Dr. Michelle breaks down the benefits of regular teeth cleaning, why it's important, and how often we should be going in for dental cleanings.
Learn more at: https://jacksonvillebeachdentist.com/services/general-dentistry/
Dr. Michelle breaks down the benefits of regular teeth cleaning, why it's important, and how often we should be going in for dental cleanings.
Learn more at: https://jacksonvillebeachdentist.com/services/general-dentistry/
Kevin (00:05):
It's time for Dr. Michelle's smile cast where we talk about your smile and other interesting dental topics. And now here's Dr. Michelle DeFelice, Hucke of Jax Beaches Family Dentistry
Dr. Michelle (00:22):
That's me,
Kevin (00:26):
And we're spending some time with Dr. Michelle DeFelice Hucke Good morning, Dr. Michelle. Good morning. How are you?
Dr. Michelle (00:33):
I'm doing
Kevin (00:34):
Great. Today we're going to talk about something that we have been told since we were small children that we must do at least twice a year. We're going to talk about the frequency here in just a bit too. Getting our teeth cleaned twice a year, maybe three times.
Dr. Michelle (00:48):
Yes. A lot of people over the age of, we're going to go with 40 that have a history of
Kevin (00:55):
Old
Dr. Michelle (00:55):
People, gum issues they've been told. They have gingivitis, they occasionally have bleeding gums. They sometimes have sort of episodic treatment for their gums. Most of those people, as they have more and more birthdays, need to increase the frequency of the time they get their teeth cleaned. So
Kevin (01:17):
Let's talk about that, the actual teeth cleaning, because off the air we were laughing about how most of us have just been conditioned to think we just have to go and do it. We don't really think about what's happening. Even when we get our oil changed in our car, we know we're getting new oil in a new filter, but when we go get our teeth cleaned, we don't really know what's happening.
Dr. Michelle (01:35):
Yes. I think that stems from the fact that teeth cleaning is in fact a terrible term.
Kevin (01:43):
We're stuck with it though.
Dr. Michelle (01:44):
Well, no. So in our office, we call it a wellness visit.
(01:48):
Okay. So that at least changes the context of, oh, why am I there? And we also take people's blood pressure. Every patient, every time, every visit. We were checking in with them about their current medications and their general health and wellness status. But the interesting thing about getting your teeth cleaned is the tippy top part of your teeth that you can see when you look in your mouth. The only thing that we're really cleaning in that regard is getting stains off and making them whiter. Really? The primary reason, though, a little bit like a house, right? The foundation is super important for your teeth, and that foundation in your mouth is your gum health. So
Kevin (02:33):
Your gums. So we brush our teeth and we floss and we see our gums bleeding. Does that mean we need to have our teeth cleaned more often? Yes. Okay. Not to get off topic, we are going to talk more about teeth cleaning, but when we brush or floss at home at night or in the morning and all of a sudden their gums are bleeding, what's happening there?
Dr. Michelle (02:54):
So the gums bleeding is the symptom of a disease, and that disease is either gingivitis or periodontitis, depending on how advanced it is. And gum disease is the reason that we want to come in every three to six months. We don't want any of that. So the best way to figure out how to treat it, find out from your dentist and your hygienist, because they work together obviously, to come up with a plan. So that just doesn't happen anymore. And the only way for any of that to happen is to come into the dentist and come on a regular basis.
Kevin (03:30):
Hey, if you're just tuning in, that's the voice of Dr. Michelle DeFelice Hucke of course she is with Jax Beaches Family Dentistry. You can learn more by going to jacksonvillebeachdentist.com, and we'll give out a telephone number as well. And all this is also on Facebook Live right now. If you go to the Jacksonville Beach Dentist Facebook page, just search Jax Beaches Family Dentistry, and you'll find it pretty easily, and you can participate with us that way as well. So when we get our teeth cleaned and we have a wellness visit at Jax Beaches Family Dentistry, and we walk out and we have that wonderful, amazing feeling when your tongue goes across your teeth and they're so smooth.
Dr. Michelle (04:05):
Well, yeah, that's because generally in between visits, you end up accumulating tartar, which is the hardened material, and it's usually behind your lower front teeth, which is where your tongue sits. So yes,
Kevin (04:18):
What's tartar?
Dr. Michelle (04:19):
Tartar is really just hardened plaque. So everything in your mouth, your saliva is trying to calcify it, because decalcification is what causes cavities, which is a separate disease. But yeah, so we're cleaning that off. And so the calculus doesn't feel good on your teeth, but that's also what goes up underneath the gums and creates an I tint and creates the inflammation of the gums. So we really want to make sure we get that off. And it's not just on the surfaces of the teeth, it's up under the gum. So think of it like a splinter. If you have a splinter in your finger, same as a piece of tartar up under the gum, it creates that inflammation and redness and swelling. And
Kevin (05:02):
Man, there's a lot going on in our mouth, isn't there?
Dr. Michelle (05:05):
Yeah.
Kevin (05:06):
I mean, really, we talk with Dr. Michelle too. We'll have future times with her where we talk about how the mouth really is a window into your overall health, but you can just, when you start talking about all the different things that are going on simultaneously, right?
Dr. Michelle (05:20):
Yes. Yeah. There's multiple different diseases. They're caused by different bacteria. That is another thing sometimes, especially when people have chronic gum issues that we just haven't been able to get ahead of. We often will do salivary testing, which is relatively new to the industry. So there's the top 11 bacteria that cause periodontal disease. So we test for those. They're also contributors, contributors to cardiovascular disease. And so we want to make sure that we don't have high levels of those in the saliva and in the mouth. So we test for them so that we can specifically treat them sometimes with antibiotics.
Kevin (05:59):
And so when you go to a teeth cleaning wellness visit at Jax Beaches Family Dentistry, not only you're going to get a sense of all of these other health issues that may be going on in our body, including even oral cancers, right?
Dr. Michelle (06:09):
Yes. We have a specific light. Everyone knows that in the United States especially, we are doing really well as a country in terms of preventing things like breast cancer and colon cancer. And most people know what sort of screenings that they're supposed to have in order to have a really good chance of preventing those particular types of cancer. But we kind of stink as a country in terms of doing any better than we did 20 years ago with oral cancer. And that is because the only way right now that most people find out about it is they see it in their mouth or their hygienist or dentist sees it in their mouth. But by the time we can see it with the naked eye, it's already at a stage four or five. So we have a special light and we do annual screenings. The light allows us to see it earlier on. And so we're hoping that as more and more dentists use these lights, that we'll do a better job. There you go. With oral cancer,
Kevin (07:13):
A lot of reasons, once again, to have a teeth cleaning wellness visit with your dentist. Hopefully that will be with Dr. Michelle and her team at Jax Beaches Family Dentistry or with someone else. But you need to do that at least twice a year, maybe three times a year, right?
Dr. Michelle (07:28):
Yeah. We have a lot of patients that come in every three months that have a history of periodontal disease, and we're just being real aggressive to keep that away. You don't really, bleeding gums creates a direct connection between your mouth and those bacteria that we talked about earlier and your bloodstream. So we're doing all we can to prevent that crossover.
Kevin (07:49):
Yeah. Alright, we'll be back with Dr. Michelle. So stay tuned. That applause, of course, for Dr. Michelle DeFelice Huck.e She walks into the studio. People just start going up against the windows. It's kind of like the Today Show. Somebody holding up a poster sign right now that says, what is it about teeth cleaning? So you've got an answer, right? Absolutely. Yes. We're talking about teeth cleaning today. Something that all of us know we should do. Is there any date out there? I was trying to look before you arrived about how many of us get our teeth cleaned?
Dr. Michelle (08:27):
Oh, on a regular basis? Yeah.
Kevin (08:29):
Follow the rules.
Dr. Michelle (08:30):
Yeah. I think it's like 35% my
Kevin (08:32):
Guess. I saw some old data from the nineties that said 33, 30 5%. It probably hasn't changed a whole lot.
Dr. Michelle (08:37):
Well, that's the whole, A third do a third don't a third maybe. Do
Kevin (08:41):
I think a third lie. Yeah.
Dr. Michelle (08:43):
There's always that third that's
Kevin (08:45):
People say, oh, you know what? The other thing I found with real people, patients that you might have is that you'll ask them, well, when did you last get your teeth cleaned? They'll say, last year. And then if you ask them, they'll realize it was really two years ago.
Dr. Michelle (08:58):
Oh, yeah. Well, that's happening to all of us with all of our Because of Covid stuff. Because of covid. Yeah. I went to the doctor's office like a year ago, and she's like, okay, so your mammogram? I said, yeah, but I'm not due yet. I had it done a year ago. And she said, yeah, except you skipped. So that would be two years.
Kevin (09:19):
Well, basically 2020 is the year that never was. Right. It's kind of a blank spot. I
Dr. Michelle (09:23):
Was so shocked.
Kevin (09:25):
Yeah. I do the same thing with the math on colonoscopies. It's supposed to have one every five years, years. It's like, Hey, it's been seven. Really? Nah, it feels like five. Let's go with five. That's right. Oh man. Hey, we're spending time with Dr. Michelle, and we're talking about teeth cleaning. And in case you missed us on our first segment where she kind of gave us a little 1 0 1 explanation on what exactly is going on. So there's that first part where they kind of scrape, scrape, scrape. That's getting rid of all that plaque and tartar, right? Yes. And then they break out the little power brush with the Yes. The polisher. Yes. What does that do?
Dr. Michelle (10:01):
Well, it has a polishing paste that's more abrasive, right. Than you could really tolerate on a daily basis
Kevin (10:10):
More than our toothpaste.
Dr. Michelle (10:11):
And so that polishes awful lot of stain, which does make your teeth whiter. One of my main happy benefits about getting my teeth cleaned,
Kevin (10:21):
I was like, I think the first time I ever did a radio thing with Dr. Michelle was probably about 15, 16 years ago. Yikes. How about that, huh? Yeah, she was right out of high school at the time. But I remember our talking about the need to brush your teeth, and I learned something from you at those very early times about don't get carried away with the toothpaste.
Dr. Michelle (10:42):
Yes. Toothpaste is very abrasive. So I use a combination of a gel that treats my teeth to prevent decay, and then I alternate that with toothpaste.
Kevin (10:52):
But you don't put that much on the brush.
Dr. Michelle (10:54):
No. And I don't put gobs of it on there.
Kevin (10:56):
So when we see the TV commercials for Colgate, you ever see that swirly? Yeah. It has a swirl. It looks like the top of ice cream, hot fudge sundae.
Dr. Michelle (11:04):
Literally it's like half of a pea. So whatever that would
Kevin (11:07):
Be. I think they're trying to get us to use more toothpaste.
Dr. Michelle (11:10):
Oh, possibly. But yeah, not a good plan
Kevin (11:13):
At all. What's the best toothpaste we should use? Put you out the spot.
Dr. Michelle (11:16):
I personally don't like things that have 10 different benefits because generally that means there's a lot of different chemicals in there. So yeah, I like to keep it it simple. Keep it simple.
Kevin (11:28):
Getting back to teeth cleaning and wellness visits. Of course, we talk about it. You should do it at least twice a year. If it has been a while, that doesn't mean you don't do it, right?
Dr. Michelle (11:39):
Yeah. Well is, I mean, if there was a top 10 list of why people hesitate to go to the dentist, that would be one of 'em. They've delayed it for a while and they're so worried that I'm going to look there and see the worst mouth that's ever existed. Well, first of all, it's generally not possible. And secondly, as dentists, dentists inherently just want to help people. So there's very few dentists out there that are going to make anybody feel bad.
Kevin (12:10):
No. So
Dr. Michelle (12:11):
Yeah, dentists, the majority of the reason that people went to dental school is because they want to be helpful and they want to help people get healthy. So everybody out there that's delaying for that reason, we're just happy to see you and happy to help, and happy to give you new ideas about maintaining your health.
Kevin (12:33):
And I believe too, that there's some people out there that maybe they had a dental experience in the past and it hurt, and that's the hurdle they have to overcome.
Dr. Michelle (12:43):
That would be, yeah. Number two reasons why people delay.
Kevin (12:47):
But there's been some really big technology gains in terms of dealing with pain management. Absolutely. You make sure Dr. Michelle just recently put a crown on my tooth, which indicates I guess some form of incredible advanced stage. And I thought that would be really painful, and it wasn't at all. But I mean, in theory, you kind of consider the process and you're like, well, that's probably not going to feel very good. That sounds terrible. That sounds terrible, but it was fine,
Dr. Michelle (13:14):
Right? Yes. And cleaning teeth too. I mean, a lot of people talk about times when they had their teeth cleaned and it was uncomfortable. And so some people just like, I don't ever get my teeth cleaned. It's awful. But really, I mean, especially in the state of Florida, hygienists are allowed to give local anesthetics so they can get you numb if they need to. A lot of people use nitrous oxide to get their teeth clean. So
Kevin (13:37):
I was talking to a neighbor who said,
Dr. Michelle (13:38):
Be dated if they need to be. So yeah, there's lots of options.
Kevin (13:41):
I was talking to a neighbor actually, who heard you the last time you were on the radio, and it led to a conversation. I have no trouble going to the dentist or getting my teeth cleaned. I always take four Tylenol before I go.
Dr. Michelle (13:51):
Yeah, some people do that. Yeah. Really? Some people take a Valium,
Kevin (13:54):
Whatever. Okay. Alright. Whatever gets you stupid.
Dr. Michelle (13:56):
The diet better like the chemistry. But please let us know what chemistry is involved.
Kevin (14:01):
Yeah. Well, I was out in the lobby, Dr. Michelle. I took four shots of
Dr. Michelle (14:04):
Tequila. Yeah, no, tequila,
Kevin (14:06):
Tequila, alcohol. No, it's the lime. That's better. No alcohol. Yeah. We don't frown upon
Dr. Michelle (14:11):
That. Prefer Valium or something. Yes. Prescribed
Kevin (14:14):
Please. So before we get back to the music and doing something a little different, teeth cleaning, will it automatically make my teeth wider? So it'll be pretty and pearly like they are on tv.
Dr. Michelle (14:25):
They are much whiter because of the polishing we discussed. And then we also use the cabitron to get the stain off. Most of us have stain, at least I do, from coffee and tea
Kevin (14:37):
Blueberries.
Dr. Michelle (14:38):
Yeah, that too. So yes, they definitely get wider. A lot of times our patients, we have a great bleaching system that only takes 20 minutes and it's super easy to do. So a lot of people do that at the same. They get their teeth cleaned, they're there anyway. And then most of our gum treatment patients in our office use a system. You guys can write this down, perio Protect
Kevin (15:03):
All one word or hyphenated.
Dr. Michelle (15:04):
It's two words.
Kevin (15:07):
Perio Protect. Oh,
Dr. Michelle (15:07):
Ahead and Google it. They're amazing trays. And you put 1.7% peroxide in the tray. It's a gel. Again, a specific special gel. And you do that every day. And so your teeth stay very white constantly.
Kevin (15:25):
If you have any questions about that too, there's some good videos about that on the website. Jacksonville beach dentist.com. Lot information. Information. Yeah, there's a lot of,
Dr. Michelle (15:31):
And if you're a dentist out there listening to this, please also look it up. You can get your patients super
Kevin (15:37):
Healthy. Yeah. Alright. Good stuff. Dr. Michelle DeFelice is with us from Jacksonville Beach, dentist Jax Beaches Family Dentistry. And you can learn more by going to the website. Jacksonvillebeachdentist.com, right?
Dr. Michelle (15:49):
That's confusing.
Kevin (15:50):
Yes, it is. And when we come back, I'm going to give you the phone number, we'll be back.
Kevin (15:58):
It's time for Dr. Michelle's Smile cast where we talk about your smile and other interesting dental topics. And now here's Dr. Michelle DeFelice Hucke of Jax Beaches Family Dentistry.
Kevin (16:15):
Man, it's so hard to live up to that hype, isn't it? Yeah. That's Jim McGee has a great voice. Yeah. Who is he? Yeah, he's Jim McGee. He lives here in Really, St. John's County does have a good voice. He's done a ton of radio. Yeah. Yeah. Hey, we're spending some time with Dr. Michelle, as you could tell from the bad English Smile, not my grammar. That's the name of the group. Yes. Yeah. You have great English. We started our segment with you hearing from Peter Frampton. So were you a young lady back in the day that had a Peter Frampton poster in your bedroom with the big hair and the guitar?
Dr. Michelle (16:50):
Yeah, I might've. I definitely had the Bee Gees and I had the BG brother that died, I forget his name. Maurice. Maurice. No, he didn't. Well, I mean he died of it. Yes. Andy Gibb. Andy Gibb. That was devastating.
Kevin (17:05):
And you probably had, I would guess, because Dr. Michelle and I are basically the same age. The Peter Frampton live album. Yes. Everybody had that. That was like the price of admission if you were a high school or in the late seventies, you had to have that. And that's where that song came from.
Dr. Michelle (17:22):
Absolutely.
Kevin (17:23):
Now Mr. Frampton's not performing anymore. He has some neurological type issues.
Dr. Michelle (17:28):
Oh, I read about that.
Kevin (17:29):
Kind of like Phil Collins, not as severe as Phil Collins. Yeah. Sad. He also doesn't have the hair that he used have. He had amazing hair. Women would look at his hair and go, wow, that's great hair.
Dr. Michelle (17:41):
I know. I mean, some of those guys that are still touring is impressive. I went and saw The Eagles not too long ago.
Kevin (17:48):
I remember you talking about it. That a good, great show,
Dr. Michelle (17:50):
Huh? They were amazing. And I went to the Rolling Stones last concert in 1990.
Kevin (17:56):
Wow.
Dr. Michelle (17:57):
Stones, their last concert. Yeah,
Kevin (17:58):
Whatever.
Dr. Michelle (18:00):
I mean, I don't think any of them would have predicted that in 2022.
Kevin (18:06):
Yeah. Not only is Keith Richards still playing with the stones on their limited dates. He's got his own band out now. Everybody thought he'd be dead 25 years ago.
Dr. Michelle (18:13):
Insane. Yeah, he looked awful in 1990. He
Kevin (18:16):
Still looks awful. But he's alive and he's performing. That's all that matters. I think
Dr. Michelle (18:19):
He's cleaned up his act a little.
Kevin (18:21):
He has. Dr. Michelle DeFelice Hucke is with us. He's a big part of our family here at WSOS. We highly recommend that you learn more about her and her practice. All you have to do is go to the website, which
Dr. Michelle (18:31):
Is jacksonvillebeachdentist.com.
Kevin (18:35):
That's right. And today our topic has been teeth cleaning. Teeth cleaning. It's so basic. And I wanted to talk with Dr. Michelle about it because I think most of us just go and we go, but we don't even know what's going on. And we've talked about what's actually happening. She's given us a really good description of what we're trying to get done. What's the goal though? At the end of the day, if we get our teeth clean twice a year and where a lot of our listeners are in their fifties and sixties and seventies, the goal, I guess, is to keep your teeth as long as possible, right?
Dr. Michelle (19:03):
Yeah. The goal is to come regularly so that you have a constant evolving plan for keeping your teeth for a lifetime and also keeping your gums as healthy as possible because gum disease is not good for, obviously your teeth and the longevity of them. It's also really not good for your cardiovascular health and your brain health. So we care about teeth. We're dentists. However, what I always say is it doesn't do me any good to work super hard to fix your teeth and keep your teeth healthy if the rest of you is not healthy. So it's really, it goes both hand in hand. And then the other goal that day is to get your clean up your gums, get the tartar off, get things as clean as possible, and then get at that same visit, have a very thorough dental exam, checking every crown margin, checking all your old restorations, looking at X-rays for new decay, all of that.
Kevin (20:07):
If you stay ahead of these issues, you have a much better chance of having good dental health as long as possible.
Dr. Michelle (20:12):
Exactly. I always say catching things when they're early is an advantage of regular visits. And then maintaining gum health, those two things.
Kevin (20:21):
And then they're going to polish your teeth and you get that really good feeling of your tongue going across your teeth and being, oh, so smooth heaven's
Dr. Michelle (20:27):
Really only reason. I love that. Yeah. The only reason he goes is
Kevin (20:29):
That, that and the fun choice. Well, although it's been somewhat limited lately, maybe it's a covid thing. Everything is a covid supply chain thing where you get to pick the flavor of the tooth polish of the past. Yes. And I usually go with mint. In the past, I've tried some of the kid flavors.
Dr. Michelle (20:47):
D
Kevin (20:47):
Not recommended. Kids probably really like it. Yeah. Yeah. What's the most popular flavor for kids? Do you know? It's
Dr. Michelle (20:53):
Probably bubble gum. Bubble. Just
Kevin (20:55):
Guessing.
Dr. Michelle (20:56):
That's a guess.
Kevin (20:57):
Have you ever had bubble gum?
Dr. Michelle (20:58):
No, I don't.
Kevin (21:00):
So you wouldn't try it just to see what they're tasting?
Dr. Michelle (21:02):
No.
Kevin (21:03):
At one point, years ago, we were talking about Rhonda, the former hygienist years ago. It was a cookies and cream flavor, and she encouraged me to try it, and I did try it. It wasn't so horrible, but I wouldn't do it again. No. It's funny how they have the different flavors. Anyway, teeth cleaning folks do it. And you can learn more about scheduling a visit, obviously. And they are accepting new patients. At Jax Beaches Family Dentistry you can always call too. Go old school and what's that phone number?
Dr. Michelle (21:32):
(904) 247-0111.
Kevin (21:37):
Right. That works with a rotary dial phone or a touchtone phone. That's right. Or you can go to the website,
Dr. Michelle (21:43):
Jacksonville beach dentist.com.
Kevin (21:45):
We're also on the Facebook and Instagram, so just search for Jax Beaches Family Dentistry. Dr. Michelle, thank you for coming by.