June 23 2021 - Keeping Teeth in your mouth

 

That line comes from Bernie Sanders - "I do not think it is too radical to say that keeping teeth in your mouth should not be a luxury. Medicare must be expanded to include dental care, eyeglasses and hearing aids." It is the expression "Keeping teeth in your mouth"  that caught my attention.  Do teeth want to leave?  Are they ready to migrate elsewhere?  Do they have minds of their own? I can't imagine a dentist using this expression.  But then what are the entertaining dental stories? None to be easily found and shared. What about horrifying stories - no good for a morning read.  So then on to something trustable - world records: #1 Most Teeth : 37. #2 Most Teeth at Birth : 12. #3 Most People Brushing Their Teeth Simultaneously: 16,414. #4 Longest Duration to Hang Suspended by the Teeth: 7 minutes 15 seconds. #6 Youngest Person to Wear Full Set of Dentures: 3. #7 Largest Collection of Toothbrushes: 1,320. And there's one dentists/gardener joke - perfect for Brian, my brother who is a dentist and gardener: Did you hear about the dentist who planted a garden?  A month later he was picking his teeth. I found this picture in the archives.

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June 5 - Hierarchy or Harem

I was listening to a conversation about a person's past job as a dental hygienist and that she didn't enjoy it.  I thought about it for a flash of a moment.  A traditional dental office would have one man at the top and numerous women with lesser qualifications vying for his attention.  The scenario that came to mind is 'harem'.  I took this over to google.  It shows up in the form of a question on reddit: Why do many dentist office have exactly one man and a harem of women?  This is reddit, and the answers are no match for the question.  They typically are 'smart remarks', opinion comments, and strange responses that don't relate to the topic. I found another article with the headline:  Hygienist fights 'harem system' in dentistry:  KINGSTON, Pa. -- An oral hygienist who says she probably has more experience cleaning teeth than any dentist is fighting Pennsylvania's dental establishment for the right to practice without a dentist looking over her shoulder. 'I doubt there's a dentist alive who has done as many cleanings as I have,' oral hygienist Susan Edwards said. 'And he wouldn't do as good a job as I do because he needs your business.' At her Kingston home she operates an independent oral hygiene office, identified only by a white shingle that hangs outside. Though she's had 1,500 clients in the past 34 months, there's not a dentist in sight -- much to the dismay of the state dental establishment, which two weeks ago ordered her license revoked."   The article is HERE.  But that's not the case here in Ontario.  Independent dental hygienist practices have been allowed since 2007.   The Canadian Dental Association says that there are 400 independent dental hygienists across Canada. There are listings and directories of independent hygienists. However, it seems to be a limited work scope to maintain itself as an independent service.  My expectation is that most hygienists will continue operating in the current dental industry structure - one or a few owners at the top, followed by varying levels of clinical positions. Look at this hydrangea at Longwood - full of surface texture and brilliant colours.