I wish I could tell you that we weren’t going to ruin your makeup when you come in to see us. It would thrill me to explain to you the gorgeous new filling we’re placing can be done without messing your hair up or getting your shirt wet.
But I can’t. In good conscience, I need to tell you that we’ll probably make a mess out of you.
When I’m working on people’s teeth, I use the water spray. The spray comes out of the handpiece (aka: drill) for a couple of great reasons:
- When you use the handpiece on a tooth to remove diseased or broken tooth structure, it generates heat. According to research, this heat isn’t great for the pulp (nerve, blood vessels, connective tissue) in the middle of the tooth. Teeth that get overheated can become injured and may need a root canal. However, when you spray water on the tooth while you work on it, you significantly reduce the heating up of the tooth structure.
- Water spray from the handpiece also removes debris. When I use the handpiece to remove diseased tooth structure, it breaks this stuff into really tiny pieces. It actually kind of pulverizes it into a dusty powder. Without the water spray this stuff smells pretty gross and keeps me from seeing what I’m doing. If you add the water spray, this debris gets gently sucked up into my assistant’s suction.
So please understand, I’m not using the water spray to mess up your makeup on purpose. In fact, you may want to skip your hair and makeup until after your dental appointment. We have a lovely bathroom with flattering lighting that you can use to put yourself together, if you like. Also, I won’t be offended if you bring an umbrella or shower cap in. I get it.
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If you’re looking for a dentist in Saginaw, we’re always happy to accept new patients! You can request an appointment online or call the office at (989) 799-9133. And, as always, you can email me at alan@meadfamilydental.com. I always answer my own emails!
