DENTAL CARE

Q:Kids Say The Darndest Things

A:Or they don’t. I just read an article in the Wall Street Journal that discussed how the need for teaching younger people etiquette when it comes to email and texting and even phone calls. The article discussed the lost art of communicating when our interaction with people is limited to staring at a phone and pecking away at a few keys to say something. The original texting originated in the days of flip phones. There were no keyboards on those phones. The way to type the letter “A” was to press the number “1” one time. If you wanted the letter “B,” you would press that same key two times. I think that you get the idea. This method was a very tedious process. As a natural outgrowth of this type of typing, symbols, shortcuts, and all kinds of abbreviations became the norm. As phones became more sophisticated and “smart,” keyboards became the norm. There was no pressing (excuse the pun) need to use all of the shortcuts and made up abbreviations but they persisted. The result of all of this is a wave of people that communicate with the equivalent of a lot of gestures and grunting. The ability to greet people and form a cohesive thought is a dying art.

I am a firm believer in not sticking my head in the sand and say that the old way is the only way. If we don’t stay current with modern communication methods, we lose an entire group of people. We need to blend modern with traditional and take the best of both worlds. I have spent three paragraphs and not mentioned a word of dentistry. Allow me to get to our case of the week.

I met a gentleman this week who lost a permanent bridge that served him for decades. He only had chewing function on one side of this mouth since he only had one bridge. When this bridge failed, eating was challenging. He and I discussed different ways to return to a proper function. We had the old way and we had a new way. The older way involved a removable bridge. This bridge would help but not be as good as his former permanent bridge. We could replace teeth with all implants but that was too involved for his liking.

I suggested that we blend the two techniques to create a simple solution to his problem. I recommended using a removable which was stabilized by dental implants. The implants would help minimize the movement of the bridge. The only way to create and utilize sufficient forces for chewing is with a stable chewing apparatus. Just like our teeth don’ t move when we chew, replacement teeth should also not have a movement or at least minimal movement. I would take what worked in the past and build on that to create a better product. This approach is akin to using proper grammar and etiquette in a text or e-mail. Those of you who come to the office know that my staff and I are consistently trying to innovate and find personal solutions to help anyone who comes to me. If this thought process appeals to you, I would love to meet you and discuss any of your concerns. Please call Megan at 440.951.7856 to set up a time to meet and talk. I promise that I won’t speak in abbreviations. Jeffrey Gross, DDS, FAGD is an Ohio licensed general dentist and is on the staff of Case Western Reserve School of Dental Medicine. The Healthy Smile 34586 Lakeshore Boulevard (¼ mile west of Route 91 on Lakeshore Blvd) Eastlake, Ohio 44095 440-951-7856 Severance Medical Arts, Suite 603 5 Severance Center Cleveland Heights, Ohio 44118 216-371-2333 www.jeffreygrossdds.com