Interview with a
Dr. Donald Saltzman
Q. Have you ever given someone
fake teeth? If you have, how?
A. I have made many sets of false or fake teeth
over the years. Sometimes teeth have to be extracted
or removed because of extensive decay (cavities) or
because of gum disease which causes the gums to be
infected and painful and allows the teeth to become
loose. After the bad teeth are removed, an impression
of the gums is made and a mold of the patient's gums
is used to construct the fake teeth that will look and
chew like their own.
Q. Why are kids getting more and
A. Kids are getting more cavities because of bad
eating habits: too much junk food (candy, gum and
sweets) and soft drinks containing lots of
Q. How long should a kid brush
and floss his or her teeth?
A. Teeth should be brushed after every meal or
snack if possible. If they are not able to do that,
the teeth should be brushed thoroughly in the morning
(before and after breakfast) and again at night before
bed along with flossing. Teeth should be brushed 2-3
minutes and then carefully and gently flossed to
remove food particles.
Q. What do braces do to your
teeth and why do you need them?
A. Braces are used to straighten the teeth if they
are out of line so they will look and function better
in chewing food.
Q. How can you tell something is
wrong with your teeth?
A. Teeth will hurt if there are cavities. Cold
drinks and sweets will make teeth hurt if they are
decayed. Sometimes you can see cavities as dark spots
Q. What teeth diseases are there
that people can get?
A. Cavities and gum disease are the two commonest
problems. Cavities are more prevalent in young people
than gum disease, but if the teeth are neglected and
not brushed or cleaned regularly and if too much junk
food is being eaten, then the gums in kids will
develop problems. Also, physical conditions such as
diabetes or the medicines used to treat certain
medical conditions can cause cavities and weaken
Q. What's the best way to make
teeth healthier than brushing them?.
A. Eating healthy foods,
drinking milk and eating fresh fruits instead of candy
or gum. Drinking water instead of soda pop or juices
with sugar added will keep teeth healthier. Snacks
beginning with "P": popcorn, pretzels and potato chips
are better than things beginning with "C": candy, cake