Grateful for Good Dental Care with Dr. Matthews

It’s November and if you’re like me, this month has you feeling a little more thankful.  Now, I confess I’ve NEVER said “really great dental care” when it was my turn to say what I was thankful for around the dinner table, but a conversation I overheard not too long ago has me pretty tempted this year.

by Andrea Harris

I found myself waiting in a long line the other day. Usually in cases like that, I’d just browse around on my phone to stay busy, but on this lucky day I found myself sandwiched between a dental hygienist and a dental hygiene student studying for a big exam.  At first, the two women were swapping study techniques and commiserating about the amount of memorization required to graduate. (Let me just say, hats off to the people who work in the dental industry. These are some dedicated, hard-working people. It’s not an easy job!) Then, they started into the more interesting stories about internships at free dental clinics.  

I listened in fascinated horror to the seasoned hygienist recount her tales of working in a free clinic in an economically depressed, rural  town. She described one patient who came in for a cleaning.  A middle aged woman, as she described her, who only had about six teeth in her mouth. An eyetooth or two and a few molars… Can you imagine?  I have to be honest. I can’t.   

She went to explain that the only thing holding the molars left in this unfortunate patient’s mouth was several years’ worth of plaque build-up.  After consulting with the clinic’s capable dentist,  they concluded it was better to leave the plaque and let the woman keep her existing teeth as long as possible.  The three of us now involved in the conversation talked candidly about our sorrow for the woman’s plight and what it must be like to not have access to regular dental care.

It’s one of those things I admit I take for granted regularly and sometimes even grumble about.  But this year, I’ll probably add it to my list of things for which I’m genuinely grateful.