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Is Dentistry a Racket? One Perspective, (add Yours) [1]

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Date: 2023-01-07

As a child, I was blessed with strong healthy teeth. Family trips to the dentist were few and far between, as I recall. Dental floss didn’t exist, to my knowledge. But it didn’t matter. Thanks to chlorinated water and good luck, I knew nothing of cavities until well into my thirties. By that time, I had become convinced that I was somehow immune to cavities. Regular dental check-ups and dental floss didn’t interest me. Then cavities and their attendant pain began to creep up on me.

I made an appointment. On my first visit, since I had no history of cavities, general teeth sensitivity was discussed as the likely culprit. To my surprise, X-rays revealed several cavities. Needless to say, I walked away with dental floss samples and a new toothbrush, along with my first fillings.

Unfortunately, I turned out to be flossing averse and resistant to upping my brushing from once in the morning to twice a day. Insidious creeping cavities became a regular part of my life, and so they remain today.

I began to search for my own solutions. At some point, I was aware of Invisalign teeth straighteners and bleaching trays for tooth whitening. I understand that Invisalign aligners and similar devices are not airtight or food particle-proof, but couldn’t similar products be made to seal the teeth while eating? Instead of popping out the device when you eat, pop it in just before eating and remove after eating. I had braces as a teen, so I know I can deal with something as simple and quick as popping a retainer into my mouth (as I did then).

Then there are alternatives for flossing out there. The Water Pik teeth irrigator was introduced in 1962 and is still around. And now there’s a Sonic Fusion water flossing toothbrush. I tried the Water Pik several years ago. I bought one for my husband and me. My husband took to it better than me. He used it sporadically. Unfortunately, I never developed the Water Pik habit. As with flossing, it was too much fuss for me. More recently, I looked into Sonic Fusion. But I heard it was messy with its water spray. Eventually, my husband turned me on to an easier alternative. Just water floss your teeth under the shower stream when you shower! Even I can do that! And I usually do.

So what’s my beef with the field of dentistry, the overpopulated field of dentistry, with a proliferation of offices now rivaling churches on city street corners? Surely it can’t be that no one in the field, even researchers, ever thought of a barrier device to use while eating to prevent cavities. And it can’t be that dentists haven’t thought of water flossing in the shower. And can they really not figure out a way to get teeth sealant between the teeth? It’s just hard to believe. It’s easier to believe that a simple barrier solution to tooth decay is too much of a threat to the industry of dentistry. How many dentists and dental device makers would be put out of business by such a thing?

Your turn now. Please weigh in. Even dentists are welcome!

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