Routine Change
September 10, 2012
Summer is unofficially over with the passing of Labor Day. For many, especially those heading back to school, this means a change from the summer routine. One of the routines I changed this past summer is to read more outside of my typical dental journals. The latest book I read was the revised edition of “The Slight Edge” by Jeff Olson. I highly recommend this book for anyone looking to change their routine to make positive improvements in their life.
We all have our own routines. Routines are important for both mental and physical health. Some think my daily routine is crazy, but if you look at them, most people’s daily routines look crazy to others. In “The Slight Edge” the author discusses that change or improvement in our lives comes one day at a time. It is the small decisions that we make daily, that we often consider insignificant, which mold who we are.
When our routines are broken by a vacation or lack of motivation, it is always difficult to get back into it. I’m sure you can relate. I am always thinking of different ways to change my routine to spend more time with my family, eat healthier, and have more “free” time. Changing routines is probably one of the hardest things to do. However, changing routines is probably one of the most important things to do. Striving for improvement in our lives by changing our routine usually improves the quality of life.
Going to the dentist is a routine. It is not part of your daily routine but it should be part of your overall routine for staying healthy. One of the biggest challenges I see in the practice of dentistry is changing people’s routines.
When someone comes into my office with a problem and has not seen a dentist for one, five, ten, or twenty years, it is easy for me to “fix” the problem they are having and get them back to a comfortable state. That comfortable state however, does not necessarily mean health. That comfortable state usually means status quo, which often times translates into the fact that there are other problems brewing, just waiting to become a crisis. The thing that is not easy to do, for any dentist, is to get those people to come back – to change their routine.
For some people it is financial, but for the vast majority it is the lack of pain or lack of concern. Regardless of the reason, it always comes back to changing routines. Our priorities dictate our routines. Priorities need change just as much as routines. If our priorities include health, we will spend money on a gym membership or home fitness equipment, go to the doctor or dentist on a regular basis, and eat things that are healthy. If the lack of pain is the reason you don’t exercise or frequent the doctor or dentist, it can lead to everything from the loss of teeth to the loss of life. If long-standing hypertension could have been controlled by regular exercise and/or medication doesn’t that beat an early heart attack? If long-standing periodontal disease, which doesn’t hurt and 75% of the population has some form of, could have been controlled by regular visits to the dentist, doesn’t that beat losing your teeth?
Changing your routine to improve your quality of life is worth every penny you may spend on it. As Jeff Olson says in his book, “You can’t change the past. You can change the future. The right choices you make today, compounded over time, will take you higher and higher up the success curve of this real-time movie called ‘your life’.”
What Would You Do?
April 16, 2012
The ABC show, “What Would You Do?” with John Quinones, is a reality show using a hidden camera that puts ordinary people on the spot with ethical dilemmas. From bullying to abuse, racial attacks and children using foul language in public, the show is geared towards the reactions of unsuspecting people put in uncomfortable situations.
It is interesting to see how people handle these interactions. Many people step up and engage in the situation and many others step aside with the notion that it is none of their business. Last week I presented an ethical dilemma but this week is about a question I get asked almost daily, “What Would You Do?”
When people come to me with dental problems and I present different options, they often ask me this question. It is difficult sometimes putting myself in other people’s shoes so I use a concept I learned long ago from a mentor which is – Would I Do It On Me? The acronym is the WIDIOM rule.
Most often there are at least a couple of different acceptable ways to handle dental problems. When someone asks what I would do if I was in their situation, I look at it just like that – If that tooth or those teeth were mine, what would I do knowing what I know?
Let’s look at a specific example. A patient comes in with a tooth that has a big problem. The tooth has extensive decay that involves the nerve and extends below the gum line. I explain to the patient that the tooth can be saved with root canal therapy, some minor gum surgery and a crown or the tooth can be extracted and replaced with a dental implant. The other option is to remove the tooth and leave the space. The patient then asks me the question, “What would you do?”
Any of the treatment options above would be an acceptable way to treat this problem. Depending on the circumstances, I may choose any of the treatment options. I may choose to extract the tooth and not replace it if the tooth is not going to impact me functionally or esthetically. If “my” homecare is poor or if “I” do not visit a dentist regularly, I may choose the dental implant option because of long-term predictability.
This is just one example. Patients also frequently ask me about orthodontics, wisdom teeth and certain cosmetic treatments. In my experience, about 75% of the time the patient ends up doing the treatment that I would do. Regardless of their decision, it seems that for those that ask this question, the information helps them in making a decision that is best for their individual circumstances.
As I was working on this column one morning last week the news became flooded with the “controversy” over dental x-rays and their relationship with a type of benign brain tumor. As I listened to the typical distortion the media puts on everything, I started to do some research on the study.
Next week’s column will address this story. I will discuss the facts of the study and how they relate to the typical dental patient. It never hurts to ask your dentist, “What would you do?”
