As a dental practitioner, I am often asked "Does it hurt?" to which I generally reply either "Only when I laughing gas" or "Me: never; you: not so much so!" Which brings me to the subject of gingivitis ...
As I dental practitioner, I am often asked "What is gingivitis and, as a condition, is it worsened by riding my bicycle over cobbles". The answer is by no means straightforward and the subject is usually best addressed in two parts:
[a] What is gingivitis? Gingivitis is a non-destructive disease that causes inflammation of the gums. The most common form of gingivitis - and the most common form of periodontal disease overall - is caused by bacterial biofilms (also called plaque) that are attached to tooth surfaces and is termed plaque-induced gingivitis.
[b] As a condition, is it worsened by riding my bicycles over cobbles? Not necessarily, but in serious cases it is best to avoid the use of bicycle clips to allow for better airflow to the biceps femoris.
Which brings me to a common misperception ...
Readers of yesterday's Sydling St Nicholas Sun will have been astonished to see the French-sourced confectionary pain au raisin singled out for infamy whilst its dark-hued cousin pain au chocolate was described as having no case to answer. To which I can only say "au contraire mon frère".
Statistics show that for every pain-au-chocolate induced dental problem presented to experienced practitioners, 10 out of 10 are the result of a pain au chocolate-related encounter. That is to to say 100% of pain au chocolate induced dental problems are pain au chocolate-related: a worrying statistic in anyone's appointment book. So would I, as a dental practitioner, wish to see pain au chocolate banned from the baked-goods counters of Threadboneextra and other similar emporia? Certainly not: those holidays in Barbados don't pay for themselves you know!
Next time: Oral thrush: is it always bad news?
Leading Melplash Cosmetic orthodontist and part-time taxidermist Tewth de'Kay often encounters pain au chocolate-related micro-fractural distress but describes pain au raisin-based incidents as "rare".
Comments