Brush and floss to lose weight.

Tonight I had the most delicious steak I've had in a long time. I paired it with a nice glass of my favorite red wine (Ribera del Duero). As I finished my 8 Oz steak and my 8 Oz glass of wine, I could not help but think of the other 2 medium well cooked steaks left over and the recently opened bottled of wine. Needing to loose weight -as most people are- I asked myself. How can I keep away from eating those other 2 steaks and drinking another cup of wine?

The answer came to me, not from from a dental meeting or a colleague, but from a Dermatologist friend of mine who recently dropped 20 pounds. Brush and Floss! Say What? Brush and Floss he said. That was his pearl. After eating an adequate dinner portion, immediatly go to the bathroom and follow a rigorous oral hygiene routine he said. Rinse, Brush and Floss; then see if you still want to eat anything after that. 

If you happen to eat anything else after you have thoroughly rinsed, brushed and flossed your teeth, the food is going to taste horribly and second of all you are going to have to go throguh the same routine again.  Right?  Who wants to go to sleep with meat leftovers in between the teeth? 

Such a simple method. Do what you have to do anyways. Just do it sooner than you normally do it and the results are great. You will loose weight cause you won't snack the whole night after your meal, your partner will appreciate your clean and healthy mouth and you may even dose off in a nice sleep without the guilt of not having brushed your teeth.

Little steps go a long way in the fight against disease!

Now that you are rinsing, brushing and flossing every night, your dental hygienist will love you and you can freely come to visit us at the office without any feelings of fear and guilt.

See you at the office and remember, you don't have to floss all your teeth, just the ones you want to keep.

Hans Sperling, DMD

Who's afraid of the dentist?

So, Who's afraid of the dentist?

Short and simple: Mostly everyone is!

One can try to come out with as many explanations as there are people. Something puzzles me though. Some people have never been to a dentist and yet they are afraid. Some children even, without knowing anything about dentistry and without the ability to talk and relate stories and without any prior dental experience are afraid of the dentist too. How is this possible?

Short and simple: Teething hurts! 

I believe most people are afraid of the dentist because for no particular reason, when we are babies and have no ability to communicate our feelings -other than crying desperately-, teeth start to come out into our mouths and it hurts. Have you ever experienced a baby teething? I knew exactly when my girls were going to be teething. They became cranky, irritable, they drooled excessively, developed diarrhea and colds and high fever. Besides this slew of symptoms, I’m sure it hurt a lot and it caused them a lot of aggravation.

I cannot find another part of the human body that goes through this process. Teeth have to make their way into our mouths by cutting the gums, at a time when we are defenseless. As babies, we have no clue what’s going on and thus cannot help it.

Good news. We are not babies anymore and we can see the truth. With modern techniques and materials and with the help of a careful and compassionate dentist, mostly all dental procedures nowadays can be made painless!  All you need is to find a caring Dentist.

See you at the office and remember to love your dentist with all your teeth!

Hans Sperling, DMD. 

"I want my teeth cleaned"

     I feel very fortunate to be living in the USA and to be able to practice dentistry in this great country. Having migrated from Colombia,  I have experienced dentistry in a third world country and I have to say, the main difference that I see between the U.S and any other country - as dentistry is referred - is that most people in the U.S, really care about their oral health and are very conscious about maintaining healthy teeth and gums.

Everyday,  new patients call our dental office and request to be scheduled for a  "teeth cleaning".  We understand that most patients, having very little free time, want to spend as little time as possible in the dental office. There are several reason why a patient should and must see the Dentist before being scheduled for a "teeth cleaning".  

The first reason is that, during a complete oral examination, the dentist will take and review x-rays and will be able to determine if there is any pathology (disease) present that requires attention. Among the most common are tooth decay and gum disease.  The dentist can also examine and detect the presence of Cysts and Oral Cancer, which seems to be more prevalent every day. The dentist will also evaluate the condition of existing restorations (fillings, caps), and will also notice if there is any problem with the occlusion (bite) and TMJ (temporo-mandibular) joints.

The second reason; is that there are a lot of different types of "cleanings". Depending on the condition of the gums. A patient may need a regular cleaning (prophylaxis), a preliminary cleaning (full mouth debridement), a deep cleaning (scaling and root planing) or a periodic (periodontal maintenance cleaning). Sometimes there is also a need for adjunctive (additional) procedures such as antimicrobial irrigation or local antibiotic therapy. Neither the patient, nor the staff, nor the Dentist, nor the Hygienist will know what to schedule the patient for, before they have a complete exam.

The third reason: It's the law! A dental "cleaning", is a procedure that requires that a prescription be filled for such a service. According to the Florida Board of Dentistry Rule 64B5-9.010 a prescription must be filled for the service of a Dental Hygienist, and in the prescription, the Dentist has to specify the code and frequency for the procedure. Without a proper examination, any dentist is unable to fill the prescription.

Our practice philosophy is to make it as easy as possible for patients to come see us and get the treatment they need. To deliver outstanding dentistry in a caring way. We want to establish successful relationships with our patients that will enable us to help them maintain healthy teeth and gums for life. It may take more than one visit. However, It's a win, win and it's worth it.

See you at the office and in the meantime, keep flossing!!!

Hans Sperling, DMD