I want to make sure that I “stay in my lane” here as a dentist, but before we get in to today’s newsletter, I want to address what’s going on in Ukraine. I stand with the people of Ukraine. My patients who have family back home in Ukraine are on my mind every day.
There is a very natural inclination to respond to this worry by consuming more news, more social media.
Anxiety and fear are important survival mechanisms we got from our ancestors. In modern day, however, we have to ask ourselves if these survival mechanisms are adaptive or maladaptive. What is your first instinct when you first feel a wave of fear or anxiety? Is it to reach for your phone frequently to “doom scroll”? See if you can be an observer of how you respond to fear and anxiety. Which behaviors are serving you, and which are not? Even though we inherited our ancestors’ survival mechanisms, we can choose how we respond.
Personally, I’ve committed to take a phone-free walk with my wife every morning this week, and I’m planning to call a few friends to check in on them and catch up. I’ve also made a donation to help the 10,000 Ukranian children living near the frontline right now. I encourage everyone to prioritize rest and human connection wherever possible right now.
🦷 Study on the pH of whitening products…
Practitioners, I recommend measuring the pH of products you use in your practice, just so you know what may cause sensitivity with your patients, and when to rinse/rest/remineralize after treatments. This study measured the pH of 26 commercially available tooth-whitening products. The pH of the different whitening products ranged from 3.67 (highly acidic) to 11.13 (highly basic)—it’s a good read.
Non-practitioners should measure pH too. Start by grabbing some pH test strips off Amazon and watch my Instagram Highlight where I explain pH testing.
🎧 Episode #50: Keep or Remove My Permanent Retainer?
Tune in to this week’s podcast episode to learn…
- Why there is no such thing as a permanent fix in dentistry
- What I’ve noticed through experience with patients with fixed retainers in terms of gum disease, gum recession, and bone loss
- Why I’m not worried about the metal content of a fixed retainer
- What you should do if you already have a fixed retainer in place
- How to prevent the need for retainers with maxillary expansion in children
Please help me spread the word about the importance of the oral-systemic connection by leaving a review for the podcast on iTunes or Spotify.
💬 Got a question for me? Submit it here.
A few more things I’m working on…
🎓 Masterclass for Dr. Mark Hyman
This week I’ve been putting the finishing touches on a Functional Dentistry Deep Dive for a masterclass I’m putting together for the Hyman+ community. Looking forward to sharing more details with you as soon as I’m able.
🎤 Interview on The Wellness Mama Podcast
As I write this, I’ve just gotten off a call with Katie of Wellness Mama, for an interview on all things functional dentistry. I’m very excited to share this episode with you as soon as it’s live.
Have a great week,
P.S. Today is the LAST DAY for dentists to save 15% on an annual membership to the Functional Dentist Directory. Click here to join (Savings end at midnight.)
The Going Rate for the Tooth Fairy in Each State