A Little Down In The Mouth
One COVID guideline I was particularly happy to follow over the past few years was a joint directive by the American Dental Association (ADA) and the CDC to stop all non-urgent dentist visits. You don’t have to tell me twice. This was a directive I could fully get behind.
The request made sense. There you would be, leaning back in the dentist’s examination room, splayed out with your mouth wide open as the dentist and others leaned in to clean your teeth and potentially spread the virus. Not to mention all the shared surfaces in the office and the magazines that we all pass around in the waiting room. No, I fully understood the need for caution when it came to our teeth and was more than happy to comply.
I am not alone with my reluctance to dental visits. There are surveys out there listing things people would rather do than go to the dentist. One survey showed that more than half the respondents would rather let a snake crawl on their lap for 15 minutes. Or sing the national anthem at a sporting event. Or spend an hour in a room with ten spiders. 41% would rather swim with sharks.
For full disclosure, I should say these survey responses are all being compared with having a root canal procedure. But there are similar surveys and outcomes when comparing things we’d rather do than go to a regular dental visit. The anxiety that comes with a visit, the metal instruments they use and the costs involved are all common factors to help us avoid going to the dentist.
After so many years enduring numerous procedures, I have an idea of what I need to do to maintain my teeth. That routine mostly consists of brushing twice daily, flossing and trying not to grind my teeth. I believe that’s pretty much it.
As we enter into year three of the COVID saga, where are we with regards to our dental health? I don’t know about you but after two plus years of avoiding my dentist - again, with the blessing of the CDC and the ADA - here is where I stand: MY TEETH HURT! What the floss? They hurt on the top, and on the bottom, and on the right side. Sensitive to heat and cold and air. And with my teeth taking on a lovely yellowish hue, I find myself more and more frequently wearing brown ties. I’m not sure where my dental regiment broke down, but it likely had something to do with the extra ice cream, cookies, etc. I consumed to compensate during to lockdowns and shutdowns.
Lesson learned. Apparently, those routine dental checkups actually have value maintaining good oral health. Statistics show that during the past two years as dental visits decreased, tooth extractions actually increased. That is mostly attributed to a loss of insurance due to rising unemployment. So, jobless AND toothless. The fun never stops!
Speaking of dentists, what is the best time to visit the dentist? Toothhurty (2:30).
Johnny McNally is Grimes County’s Best Dressed Businessman advocating for Grimes County and writes a bi-weekly column for the Navasota Examiner.