Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Once It's Gone, It's Gone


This past weekend I celebrated a big birthday.  Birthdays always make me reflect on time, past and present.  People say to live your life to the fullest because time is something that you will never get back.  As a dentist, I would like to point out something else that you never get back….teeth.  Once a cavity eats away at your tooth, you can never get that part of tooth back.  Sure you can restore it with a filling or crown, but man’s imitation will never be as good as the original masterpiece.  Likewise, once a permanent tooth is lost, it’s gone for good.

It breaks my heart when I see young people with lots of cavities.  As much as we try to help them understand, it seems in most cases they still fail to realize the finality of lost tooth structure and the fact that they will NEVER get back what they lost.

Tooth decay is a tragic, worldwide disease…yes, disease…that’s what it is.  What makes it tragic, is that it is preventable.  Preventing tooth decay really boils down to just time and attention.  Paying attention to your eating and drinking habits.  Paying attention to your hygiene habits.  Taking time to do things the right way.  These simple things can prevent one of the world’s most common diseases.

I wish I understood this concept at a younger age.  I too have lost a good amount of tooth structure that I will never get back.

Once it’s gone, it’s gone.

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