Jess, why did you create Dentist Jess?
If there’s one thing I have noticed being a Dentist,
…it is that people always have questions about their mouth. Whether its sitting in a coffee shop, or going to someone’s house for dinner, as soon as people find out I am a dentist I get questions. Things like “I’m wondering if I could ask you about …. “ or “I’m too embarrassed to ask my dentist but I was wondering if you could tell me about …” or “hey you are a dentist what’s your thoughts on product A”.
People have all of these questions, but nowhere to really ask them. And let’s be honest- sitting in the dental chair is no one’s favorite place to be. Typically, you want to get in and out of there as soon and painless as possible. There is often a lot of fear, and pain associated with going to the dentist- and frankly its’ not the most comfortable place to ask questions. Not to mention the fact that most dentists talk way over your head, and many people leave feeling confused, frustrated or worse off than when they came in. There is a huge gap between what we know as professionals and what the average off the street patient walking in the door knows.
Teaching people good habits, and providing a reason WHY its valuable is something that I am passionate about. According to the Canadian Dental Association in 2017, “dental decay is the most common yet preventable, chronic disease on the planet and constitutes a major global public health challenge.” With all the knowledge that we have on oral health, dental caries, periodontal disease and how it affects the whole body- how is this still the most common public health challenge?
The reason that I decided to do this website, Instagram account and YouTube channel is because I truly want to be involved in dentistry in a way that can impact and teach more people. According to the Global Burden of disease in 2017 “oral diseases affect nearly 3.5 billion people… with more than 530 million children suffering from dental caries of primary teeth.” I feel compelled to do something about these statistics. We as dentists need to do better. There needs to be a smaller gap between what we know as clinicians and what our patients know.
"oral diseases affect nearly 3.5 billion people… with more than 530 million children suffering from dental caries of primary teeth.”
Global Burden of Disease in 2017
Jess, I want you to educate me on oral health!
Receive all the videos and info directly to your email!
Reading these, get me passionate about Oral Health!
Oral Health: as a state of being free from mouth and facial pain, oral and throat cancer, oral infection and sores, periodontal (gum) disease ( this includes bleeding gums) , tooth decay ( this means cavities) , tooth loss and other diseases and disorders – World Health Organization
Did you know that dental disease includes: bleeding gums – that’s right! It is not normal to have bleeding gums. As a doctor, when there is blood present it means that there is inflammation and infection going on. Your body is fighting off some sort of infection. Most people wouldn’t include bleeding gums as a form of dental disease– but it is!
“Around the globe, 60-90% of school-aged children and nearly 100% of adults have tooth decay. In fact, dental caries (which includes all stages of tooth decay) is the most common, yet preventable, chronic disease on the planet and constitutes a major global public health challenge. “ – Canadian Dental Associations Article Oral Health: A Global Perspective
Did you know: Dental caries and tooth decay are the official terminology for a cavity? This means that any type of cavity is actually another form of dental disease. Dental cavities are not normal, and are preventable! It is something that we can treat with fillings, but what if we learnt how to prevent them in the first place?
“The global economic impact of dental diseases amounted to US$442 billion in 2010. “- Canadian Dental Associations Article Oral Health: A Global Perspective
442 billion US a year on diseases that are preventable… imagine if we could even eliminate half of that cost. Simply by prevention
According to the FDI world Health Atlas: Untreated tooth decay is now known to be the most prevalent of the 291 conditions studied between 1990 and 2010 within the frame of the international Global Burden of Disease Study.
How is it the most common disease, its preventable, and yet people don’t know about it?
Oral cancer is among the 10 most common cancers – FDI World Dental Federation
What if we could teach simple methods to look for oral cancers at home? Things to be aware of. Women are taught to perform breast self-exams for breast cancer, what if we could do the same thing for oral cancers? Why can’t’ we catch potential cancerous sites early and increase our chance of survival?
Periodontal disease is one of the commonest diseases of humankind, but is largely preventable through good oral hygiene and preventive policies addressing common risk factors – FDI World Dental Federation
In most people periodontal disease starts as gingivitis- which in basic terms is increased tenderness and bleeding gums. It is so common affects so many people and yet we never talk about it. It’s a disease we know how to prevent, and yet we don’t talk about it. Let’s get the conversation going!