Dental Philosophy of Care – Charlotte Dentist | Cosmetic, Laser, Family Dentistry

Whom Do You Trust? Why? Do You Trust Your Dentist?

Before you sit down to read, might I suggest a strong cup of coffee and a favorite snack? I'm about to take you on a journey like Alice in Wonderland, and you'll want to be well fortified for the journey in a discussion of trust, authority, and reputation as it relates to how you choose a dentist (and maybe a few other things in life, too......). BTW - I do strongly suggest you follow the links scattered throughout the article, as each will go into more detail on whatever point I'm making. It helps keep this particular article from becoming a book :-) Inspiration for A Trip Down the Rabbit Hole I'm waxing a little philosophical today, rather than the more purely scientific tone of several recent blog posts such as my last one on the difference between real medicine and holistic "alternatives". This journey is one inspired by several books and people with which, and whom, I've been engaged over the last 6-8 months. First I'll give you a quick list, and then I'm going to dive deep down the hole. Are you ready? Google Semantic Search by David Amerland Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman And me, Dr. Charles Payet, in several blog posts over the past few years Whom Do You Trust? This may seem like a relatively simple question, but if you'll ponder for a moment, really think about whom you trust. Your teachers? Boss? Doctor? Friends? Facebook "friends" whom you've never met? Celebrities? Newscasters? Church? Government? It's a given that, in any one of those groups, you will trust some of them, but not all of them, and of the ones you trust, there are different degrees of trust. Some you'd trust [...]

By Charles Payet| 2017-06-09T20:32:51-04:00 May 16th, 2014|Dental Philosophy of Care|0 Comments

Holistic, Alternative Medicine is Usually Wrong

As a general rule, when I'm writing for our dental blog, I try to keep my personal feelings out of it; "....just the facts, ma'am," as it were. But when it comes to pseudo-science and pseudo-medicine, as I discussed recently in my article Can Cavities Be Cured? and Do Silver Fillings Poison You?, it's hard to stay purely objective and informative, because it's not easy to keep my cool in the face of total BS. And today I'm going to talk about that BS a little, but I promise I'll keep my cool while doing so. BTW - I do apologize in advance to any grammar purists out there, because I'm going to use a lot of quotation marks in this article. ;-) Why Real Science Matters To be honest, I'm not really sure why people have so many problems with genuine science and research in medicine, and why they spend so much time looking for "alternative" medicine solutions. I think that is has to do with the rather normal human desires to avoid pain and to find the easiest possible solution. Heck, I don't like pain either, and I would ideally like the easiest possible solution, too, but the problem is, in medicine and science, those usually aren't how things work. The foundational principles of science are simple yet profound: It must be measurable It must be testable It must be repeatable It must be falsifiable (this is really a critical one that is often misunderstood). This means that there must be a way to determine if it's false or incorrect. In other words, if you can't consistently do the exact same thing and get the exact same results, then you falsified it - you proved the idea was wrong. [...]

By Charles Payet| 2017-06-09T20:32:54-04:00 April 29th, 2014|Dental Philosophy of Care, Holistic dentist|0 Comments

Can Cavities Be Cured?

I’ve seen a lot of posts and articles recently about whether or not dental cavities can be “cured,” with various holistic dentistry advocates pushing alleged cures such as colloidal silver, coconut oil, and some other stuff. We don’t see many people in our practice with these questions, but since it’s out there, I think it wise to address the issue head-on. Bear in mind – this article will pull no punches and might seem a bit offensive. My apologies in advance, but I am definitely getting on my soapbox here. 🙂 Update: I’ve written a new article that discusses the research that is asked about in the comments. There are ongoing studies into how to stimulate tooth growth with lasers, create gels of minerals and enzymes that could build new enamel, and more. As of 2016, however, any such research is at least a decade away from being available. You can read more here: Why Dentists Can’t Cure Cavities or Regrow Enamel. Holistic Dentistry Is a Scam and Hoax No sense in beating around the bush, eh? I’ll just get straight to the point and give you what I honestly believe, and tell you that there is virtually nothing espoused by “holistic” dentists that has ever been proven to be worth more than the paper it was printed on or the Internet space it took up. This holds true for the idea of “curing tooth decay,” too, as espoused on such junk “science” sites as NaturalNews.com or WellnessMama.com. Plain and simple, it’s true that Holistic, Alternative Medicine is Usually Wrong. But getting specifically to the question about “curing” dental cavities, this post was largely inspired by this wonderfully thorough article that debunks the idea of [...]

By Charles Payet| 2017-06-09T20:33:43-04:00 November 24th, 2013|Cavities, Holistic dentist, Taking Care of Your Teeth|0 Comments

Do Silver Fillings Poison You? HECK NO, Dr. Oz!

Since Dr. Oz (anyone else think the similarity between the TV doc and the The Wizard have some similarities, like they're pretty much full of it?) had a segment on his show recently about "Toxic Teeth", our Charlotte dentist office has again been getting the question, "Should I remove my silver fillings?" The "Great and Powerful Oz" Speaks about Silver Fillings As you can probably gather from my intro and heading, I am not a big fan of Dr. Oz and his TV show. If that's not clear enough for you, here are 2 other articles I've written about the bogus information he provides: Dr. Oz and Teeth Whitening Dr. Oz and Dental X-rays It's really unfortunate that a man of his stature and position, with the training that he has in medicine, chooses to spread quackery and nonsense on his show, without offering genuine opportunities for professional organizations that dispute his alleged science (and I use the word alleged quite deliberately). I guess when it's all about ratings, and when you have Oprah as a backer, you can do what you want, but that makes it no less irresponsible. Are Silver Fillings Really Toxic? There are 2 answers to this question: The hocus-pocus, try-to-scare-you, not-backed-up-by-any-reputable-science answer is that yes, silver fillings are "toxic." The problem is this: none of the methods used to demonstrate this alleged toxicity are any good. Sure, they try to show you some videos that supposedly illustrate "mercury vapor" rising from a tooth being rubbed by an eraser, or they'll tell you about some gadget that measures mercury levels after chewing, or they'll tell you about studies with sheeps' teeth, but they problem is......they're all bunk. If anyone truly wants the scientific studies [...]

By Charles Payet| 2017-06-09T20:34:02-04:00 May 9th, 2013|Dental Philosophy of Care, Taking Care of Your Teeth|0 Comments

Does Your Dentist Already Know Everything?

Have you ever asked your dentist how much Continuing Education s/he takes per year? OK, maybe a different question should have been first - do you know that every state in the US requires a dentist to take a minimum number of hours of Continuing Education (CE) to keep their license in good standing, but that for most states, it's only about 15 hours per year? What do you think about that - is it enough, too much, not enough for modern dentists to stay up-to-date on current technology, materials, and techniques? Modern Dentistry is Hi-Tech and Moving Fast If you look at the world around you, it's impossible to miss how fast technology is moving ahead. The cell phone in your pocket has way more computing power than the world's first super-computer; your laptop and desktop computers can do things faster and easier than we ever dreamed; even your digital camera can now upload photos to Facebook and Twitter, save information to the Cloud, etc. In dentistry, technology is advancing just as quickly: 3D x-ray machines called cone-beams now create 3-dimensional images of your entire skull in a minute or less, with minimal radiation; CAD/CAM machines make all-porcelain crowns and even bridges in a single visit; Combining the 3D x-ray and CAD/CAM allows us to create precise surgical guides to put in dental implants EXACTLY in the right place for ideal results, as well as plan the final restorations in advance. Digital photography and simulations allow us to show you how your smile could look with porcelain veneers or teeth whitening; Some lasers treat gum disease comfortably and effectively; other lasers can actually shape teeth for fillings or crowns nearly as fast as drills, [...]

By Charles Payet| 2017-12-21T20:37:31-05:00 March 14th, 2013|Cosmetic dentistry, Dental Braces, Dental Philosophy of Care|0 Comments

Why Dentists Tell You Different Things

If you've ever been to more than 1 dentist in a short period of time, for whatever reason, you've probably been a little surprised that one told you there were several problems, one didn't say a thing, and maybe the third suggested something entirely different. This question has been discussed in several major news articles over the last couple decades, but usually with a major hidden bias or agenda that the public never gets to see, but which has a big influence on how the issue is presented. At our Charlotte NC dentist office, this is something we encounter on a regular basis, so why not address it head-on? Dentists Are People, Too In simple terms.........dentists are like everyone else! And like people in every other field, that means there is a huge variety from which you may choose, such as: Some are experienced but don't stay up-to-date; others push the envelope of cutting-edge techniques Some are young and driven to be the best; others don't have a clue Some love technology and buy every new gadget that comes out - others don't know how to use email Some are passionate about always learning more; others struggle to reach the minimum requirements to maintain their license. Some understand research and base their recommendations on solid science, others are quacks and couldn't read a research paper to save their life Some dentists are more "aggressive" and some more "conservative" You get the idea, right? This is no different than in any job - some people really want to be the best, others couldn't care less, and then everyone in between Look at your co-workers, and you can probably figure out how to apply this list to them. There Is [...]

By Charles Payet| 2017-06-09T20:34:50-04:00 January 21st, 2013|Dental Philosophy of Care, Family dentistry|0 Comments

Does dentistry last forever?

How long will my dental work last? "It depends." This is a question that we get a lot, and it's a very understandable one, especially if you're about to invest your hard-earned money into your mouth, right? Just like a car, your teeth and gums require regular care to ensure that they are working properly. Sure, you can go 10-20,000 miles between oil changes given how improved cars are nowadays, but do you really want to take the risk? Same thing with teeth..........some people go for 5-10 years with no dental check-ups and are fortunate when they come in to find no problems, such as cavities or gum disease. But not many people are so lucky! I always remember a quote from some lecturer at a dental conference years ago telling us his response to this question, and it's really the most honest, best answer that can be given, "Clearly the teeth that God gave you haven't lasted your entire life, and since I'm not nearly as talented as God, my work won't last forever either." What Can Cause Dental Work to Fail? Grinding your teeth -- when the human jaw clenches, it can create an amazing amount of force, and over time, enough clenching will cause teeth to crack and break. Acidity -- anything that increases the acidity in your mouth is good for the bacteria that cause cavities, including Acid Reflux, Sodas, Power drinks (Monster, Red Bull, etc), Sports drinks (Gatorade, Powerade, etc). A very sugary diet -- the bacteria that cause cavities love sugar. High sugar content means the bacteria feed like crazy, produce acid, and the acid is what eats away the teeth to cause cavities. A weak immune system -- [...]

By Charles Payet| 2017-06-09T20:44:44-04:00 June 30th, 2009|Broken tooth, Bruxism & Parafunction, Bulimia, Cavities, Cosmetic dentistry, Dental Philosophy of Care|0 Comments

Skipping your dental checkup now could cost you more long-term

The Chicago Sun-Times reported today that more Americans are choosing to cut back on visiting the dentist due to the current economic downturn..........with potentially far more expensive consequences than most think. Click HERE to read the full story in the Chicago Sun-Times. We understand the tempation to skip a regular check-up at your dentist's office when times are tough and budgets tight. We also hope you understand that staying on track with regular check-ups could literally save you hundreds or thousands of dollars in dental treatment later. Think about it this way: Skip an appt. now or decide to wait to get the filling done for $1-200........and when the cavity gets much bigger, you might need a build-up filling and crown for $900-1300. Skip getting the build-up filling and crown now for $9-1,300 and you may end up needing a root canal, too, which could add another $800-1100. Wait too long entirely and your tooth may not even be fixable and have to be extracted, and getting teeth replaced can be FAR more expensive than saving them. Just 1 dental implant and crown in Charlotte can cost $3500-5000; what if you need more than 1? Wait too long and multiple teeth that before only needed fillings, now need crowns and root canals? Wait too long and the early-stage gum disease that can be easily controlled now might progress to the point that they can't be saved and you end up in dentures. I know that I'm dramatizing the potential risks a bit here, but the thing is.....those risks are real and happen every day. It makes us really sad when patients put off the inexpensive treatment now and then have to pay a lot more, [...]

By Charles Payet| 2017-06-09T20:45:49-04:00 March 20th, 2009|Dental Insurance, Dental Philosophy of Care|0 Comments

Philosophy of Dental Care

We could also perhaps name this....."How do I know if my dentist and I are on the same page?" While there are an infinite number of variations on this theme, you can break it down into 2 basic groups of dentists. While both can serve you well, given how important the doctor-patient trust relationship is, I recommend you be willing to ask questions of your dentist and his/her team to make sure that you have the same goals for your mouth and dental health. Here are the 2 basic breakdowns: (1) "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Dentists who subscribe to this theory generally don't recommend any treatment until something actually hurts or breaks or is obviously decayed. In other words, let's say you have a tooth with a crack in it, such as the ones I showed in this post from January '09: Cracks in Teeth. This group of dentists generally won't say anything about these teeth unless it actually starts hurting you or the tooth breaks. Given that it is impossible to actually predict when a tooth like that will break or hurt, you may go for many years with teeth in that condition, so the ADVANTAGE of this philosophy is that you don't spend any money until it actually happens. The DISADVANTAGE is that - when the tooth finally breaks and/or hurts, it is generally in much worse condition than if treated earlier, which means that it will probably be more expensive to fix. Plus, of course, you might have to deal with the pain, and for some reason, these things always happen on nights or weekends when the dentist isn't available. (2) "Here's a potential problem; let's go ahead and [...]

By Charles Payet| 2017-06-09T20:46:03-04:00 March 4th, 2009|Dental Philosophy of Care|0 Comments

New Patient Education videos now in the office!

Oh, it feels so good to finally be able to announce this, as I've been working on it so hard for so many nights after my family has gone to bed, but FINALLY I have begun producing some new Patient Education videos to help explain a number of options that we offer by using pictures of many similar cases. Over the last 4 years, I have amassed a catalog of about 38,000 digital photographs of the work that we do. You can see my Photography Blog post on the subject of Patient Communication with Digital Photography for more info on how/why we take pictures of our work, but now I'm finally able to turn a lot of those photos into various video formats to highlight problems that many patients have, often without even realizing it, and to let our patients actually see what they can expect once the treatment is completed. It's really quite exciting! We're not talking about "stock" photography here, of work that someone else did. EVERY SINGLE ONE of the pictures that you'll see were taken by Dr. Payet (me), and every completed procedure was performed by Dr. Payet (me) and my Team. (Hope you don't mind me talking about myself in the 3rd person for a moment there; I was having a Bob Dole flashback after reading some political articles. :-) We'll look forward to showing you these new videos when you come in! Don't have any of those videos in Web format quite yet, but keep an eye on our website, Smiles by Payet Dentistry, for them to begin appearing there within the next few weeks. You'll be able to see and understand so much more easily, I promise!

By Charles Payet| 2009-02-03T17:10:14-05:00 February 3rd, 2009|ANNOUNCEMENTS, Cosmetic dentistry, Dental Philosophy of Care|0 Comments