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Not So Fast My Friends
Bill Cosby, Robert Klein, Steve Martin, Harvey Korman and Tim Conway…what do they have in common? They all have taken their collective comedic genius to allow us to look at the lighter side of dentistry. Honestly, I too have laughed at their routines with a degree of discomfort. Nobody truly likes having to sit in a dental chair to have a dental procedure performed. Nevertheless I still laugh every time I see Steve Martin perform as the sadistic dental ‘professional’ in Little Shop of Horrors. I can sing and hum the song he sings for day after hearing it! With that in mind I sometime object to the way dentists are portrayed on the big and little screen. Not that I can't laugh at what I do for a living. No not that at all, but for how it negative impacts and feeds on the fear of those already terrified of going to the dentist. I am amazed at how often patients relate how their perceptions of a dental visit have been shaped by a television program or a movie.
Today dentistry is not just about fixing a broken tooth or filling a cavity. We now know that the impact of gum disease, periodontal disease, can and is directly related to heart disease, stroke, low both weight babies and diabetes; and the list continues to grow. Of course the cosmetic aspects of dentistry have been well documented but so are the comedic skits about someone missing their front teeth.
Recently on The View, Whoopi Goldberg had the extraordinary courage to admit her dental fears on national television. Of course being the funny person she is, there were laughs, albeit nervous ones, but she got down right open about the seriousness of dental disease and the need for everyone to take it seriously.
I congratulate Whoopi for her bravery to not only admit her fear but to get the appropriate treatment for her disease. If you should have any question about the serious nature that dental disease can have, please give us at call at 561-394-9000 to arrange for an examination and consultation to have your questions answered.

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