[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
doesn't care how important his "half" of the doctor-patient relationship really is, he will hear
something very similar to what he'd hear in an M.D.'s office:
"Look, Mr. Smith...if you don't intend to help us help you, you might as well realize that you
are wasting your money and my time. Your teeth are going to have problems and, frankly, we
don't prefer to do mechanical dentistry here. Maybe you'd be more realistic if you gave this some
thought before you come back again..."
This is not usually the case, however, with Oramedics patients. Ordinarily, they understand
their end of the doctor-patient relationship and are very happy that somebody finally made sense
to them about their oral health.
What usually happens with an Oramedics "checkup" is that the patient passes the Lacto.
count and N.P.I. test with flying colors; for which he is given a merit badge to sew on his jacket
(no kidding!); a thorough cosmetic cleaning of his teeth (to make them truly "pearly-whites"),
another appointment for six months to a year away...and an invoice that says: ''Congratulations!
Zero disease activity...and no charge.''
--That's right. When Oramedics patients achieve and maintain zero disease levels, they don't
pay a cent for their "checkups" and, of course, they don't need any "fixing" dentistry, anyway.
The next part of personal oral hygiene, then, is the use of dental tape. This is available in
almost any drugstore; Oramedics also manufactures its own "brand" named "Clean-Between,"
Dental tape is wider than floss, and it is waxed. It is used in the same way as floss but there is far
less potential for "snapping" the tape between tightly-adjacent teeth and thereby cutting the gum
tissue.
Because tape is wider, it is also easier to handle with the fingers and obviously covers a larger
surface area of the tooth. The use of such tape in conjunction with the once-nightly thorough
brushing is the "other half'' of personally-administered hygiene.
Most people complain that they "don't have time'' to do this thorough dental taping. It is
probably a telling symptom of our hurry-up society that so many people are unwilling to spend
five or ten minutes a night, even when they know it might mean the difference between health
and sickness, to care for their teeth.
But that isn't important. What is important is that you find the time. Notice: We don't suggest
that you "take the time" or "make the time" instead, that you "find" the time. One of the more
interesting things we've discovered is the surprised reaction people have to our frequent
suggestion:
"Mr. Smith, how much time do you and your family spend watching the TV in the evening?"
"Oh, I dunno...coupla hours, I guess. Why?"
"Do you know that you could be using dental tape for that whole time without interfering
with your TV program in the slightest? You don't have to stand in front of your bathroom mirror
to do it...''
One woman wrote Oramedics a letter, saying that she used to sit with her family of an
evening, watching TV and "taping" her youngest child's teeth, his head cradled in her lap. When
38
he grew a little bit older, he said, Mommy...let me try that...
She helped him learn to do it for himself and he naturally continued the habit of taping his
teeth while watching TV.
That was over eighteen years ago: The child is now grown into a strapping young man. He
has all of his second teeth in a perfectly healthy mouth; no fillings, no artificial
appliances...nothing but natural, shining teeth. He has had a lifetime of zero dental disease.
And neither his parents nor himself have ever spent one cent at the dentist's office for his
care. Think about it.
That same woman told us that when she first heard about Oramedics she was dubious: She
didn't really believe that anyone could actually prevent dental disease. However, she and her
family "signed up" those long years ago; and she today cheerfully tells anyone who is interested
that Oramedics has made her whole family healthier.
Think about it: What if all your children grew from infancy to adulthood without a single
dental problem; and it never cost you a dime for any of them...?
As with brushing, there is a right way and a wrong way to use floss or tape. Again, the
methods are not difficult to learn and the information is easily available.
You might also want to buy some "disclosing tablets" at your drugstore. These tablets are a
natural food dye; you chew them after brushing and flossing and then check in your mirror. The
dye will wash right off clean, healthy teeth: A quick rinse with water will get the dye out of your
mouth.
Any areas you "missed" with the brush or tape; any place in the mouth where there is plaque
formed ...even if you couldn't have seen the plaque with your unaided eye...the dye will adhere.
These plainly marked areas can then be given a "second lick" and, when the dye is thus
removed...so is the plaque.
While this is a very good visual indicator for adults, to make sure the cleaning is thorough, it
is a superb training aid for youngsters, helping them develop consistent, effective hygiene
methods. They consider it "fun" to use, also...the glaring orange or purple color of the dye
occasions many giggles and "monster-faces" in the mirror. What better way to get a child
involved in "cleansing and rejuvenating" his mouth?
While we're on the subject of brushing and taping, we should mention the various cleaning
materials on the market. Is it better to use Superstuff Toothpaste, fortified with Zap-14 and
Freebistan; or should you use ShineBrite, the toothpaste of TV stars...or would you be better off
with Doctor Zinger's Miracle-White; the toothpaste advocated by the American Theatre Guild,
the American Dental Society, Ringling Brothers and P.T. Barnum?
Use something more than just plain water, if you have it readily available. If not...just go
ahead and brush; even if you don't have water. Mother Nature put a bunch of little water
fountains in your mouth, anyway. But don't be overly concerned about which toothpaste is best.
You might as well just buy whatever is on sale, if you're a "toothpaste" family. You'd be far better
off with tooth powder; one of the old fashioned kind: There are many on the shelves, and they are
much cheaper than toothpaste...and they work better. You'd be hard-pressed to come up with a
better toothpaste, as a matter of fact, than Grandma's old standby: Good old baking soda. It works
just fine.
How about fluoride tooth pastes? Well, fluoride is definitely a plus for healthy teeth. Later
in this book, when we discuss oral medicines, we'll have much more to say about fluoride. For
now, however: Yes, fluoride in toothpaste is a good idea; if it's used properly, it certainly won't
39
harm you and it can do a certain amount of good. It has been clinically proven to be partially
effective in controlling incidence of caries: In other words, in an unhealthy mouth, fluoride in
toothpaste is a whole lot better than nothing.
If you do use fluoridated toothpaste, please don't expect it to do more than it can. In this
sense, such preparations may have the same effect as fluoride in the public water supply: They
are marginally effective; they can help and sometimes they do help, but they do not substitute for
proper oral hygiene and maintenance of the whole oral environment.
If you use fluoridated products or water supplies as a substitute for your parental
responsibility to supervise your children's oral health, you are doing them a grave disservice.
In short: Use fluoridated products if you wish, to bolster your overall hygiene, but do not let
the use of these products lull you into a false sense of security. Fluoridated products that you can [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl szamanka888.keep.pl
doesn't care how important his "half" of the doctor-patient relationship really is, he will hear
something very similar to what he'd hear in an M.D.'s office:
"Look, Mr. Smith...if you don't intend to help us help you, you might as well realize that you
are wasting your money and my time. Your teeth are going to have problems and, frankly, we
don't prefer to do mechanical dentistry here. Maybe you'd be more realistic if you gave this some
thought before you come back again..."
This is not usually the case, however, with Oramedics patients. Ordinarily, they understand
their end of the doctor-patient relationship and are very happy that somebody finally made sense
to them about their oral health.
What usually happens with an Oramedics "checkup" is that the patient passes the Lacto.
count and N.P.I. test with flying colors; for which he is given a merit badge to sew on his jacket
(no kidding!); a thorough cosmetic cleaning of his teeth (to make them truly "pearly-whites"),
another appointment for six months to a year away...and an invoice that says: ''Congratulations!
Zero disease activity...and no charge.''
--That's right. When Oramedics patients achieve and maintain zero disease levels, they don't
pay a cent for their "checkups" and, of course, they don't need any "fixing" dentistry, anyway.
The next part of personal oral hygiene, then, is the use of dental tape. This is available in
almost any drugstore; Oramedics also manufactures its own "brand" named "Clean-Between,"
Dental tape is wider than floss, and it is waxed. It is used in the same way as floss but there is far
less potential for "snapping" the tape between tightly-adjacent teeth and thereby cutting the gum
tissue.
Because tape is wider, it is also easier to handle with the fingers and obviously covers a larger
surface area of the tooth. The use of such tape in conjunction with the once-nightly thorough
brushing is the "other half'' of personally-administered hygiene.
Most people complain that they "don't have time'' to do this thorough dental taping. It is
probably a telling symptom of our hurry-up society that so many people are unwilling to spend
five or ten minutes a night, even when they know it might mean the difference between health
and sickness, to care for their teeth.
But that isn't important. What is important is that you find the time. Notice: We don't suggest
that you "take the time" or "make the time" instead, that you "find" the time. One of the more
interesting things we've discovered is the surprised reaction people have to our frequent
suggestion:
"Mr. Smith, how much time do you and your family spend watching the TV in the evening?"
"Oh, I dunno...coupla hours, I guess. Why?"
"Do you know that you could be using dental tape for that whole time without interfering
with your TV program in the slightest? You don't have to stand in front of your bathroom mirror
to do it...''
One woman wrote Oramedics a letter, saying that she used to sit with her family of an
evening, watching TV and "taping" her youngest child's teeth, his head cradled in her lap. When
38
he grew a little bit older, he said, Mommy...let me try that...
She helped him learn to do it for himself and he naturally continued the habit of taping his
teeth while watching TV.
That was over eighteen years ago: The child is now grown into a strapping young man. He
has all of his second teeth in a perfectly healthy mouth; no fillings, no artificial
appliances...nothing but natural, shining teeth. He has had a lifetime of zero dental disease.
And neither his parents nor himself have ever spent one cent at the dentist's office for his
care. Think about it.
That same woman told us that when she first heard about Oramedics she was dubious: She
didn't really believe that anyone could actually prevent dental disease. However, she and her
family "signed up" those long years ago; and she today cheerfully tells anyone who is interested
that Oramedics has made her whole family healthier.
Think about it: What if all your children grew from infancy to adulthood without a single
dental problem; and it never cost you a dime for any of them...?
As with brushing, there is a right way and a wrong way to use floss or tape. Again, the
methods are not difficult to learn and the information is easily available.
You might also want to buy some "disclosing tablets" at your drugstore. These tablets are a
natural food dye; you chew them after brushing and flossing and then check in your mirror. The
dye will wash right off clean, healthy teeth: A quick rinse with water will get the dye out of your
mouth.
Any areas you "missed" with the brush or tape; any place in the mouth where there is plaque
formed ...even if you couldn't have seen the plaque with your unaided eye...the dye will adhere.
These plainly marked areas can then be given a "second lick" and, when the dye is thus
removed...so is the plaque.
While this is a very good visual indicator for adults, to make sure the cleaning is thorough, it
is a superb training aid for youngsters, helping them develop consistent, effective hygiene
methods. They consider it "fun" to use, also...the glaring orange or purple color of the dye
occasions many giggles and "monster-faces" in the mirror. What better way to get a child
involved in "cleansing and rejuvenating" his mouth?
While we're on the subject of brushing and taping, we should mention the various cleaning
materials on the market. Is it better to use Superstuff Toothpaste, fortified with Zap-14 and
Freebistan; or should you use ShineBrite, the toothpaste of TV stars...or would you be better off
with Doctor Zinger's Miracle-White; the toothpaste advocated by the American Theatre Guild,
the American Dental Society, Ringling Brothers and P.T. Barnum?
Use something more than just plain water, if you have it readily available. If not...just go
ahead and brush; even if you don't have water. Mother Nature put a bunch of little water
fountains in your mouth, anyway. But don't be overly concerned about which toothpaste is best.
You might as well just buy whatever is on sale, if you're a "toothpaste" family. You'd be far better
off with tooth powder; one of the old fashioned kind: There are many on the shelves, and they are
much cheaper than toothpaste...and they work better. You'd be hard-pressed to come up with a
better toothpaste, as a matter of fact, than Grandma's old standby: Good old baking soda. It works
just fine.
How about fluoride tooth pastes? Well, fluoride is definitely a plus for healthy teeth. Later
in this book, when we discuss oral medicines, we'll have much more to say about fluoride. For
now, however: Yes, fluoride in toothpaste is a good idea; if it's used properly, it certainly won't
39
harm you and it can do a certain amount of good. It has been clinically proven to be partially
effective in controlling incidence of caries: In other words, in an unhealthy mouth, fluoride in
toothpaste is a whole lot better than nothing.
If you do use fluoridated toothpaste, please don't expect it to do more than it can. In this
sense, such preparations may have the same effect as fluoride in the public water supply: They
are marginally effective; they can help and sometimes they do help, but they do not substitute for
proper oral hygiene and maintenance of the whole oral environment.
If you use fluoridated products or water supplies as a substitute for your parental
responsibility to supervise your children's oral health, you are doing them a grave disservice.
In short: Use fluoridated products if you wish, to bolster your overall hygiene, but do not let
the use of these products lull you into a false sense of security. Fluoridated products that you can [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]