Chew on This...important information for good oral health

It is high time for the WDS Board of Directors to relieve Mr. Dwyer from his position. He might have discovered a formula for increasing WDS revenues and executive salaries over the last five years, a formula that leverages what is arguably a monopoly shrouded in legally protected armor at the expense of hard working dentists and dental teams across the State. However, Mr. Dwyer's recent public display of ignorance and false presumption laced with loud undertones of arrogance and bitterness begs for swift action by the Board. The raw footage of the interview (see the link below), released yesterday, annihilates any hope for reconciliation. Rather, it further alienates the dentists of Washington State from working with a company which was once supported by its own. Those days are dead. It is amazing how Mr. Dwyer can publicly proclaim to dentists that "we all have to make adjustments" when the only adjustment he has made is upward. I will not be part of calling Mr. Dwyer to the discussion table anytime soon. He is set against a group of professionals who worked tirelessly to become dental students, who labored arduously to complete years of rigorous dental education, and who have made a commitment to provide the best dental services in the world in the best ways we know how. The common denominator that has tied dentists together for generations is a proud history of "roll up your sleeves" hard work. Mr. Dwyer has insulted every one of us who picks up a handpiece, carefully plans treatment for patients with inadequate insurance coverage, educates herself to provide the best care possible, and invests time leading his dental team to do the same.

A question came up recently about the use of mouthguards as effective devices for preventing concussions.  Certainly, mouthguards are very useful for preventing trauma to teeth upon impact.  But what about the brain?  

A brief review of the available literature points toward inconclusive evidence tying mouthguard use to concussion prevention during sporting activities.  It is not an easy thing to measure, and so it is not surprising that the medical and dental literature does not support its use for the purposes of concussion prevention.  However, consider the following:

Dear Patients,

“Did you ever eat candy when you were a kid?”

I would say that this is a question I field no less than once per month, and it usually stems from some conversation I am having with a teenager about the responsibility he has to himself (and mostly those members of society within an easy whiff of him) to brush his teeth.  My answer is an emphatic “YES”!

Truth be known, I am somewhat of an anti-Wonka.  Not that I don’t enjoy a nice piece of chocolate every once in a while. Lately, some of my favorite chocolates can be found down at Fran’s Chocolates in the University Village.  The salted caramels are particularly tasty!  Okay, you might recall that Willy Wonka’s father was a dentist, and that Mr. Wonka immersed himself into the world of the coco bean and the Oompa Loompas to escape his own insecurities of his childhood. Ironically, my life story is just the opposite, for my father worked for M&M Mars candy company and I, obviously, became a dentist.  I was surrounded by M&Ms, Snickers bars, Milky Ways, Marathon bars, and Skittles for as long as I can remember.  My favorite was the peanut M&M, for I loved the combination of chocolate and peanut all wrapped up in a mighty crunch.  A close second was the Snickers bar.  Of course, Hershey bars were never allowed.  

Maybe it was that fateful tooth-crumbling crunch that got me thinking one day about the enormous negative effect candy had on millions and millions of teeth, sparking my interest in saving the world’s collective dentition, applying to dental school, and reconciling the “carious” sins of my father.  As my passion grew and my mission became clear, I...

Really?  No way.  I actually love my Dad and the perfection he peddled, and still am thankful for a quick energy-boosting Snickers bar on a long bike ride.  But I do brush and floss my teeth often, and encourage everyone to do the same as a general rule.  Fluoride treatments are also helpful, especially after having your teeth cleaned in our office or after a dental procedure.  If someone could only make an Everlasting Gobstopper with fluoride...it could change the world!

Paul Huddleston, DDS

No, I am not writing about myself today, though the first thing that comes to mind when I see “PH” is my initials.  Rather, I want to share with you my thoughts concerning acid and its effect on teeth.  

Dr. Suzuki has a dry sense of humor at times, but never a dry mouth.  Let's read about what he has on his mind today.