J. Peter St. Clair, DMD, PC

I remember seeing a commercial for a cholesterol medication in which the person playing the doctor says, “I wish my patients could see what I see.” I think there are two ways to look at that statement.

The commercial showed an image of animated artery walls clogging with particles of plaque clinging to one another, making the opening of the artery smaller and smaller. This is a visual that is easy to understand.

The second, and more subtle way to take this statement, is the doctor wishing that patients could see what happens to people over time, with and without compliance to taking medication or changing their diet. If patients could only understand and use… (Read More)

I had a reader e-mail me an insurance related question this past week. This is an answer to that question, as well as a couple of other insurance related questions we come across frequently.

Patients will sometimes balk at treatment not covered by their dental insurance. Dentists will often hear, “Just do what my insurance covers. I don’t want anything extra.” In fact, a recent ADA poll showed that a lack of dental insurance was the #1 reason most patients gave for not visiting a dentist. So, here are some frequent questions patients often ask about dental insurance.

Why doesn’t my insurance cover all of the costs for my dental treatment?

Dental insurance isn’t really… (Read More)

Are you stressed out? It seems that stress levels in people are high these days. We worry about school, work, finances, illness, children, relationships, and more. Some of us even worry about how much we worry. Not to add to your stress, but you should be aware that all that worrying could have a negative impact on not only your general health, but also your oral health.

According to an article published in the Journal of Periodontology, there is a strong relationship between stress and periodontal disease (gum disease). In addition to stress, other psychological factors such as anxiety, depression, and loneliness are linked to an increased likelihood of periodontal disease.

So how does stressing… (Read More)

Every once in a while, someone will say, “There must be a lot less cavities today than there were years ago because of improved home care, fluoride, etc., right?” Maybe in general, but there is still way too much decay. Poor diet and home care are the two most common culprits leading to decay. Dentists have seen a significant increase in decay during COVID.  When and what you eat and drink is important. Improvement in home care means changing what is being done now, and requires discipline.

Yesterday, I went into one of my hygienist’s rooms to check her patient, a 13-year-old boy, and asked the hygienist how his home care was, because his gums… (Read More)

Valentine’s Day is a widely celebrated holiday in February, but there is another reason to be thinking about your heart. This month is Heart Health Month. There is no better time for you to learn about how your cardiovascular and oral healthy are related. In order to keep your heart strong, you should be focusing on your oral hygiene routine. Continue reading to learn about their connection.

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This is a phrase we hear far too frequently when patients call to cancel or change their dental hygiene appointments. When the patient is told that there are no open hygiene appointments for 4-6 months, the response is often, “Oh, that’s okay, it’s just a cleaning.” This lack of concern is only partly to blame on the patient; most of the accountability falls in the lap of the dental team.

If you read this column with any frequency, I am sure you have seen me report that 75% of the population has some form of periodontal (gum) disease. I’m sure you have also read that periodontal disease has been linked to heart disease, stroke, pre-term,… (Read More)

Last week I discussed the importance of communication in any relationship; specifically, the healthcare provider/patient relationship. Trust is mutually built as this relationship develops over time.

 

“There’s not enough time in the day.” Have you ever used this excuse? I said it yesterday to someone. We all tend to waste a lot of time, or at least don’t use the time we have as effectively as we could. You would think that in our technology-filled world, time management would be easier. I think that some of this technology gets in the way by adding even more of a time commitment to things that reduce interpersonal communication.

 

Here’s an example. It’s time to buy a new… (Read More)

Patients see things differently than dentists. Often, what is important to dentists is not important to patients, and vice versa. This seems like the obvious, but dentists often have a blind spot when it comes to seeing things from a patient’s viewpoint.

 

We often have a similar blind spot in our ability to communicate with patients. When asked to rate their ability to communicate with patients, 60% of physicians rated themselves in the top 10%.

Dentists would probably have similar results.

 

Communication is key to any relationship. Why then do healthcare professionals, dentists specifically, often have poor communication skills with their patients? There is no one answer to this question, but we (dentists) all struggle… (Read More)

You may have heard your dental hygienist tell you to brush and floss more, but what about chewing more gum?

In a study published in PLOS One, researchers found that chewing gum may remove as much bacteria as brushing without toothpaste or flossing. The study was funded by Wrigley……ok, but it’s still interesting.

“This study was initiated as a method development study to determine the number of bacteria that are trapped in a piece of sugar-free gum,” said one of the authors. “According to our knowledge, this is the first time that an estimate of the number of bacteria trapped in a piece of chewed gum is determined.”

For their research, Wessel and colleagues included… (Read More)

When we ask for a Kleenex or a Ziploc we may not necessarily get that brand, but we know we will get a tissue or a sealable plastic bag.  It is always interesting to me hearing the different things people say in the dental office that seem to be “standard” among the general population.

For example, most people use the term “Novocain”. Even dentists, including myself, use this term daily to describe the local anesthetic used to anesthetize or “numb” teeth before they are worked on. Novocain, apparently still available for purchase, has not been used in dentistry for probably 100 years, but we still use the term because everyone seems to know what we… (Read More)