We are regular dentist goers. We've always done all the standard preventative stuff, but I'm starting to question some of that now.
My dad told me that he stopped letting the hygenists do the cleanings on his teeth. (If you actually ask what they are doing, they are not 'brushing' your teeth, they are grinding them down so that they will be smoother--the idea is that junk won't get stuck on the smooth surface, but dad's feeling--and I'm beginning to agree--is that after a while all that grinding is removing too much enamel and is actually doing more damage than good.) Dad said he hasn't let them do a cleaning in 5 years, and, in spite of having quite a few caveties before then, he hasn't had any since then. He has also been brushing with baking soda, so I'm sure that's part of it too......but I'm really intrigued by this no grinding thing...
Just intuitively, skipping the cleaning seems to make a LOT of sense to me. I have had a few caveties in the last few years, all along the edges of my teeth. The dentist said they were flossing caveties (ie, not flossing well enough), and i believe that about some of them...but a couple were on the outside edge of my teeth, on the gumline. In other words, they were in places where floss doesn't go anyway, but where the hygenist DOES grind...
What do you think? Has anybody else done this? What has been your experience?
tia
My dad told me that he stopped letting the hygenists do the cleanings on his teeth. (If you actually ask what they are doing, they are not 'brushing' your teeth, they are grinding them down so that they will be smoother--the idea is that junk won't get stuck on the smooth surface, but dad's feeling--and I'm beginning to agree--is that after a while all that grinding is removing too much enamel and is actually doing more damage than good.) Dad said he hasn't let them do a cleaning in 5 years, and, in spite of having quite a few caveties before then, he hasn't had any since then. He has also been brushing with baking soda, so I'm sure that's part of it too......but I'm really intrigued by this no grinding thing...
Just intuitively, skipping the cleaning seems to make a LOT of sense to me. I have had a few caveties in the last few years, all along the edges of my teeth. The dentist said they were flossing caveties (ie, not flossing well enough), and i believe that about some of them...but a couple were on the outside edge of my teeth, on the gumline. In other words, they were in places where floss doesn't go anyway, but where the hygenist DOES grind...
What do you think? Has anybody else done this? What has been your experience?
tia
