4 Million-Year-Old Teeth…?
Tooth enamel is the hardest material in the human body. It is so hard that outside the mouth teeth can exist intact for millions of years. Numerous fossilized teeth of our human ancestors, some dating back 4—6 million years old, have been discovered—often in perfect condition! Yet inside the mouth, teeth can literally dissolve away within a few short years, due largely to acid-producing microorganisms.
The mouth is a very harsh environment! If left neglected, the dentition can rapidly & irreversibly be decimated.
This can occur at any age as with baby bottle caries in the very young, or with xerostomia (a condition referred to as “dry mouth”) in older persons. Dental diseases are often rampant & insidious, occurring without pain & without the patient even being aware of the problems until the damage becomes severe!
But the Good News Is…You Can Have Healthy Teeth For Life!
There is almost no reason why you can’t have healthy, beautiful teeth your entire life!
If you learn to develop effective oral health care habits relatively early, coupled with regular (at least twice a year) dental examinations & teeth cleanings, nearly all dental diseases & problems can be avoided.
The cost savings of maintaining one’s oral health can be huge. Consider dental neglect: Just treating a single tooth over the span of one’s lifetime could easily cost over $10,000. (This might include filling the tooth, then refilling it several times, possibly placing a crown, doing a root canal treatment & eventually extracting the tooth & replacing it with a prosthetic tooth). As Benjamin Franklin said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
Fortunately…
We see patients every day in our office who take great care of their teeth & have little or no dental problems year after year. For Doctors Chris, Carol & Laura, this is what dentistry is all about. It’s the fun, rewarding part. In our office, our greatest enjoyment comes from not just restoring our patients’ mouths to a better state of health, but to enable them to keep their own mouths clean & free of disease on a daily basis. They love their happy checkups!
More Good News…
At Martin Dental Care, we realize that accidents do happen & not everyone is blessed with perfect teeth! For those patients having a history of dental problems, today’s dentistry has many new advances in materials & techniques that enable us to restore mouths to full chewing ability & enhance the cosmetic appearance. Please see our services page for explanations of the dental services we offer.
