How Old Is Your Dental Age?

Often, I am amazed how my patient is overconfident of their dental health. Most of them think that their teeth are younger than their physical age. I wish that is the true, but often the opposite is true. Often I see that their teeth are 10 years "older" than their physical health. Often, I see "extremly" healthy or rich patient has "extremly" poor gum and bone. If they realize what they have, I am sure that they will "run" to get it fixed.

Problem is not whether the treament option is available or not. Problem is that patient doesn't own the problem. They don't even know they have a problem! Gum and bone is as important as teeth itself. It is like having good brass section is as important as having good string section in orchestra. Sorry, I digress. . .

In medicine, blood pressure and blood work readily shows objective number that patient can understand. In dentistry, most patient doesn't know what they have. If it is "kind of ok", what is "kind of ok"? Compared to what? That is why the gum measurement is fundamental to dentistry and taught as dentistry 101. Sadly, the fundamental is not practiced as often as it should be done. As much as I practice in one of the most heavily saturated dentist area in the U.S., I see patient "never" got measured their gum health. 

The problem with dentistry is that it rarely shows sign and symptoms to have some warning sign. Until too late. . . Warning sign would be of bad smell, bleeding, sensitivity etc. It comes much later when it is too late. When even you know that you have a gum problem, often it is too late. As Yogi Bera said, it is "getting late early". You've got to be healthy while you are healthy.