A score over 100 no laughing matter

Barb Koetze did all the right things. She saw a dentist and had her teeth cleaned regularly. But because of the sensitivity of her teeth, she needed to have the teeth cleaning done under local anesthetic. So why was it that the first time she came to West Central Dental, Suzanne, one of WCD's excellent dental hygiensts, recorded a periodontal probing score of 108? The answer is simple. No one had correctly diagnosed Barb's gum health and therefore Barb's teeth had never been properly cleaned. After several appointments with Suzanne, who patiently and gently removed the trouble-causing plaque beneath the gum line, Barb had a fighting chance.

From high to low a good thing

At Barb's next regular preventive maintainence visit she scored an amazing '0'. Like golf, the lower the score the better. From 0 to 10 is an indication of optimal gingival health. Any score above 10 for adults with all their teeth signals problems have developed below the gum line. "The amazing thing to me," Barb says "Is that my teeth are no longer sensitive and it's easy to keep them healthy. I've been between 0 and 1 for one year now and I don't have to work hard to achieve that."

Better now than never

Suzanne says, "Many people don't realize how much gum disease can affect your general health or how simple it is to maintain healthy gums. Having regular dental preventive maintainence and cleanings can help you avoid serious complications later and it doesn't have to be painful. It's wise to come in and see us before trouble starts."

"I will never go to another dentist again. The work here at West Central Dental is excellent. My whole family now goes here." Barb Koetze, new WCD patient referred by Judy Quathamer.