of soda you take.

These ongoing acid attacks weaken tooth enamel. Kids and teens are most susceptible to tooth decay because their tooth enamel is not fully developed.

You can avoid tooth decay and other health problems that arise from drinking too many soft drinks, other carbonated beverages, sports drinks, iced and sweet teas and other sweetened liquids (like fruit juices). Limiting your intake, brushing and flossing twice a day and visiting your dentist regularly will reduce your risk of tooth decay improve and/or maintain your oral health.

The Five Levels of Dental Care

we offer people in our dental practice.

 

At Howard Dental Center, we are here to help you to discover what you want for your dental health and we are committed to helping you get there.  In other words, we help you to become as healthy as YOU want to be.  Instead of telling you how healthy you should be, we will try to help you understand your choices about dental health and then let you make a free and well informed choice.  Your first choice in this regard is how you would like to begin with us.  There are five levels on which people may choose to start in our practice:

 

Level 1. URGENT CARE.  People in crisis or with an emergency problem such as pain, swelling, bleeding or severe headaches or facial pain need immediate help.  We see emergencies immediately, or whenever possible.

 

Level 2. REMEDIAL CARE.  People who choose this level of care desire treatment only when something breaks or becomes uncomfortable.  Generally, people at this level prefer short term, quick exams, screening for more obvious advanced problems.  They usually want to correct immediate problems with as little effort and cost as possible, even though the treatment may not be a long term solution.  Folks at this level are not yet ready for a comprehensive examination and a long term treatment plan.  Their motto might be:  “Let’s just take care of what is wrong today and not worry about tomorrow.”  These people may be counting on fate or luck to see them through, at least at the present time.

 

Level 3. SELF-CARE.  People choose this level of care when they are serious about keeping their teeth and health for a lifetime in good or excellent comfort, function and appearance.  People at this level choose to have a comprehensive examination, fully evaluating gums and supporting tissues, teeth, and the dynamic relationship of the jaws to the continued health of the dental system.   During the examination process, we work together to formulate a long-term Master Plan for their preferred future. However, due to current life circumstances or beliefs, they will follow a holding plan until they can proceed to a higher level.  They are interested in what they can do, personally, to improve their dental health and arrest active disease processes, but are not yet ready to commence with major treatment.  People at this level are monitored with frequent preventive maintenance visits with our hygienist.

 

Level 4.  COMPLETE DENTISTRY.  People at this level are similar to the people described above.  They choose to have a comprehensive examination and formulate a long-term treatment plan designed to achieve a dental future of choice, not chance. They are ready to start complete treatment.

 

Level 5. WELLNESS RESOURCE.  People here are in excellent health and see the relationship between dental health and life long youth and beauty.  They see the important relationship between oral health and systemic health.  These people are interested in highly effective levels of nutrition, exercise, and the maintenance of a youthful, healthy lifestyle.  Our intention is to assist these people in finding others in our community who are like-minded to help them attain ever higher levels of personal well-being, health and fitness.

 

We hope these levels of care make sense to you.  It is common for people to begin at a lower level and progress to higher levels over time.  The choice is yours.  If we can help you with your decision regarding the level most comfortable for you to begin, please call us at 920-434-4165.

 

When I interview new patients during their first visit to our office I frequently find that they are not sure of what they want either from me, as their dentist, or for their mouth over the long term.  I can, however, tell you consistently what MOST people DON’T want.  They don’t want DENTAL PROBLEMS and they don’t want DENTAL TREATMENT.

Yet, most of us dentists spend our time with you looking for dental problems and offering you dental treatment.  We even market ourselves this way.  Just look at our websites and you will find many of us claim to offer the best way to solve your dental problems through the most modern dental treatments.  But, I’d be willing to bet that there is really no way to dress it up to make you want either.

If you truly don’t want either and want to reach a point free from the threat of dental problems and beyond the need for dental treatment, there is only one path to take:  the path to health.  If you don’t choose this path you will continue on the path to disease, problems, and treatment.  The recipe for health is simple:

1)      YOU must understand the causes of disease

2)      YOU must understand what causes are present for you

3)      YOU must have a long-range plan that addresses these causes in a way that fits your values and goals

The direction that you are heading is more important to your success than the speed at which you reach your destination.  Because we are more focused on building a long-term relationship with you than selling you dental treatment, we will walk with you at whatever pace you wish to go.  We understand that this may involve stopping to take a break along the way, or designing a detour when life doesn’t go as planned.  But one thing is certain, if you are ready to commit to your health, then we are ready to commit to you.