holistic dentistry: 6 month update

when we first started with our new dentist 6 months ago, i wrote about our experiences and initial impressions.  now that i've had my second cleaning (and 4th appointment over all), i wanted to share an update.

as i mentioned previously, at my first cleaning appointment, our dental hygienist watched me brush and floss and corrected my technique.  during that visit she mentioned that i really needed to focus on cleaning my gums better, as my gums were bleeding easily, had deep pockets (a sign of lots of bad bacteria) and generally looked unhealthy (i think she said something like they looked mushy or spongy or something).

she scheduled my next cleaning for four months later, sooner than the usual six because she really wanted to make sure my gums were getting better.  this week was that appointment.  as soon as she looked into my mouth she remarked that my gums were looking much better.  most of the deep pockets were starting to heal.  none of my gums bled.  their appearance went from red and inflamed to pink and firm looking.

yay!  this was such a relief to hear.  my hard work for the past few months on cleaning better was paying off.

but it wasn't really my hard work that did it.  in fact, i now brush my teeth for a shorter amount of time than i used to.  what has really made the difference is the change in my technique, taught by the hygienist at our new dental office and her focus on making sure we saw things improve in my mouth.  its like the saying: "work smarter, not harder".

one of the focuses of our holistic dentist is to teach people how to take care of their own teeth (and thus prevent dental work from needing to be done), not just repair teeth after the damage has been done.  and that is the distinction between holistic medicine (which is preventative) and western medicine (which is largely reactive).

so, six months in, i am happy to report than i am still pleased with our new dentist!  i am still waiting to get some cavities filled in the near future, so i will update again after that.