Dentist in Manchester, MO

I never really thought I would be a dentist. What got me into dentistry was working as a dental assistant while going to college to be a pre-med student. But I found it boring, so I found fun in the dental office. My doctor was hilarious, we never had a patient that died, and most of it was because he made people laugh and relaxed them. I thought that this would be me.

I don't have a predetermined plan to uplift a patient. When I meet them, I assess their state. Sometimes they're in pain. I engage them and ask why they're here and how I can help. I don't want them to sit here longer than necessary. Sometimes it's making them laugh, sometimes I numb them just to talk to them because they don't really feel pain once they get relaxed. It really depends because this is a fearful environment. Nobody wants to be at the dentist. So, I try to read my patients and engage based on their needs. I also respect their time and try not to keep them longer than necessary.

For patients to not be in pain, I have to ensure that I don't talk to them while they're in pain. So the first thing I do is I ask them, how bad is their pain on a scale of zero to 10? If they tell me a 10, I numb them and then give them a few minutes to relax before engaging them again. Sometimes that fear could be the fear of needles. So, I find out what it is and then start talking to them to understand what brought them in. If they're not in pain and they can talk, then I sit down, level with them, and listen.

We have different techniques to address needle fear. We use different distractors and I personally buy the most expensive topical anesthetic. It's a little bit of gel that numbs the tissue and I leave it in the mouth for at least five minutes. This way, the patients don't even feel the needle prick. Most dentists don't have time for this step, but in my practice, my assistants place it in the right place and we give the patient enough time for the topical anesthetic to take effect.

My message to patients who haven't gone to the dentist is: what are you waiting for? Are you waiting to lose your teeth? Are you waiting to get old? Are you waiting to die early? Are you waiting to pass periodontal disease to your children when you kiss them? There's a lot of risks associated with not regularly visiting the dentist. So my advice is, find a dentist that you trust and let them help you. Do not wait.

There are many studies showing links between dental health and systemic conditions. While I am not good with statistics, I do like to read up on these studies. There's a lot of links right now coming from periodontal disease, mainly bad gums, bleeding gums, and bacteria that affects your blood and makes you sick. I encourage everyone to read up on these studies and understand the importance of regular dental check-ups.