Dear Dr. H,
 
I hate the dentist! Every time I go in he finds yet another cavity! It is so frustrating, as I feel I have put a small fortune into my mouth. Is it really possible that I get a new cavity every six months?
 
Help! I dread going now.
 
Soft Teeth
Dear Soft Teeth,
 
I hear you and I understand your frustration. I hate telling patients they have more cavities, because they get so upset with me!
 
However, I am ethically obligated to tell patients the truth about their dental health. ( BTW, it does stink to be hated.)
 
If I was in your shoes, I would make a consult appointment with the dentist. I would keep a diary of everything I ate or drank for 3 days prior to the appointment. I would bring a list of all the medications I was taking and I would bring all the oral hygiene products that I was using. Then I would ask the dentist what he/she thought about my diet, my medications, and my hygiene.
 
Why?
 
The diary would give the dentist an idea if acid or sugar was getting on your teeth on a regular basis. Patients are shocked at how acidic and full of sugar many foods actually are.
 
The list of medications is helpful because many medications dry out your mouth, which causes cavities.
 
Finally, showing the dentist your oral hygiene products and explaining your hygiene routines would allow him/her to give you tips on what you, personally, need to use to keep your mouth healthy and cavity free.
 
I hope this helps you and maybe at the next visit you won’t hate us quite so much!
 
Best.
 
Dr. H

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