Have you ever had one of those days when everything went wrong? It didn't seem to matter what the difficulty was, it just seemed so complicated and hard to get out from under it.

You've probably also been in situations where you couldn't believe things could get so "screwed up". It starts out as a simple situation, but before you know it, you've got a major predicament on your hands. You find yourself thinking you'd give anything just to get rid of it.

Health problems are like that, sometimes. We all know people who start out with what seems to be "no big deal", but before they are through, they face major dilemmas which may be dragged out, painful and expensive.

THE FIRST MAGIC RULE

There is practically no one alive that some doctor somewhere can't find something wrong with him or her. If you look hard and long enough, you can always find something.

That does not mean it always needs "fixing", however.

Throughout my career, I have used two guidelines over and over. The first is this: IF IT AIN'T BROKE, DON'T FIX IT!!

Some conditions clear up by themselves and just "go away". Some simply don't need treatment.

THE PHENOMINAL KISS

While I was still a student in dental school, one of my professors gave me a priceless piece of advice. I have used this little gem of his with every patient I have seen since that day many years ago.

What was it the professor told me?

He told me to think of KISSING every patient I treated. No- not on the lips kind of kissing!! Kiss stands for
Keep It Simple, Sweetheart!

What he meant was that it is very easy to think of "far out" reasons and complicated solutions to the problems people have with their health. But more often than not, most people have fairly simple problems that can be easily solved if you really try not to let things get complicated.

KISSING IN ACTION

Recently a patient came to see me. She was in pain from one of her back teeth. Everyone in her office was telling her she would have to have a root canal (about $800.00, they thought). Everyone else told her she would probably have to have the tooth taken out (about $200.00) and then she would need a bridge (about $3,000.00, they figured).

By the time she got to me, she was terrified. She was all worked up and scared out of her mind by how much more painful her treatment would be. She had also convinced herself it was going to cost a fortune...

After checking her over, it seems her problem was coming from a tooth that was simply biting too hard (see "Holistic Dentistry and You", Pathways Winter Issue). I adjusted the bite and sent her on her way- asking her to let me know how she was doing over the next
few days. The cost? $35.00.

ANY FOOL CAN MAKE IT COMPLICATED

This same young woman then asked me: "What if it doesn't work. What if something else has to be done?"

I told her about my old professor and about how, over the years, I had seen thousands of times when the simple solution was all that was needed. "Besides", I told her, "you can always go back and do something more complicated and expensive! But why start there? It doesn't take a genius to do that!!"

K.I.S.S. DOES NOT MEAN "PUTTING IT OFF"

Most dental situations are reversible, but not self-correcting. That means you can turn the situation around, but the problem will not usually go away by itself. Most of the time, the earlier you begin to solve a problem, the asier it can be solved.

What I'm saying is that if you think you have a dental dilemma, DON'T WAIT 'TILL IT'S TOO LATE!! Take care of it now- while it can still be done simply!

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO NOW?

If you are looking for someone who will try to find the simplest way to solve your dental needs, we'll do our best. If you would like help, what you should do is call our office for an appointment now. I'd love to be your dentist!