Gentle Dentistry: NOT an Oxymoron

By Jonathan Berohn

All right - first I feel like I should disclose my bias about dentists. Simply put, I'm convinced that dentists are, by and large, medieval. And by medieval I don't mean chivalrous. I mean that they wouldn't have a very hard time finding work in, say, Spain during the inquisition. We're talking the rack and iron maiden here.

Ok, Ok, maybe some of this comes from fear. I'll admit it - I don't like going to the dentist. But I don't think that's simply a coincidence. And maybe I'm exaggerating a bit, but think about all the changes you've seen at the doctor's office since you were a kid. Now think about the progress at your dentist's office. Exactly.

There Is a Choice

In an ideal world, we'd have choices here like they do in Europe. In Europe, they don't even have to drill for cavities any more - they use some funky enzymatic paste to dissolve out cavities. But that doesn't mean we have to humbly accept all the agony that Dentists seem to love to dish out. Believe it or not - you don't ever have to you're your teeth scraped again! Yes, that's right - you can, if you find the right dentist, trade in the metal hook for a high-powered water jet. And really - the scraper is the medieval torture implement I'm talking about. When I found a dentist that used this very basic technological advance I was thrilled - leaving the dentist's office without feeling like I'd have my brain shaved was a very novel and pleasant experience.

Finding Relief

If your dentist doesn't offer an alternative to scraping, you can obviously anticipate my recommendation. If you do decide to hunt for a new dentist, American Dental Association offers a great web site full of resources for you to use. One additional word of advice though - make sure that you ask about individual dentists rather than simply the equipment the office has. At my dentist's office, they have the water pressure cleaner, but one of the dentists in the office doesn't use it because he doesn't like it. Unless you want to be surprised by a wide-jacketed Torquemada, ask all your questions before you get there.