Always Smile At The Dentist With This Expert Advice…

Even though I’ve heard it all before, I must say that I thoroughly enjoy dentist jokes and funny stereotypes about dentists. If you can’t laugh at yourself, what can you laugh at? But one thing that still makes me scratch my chin is when patients tell me, “It doesn’t hurt, Doc” with a sparkle in their eye, implying that I will be disappointed. Contrary to an apparently common belief, we, as dentists, want to see patients when it doesn’t hurt! So…“It doesn’t hurt?” Good!

It’s human nature to move things to the back burner if they don’t seem urgent at the moment. You may be able to drive around on bald tires for thousands of miles before a blow out. Have you ever somehow forgotten to change that smoke detector battery? Maybe you’ve even forgotten to take the T-bone out of the freezer because at 7 am, a steak dinner isn’t your top priority.

When it comes to your teeth, however, it’s not a good idea to forget and wait for pain to clue you that there’s an oral problem. Your teeth are literally 3 inches away from your brain and 4 inches away from your windpipe. Bacteria from infected teeth can quickly spread to both of these vital organs! Dental infections, including cavities and gum disease, are often painless until it’s too late. Just think about having a massive tire blow out on the I-4 ramp or waking up in a bedroom full of black smoke at 4 am. Suddenly, an issue that was placed on the back burner is now a serious, life-threatening concern.

When it comes to your tooth…you know the one that I’m talking about…the one that’s been like that for years and doesn’t hurt. Well, it’s time to go to the dentist and take care of it. And, because it doesn’t hurt, it will probably be less expensive and easier to fix! I’m not quite sure why (wink, wink), but everyone seems to like spending less money and having quicker dental visits. When you see the dental specialist, if you have a funny dentist joke, share it (you’ll likely get a smile while getting work done on your own smile)! If you don’t have a good one, just ask; dentists always know the best of the best industry jokes! And please, by all means, do say, “But Doc, it doesn’t hurt.” That’s the goal!