Your Cavity Free Life: An Easy, Step-By-Step Blueprint to Being Cavity Free for Life

YOUR CAVITY FREE LIFE

AN EASY, STEP-BY-STEP BLUEPRINT TO BEING

CAVITY FREE FOR LIFE.

Copyright © 2018 by Zachary Tilden

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be used, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, photographing, —except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the author. All graphics and illustrations are the original property of Zachary Tilden. For information, please contact Zachary Tilden at smile@cavityfreelife.com, or by mail at Tilden Dental Group, 331 E. Ontario Street, Chicago, IL 60611. For speaking engagements, bulk orders, events, or other information, please email the address above.

First Edition 2018

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019900596

ISBN: 978-0-99978-670-3 (print)

ISBN: 978-0-99978-671-0 (ebook)

Cover design by Marko Markovic

Illustrations by Kenneth Birdine and Mike Paschal

Edited by Jill McKellan

Disclaimer:

This book’s contents are provided for informational and educational purposes only. No doctor/patient relationship is established by your use of this book. No diagnosis or treatment is being provided. This book’s contents are to inform readers on dental, medical, and health care issues that may affect their daily lives. This information should not be understood or used as a substitute for medical or dental advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The information presented here should be used as an aid in consultation with a dentist of your choosing. You should always consult a licensed dentist or physician for diagnosis and treatment regarding your specific dental or medical needs or the needs of your children or family. The descriptions of procedures, products, or services in this book do not indicate or guarantee that any particular procedure, service, or product is appropriate, effective, or safe for you or your children. This book is not intended to offer specific medical or dental advice to anyone. Dr. Zachary Tilden is licensed to practice dentistry in Illinois and this book is not intended to solicit patients from Illinois or other states. Dr. Tilden is not the manufacturer of any products listed in the book and is not responsible for their quality, effectiveness, or health benefits.

Dr. Zachary Tilden has no conflicts of interest to declare and has/is not receiving monetary support from any manufacturers listed. Tilden Dental Group purchases, dispenses, and sells products from Oral-B, Sonicare, Crest, Colgate, Sensodyne, Biotène, Peridex, Glide, Phillips whitening, Opalescence whitening, and Invisalign.

Dedication

To my parents, Jordan and Brindell Tilden,

and my sister Larissa.

Contents

About the Cavity Free Life (CFL) Organization

Acknowledgments

Meet Dr. Zachary Tilden

Promises to YOU, the Reader

I’m Excited for You to Learn These Things!<

Section 1: The Mystery of the Mouth Revealed

The World Inside Your Mouth

A Word about Children’s Dental Concerns

Why Did Tooth Pain Find You?

Ten Risk Factors for Tooth Pain

Choices for Solutions

Solutions for Tooth Pain: Simplest to Most Advanced

When is Tooth Pain an Emergency?

Less Pain, More Joy

Don’t Forget the Little Ones When You Think of Tooth Pain

The Ultimate Whitening Blueprint

Are You Eager for White, Bright Teeth?

Debunking Four Myths of Whitening

At-home Whitening

Professional Whitening

Five Tips for a White, Bright Smile

Wisdom for Adolescents about Teeth Whitening

Section 2: The Power of Prevention

12 Tips to Help You Prevent Gum Disease

A Cavity Free Life Begins with Prevention

Oral Hygiene Instructions

Dry Mouth Regimen

Are You Committed to being Cavity Free?

The Mouth that Feeds You

Dr. Zack’s Dental Product Guide

Cavity Prevention and Gum Care

Products to Ask Your Dentist About

The Best Products for Kids

Pain Management at Home

Tired of Having Bad Breath? Time to Solve the Problem

Parents Can Make Prevention Fun

Teething

How to Clean a Child’s Teeth

Successful Visits to the Dentist

Fun Ideas for Helping Kids Brush Better

Tooth Eruption Charts

Section 3: Who to Know, Where to Go, and Why

The Dental Procedure Decision Tree

Which Doctors Manage What Procedures? A Quick Reference Resource

When You Smile…

The Dental Trouble Decision Tree

A Word from the Cavity Free Life Organization

About Dr. Zachary Tilden

Contact Information

About the Cavity Free Life (CFL) Organization

Our Mission Statement

The mission at CFL is to care for the people of the world by providing expert knowledge that allows people to take control of their health. At CFL, we are leading the way as we strive to set an example for responsibility and leadership in health literacy promotion.

The Cavity Free Life Organization was founded by Dr. Zachary Tilden in 2017 with a single desire—to help people of all ages become more aware of the impact their oral health has on their quality of life. This is a message you are already helping to promote as you read this.

For every copy of this book sold, five (YES, five) copies of the Your Cavity Free Life abridged edition will be donated to people in need of education and resources that promote better health.

Thank you for purchasing this book and contributing to the greater good of this cause. I cannot tell you how much this means to me, professionally and personally, but also, to all of us at the CFL Organization. Our mission is to change the world by making sure people in need receive powerful, actionable knowledge so they can better understand not only why, but how they should invest in taking proper care of their teeth.

Aren’t you curious what the abridged edition for our charity partners looks like? Visit www.cavityfreelife.com/free to download a free copy of the eBook version right now! As an added bonus, you can grab even more freebies than just the eBook. Tell the CFL team and me which ones you got the most value from by reaching out on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram where we are listed as Cavityfreelife.

The CFL Organization partners with charities nationwide who work with populations of people that are underserved, underinsured, and under-educated. We work to provide a life-changing education on dental and general health. Why was an abridged edition created for our charity partners instead of giving the full book? Based on the feedback from numerous charities about their clients, we learned that a large percentage of clients are families, so the readers will be kids seven and older, plus the parents. The charities also felt that their clients would be more likely to finish reading a short book rather than a long one. These populations of people do not have many health resources written for them specifically. We took the opportunity to customize a book for a population of people with unique needs. Since content is better learned and internalized when customized for the reader, we did just that.

Our actionable solutions for oral health give clarity and power back to the people, so they can live a healthier, happier life.

When I wrote Your Cavity Free Life, I thought about what I wanted it to be to the reader. I feel that to call the book a success, it must serve as a guide to better living; something that welcomes people into a conversation about hope and inspiration. People want clarity on the things they can do for their oral health. I’ve devoted my life to it. I want to see a world filled with brighter smiles and healthier lives. Few things bring me more joy than seeing the transition that a child, adult, or older individual will experience when their fear of smiling turns into a big, warm grin. It’s magical.

By teaching someone the why and how of tooth care, an added level of joy and better health are the benefits they receive.

I invite you to visit our website (www.cavityfreelife.com) or Facebook page (Cavity Free Life) to discover more about the CFL Organization’s plans, partnerships, and progress in reaching people with this information. The majority of people in America don’t know even the basic steps they should take for better oral health and preventing dental problems—flossing properly being one. Dental health literacy in countries other than America is even lower and as result, the prevalence of dental decay is higher there. This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise though. There is little being done to educate the school-aged children or general population on the dental health essentials being taught in Your Cavity Free Life.

A vast number of dental practices do not provide adequate and effective cavity prevention information to their patients due to time constraints and a host of other reasons. The bigger issue is that educators have failed to ensure this basic education is in schools. Teaching these things is both simple and important, but it takes a conscious effort and constant monitoring to ensure the information is being delivered frequently and effectively to students. Through the CFL Organization, we have the power to save people from all walks of life from the detrimental effects of cavities, tooth loss, gum disease and poor oral hygiene. The passion for our mission is something we hope to pass on to you, as it is important to every person, of every age.

I invite you to join the CFL Organization’s mission and see how you can help. Visit www.cavityfreelife.com. We are accepting donations to help fund content production and would love to hear about any charities you think could benefit from a partnership with us. We are committed to reaching as many underserved communities and populations as we can—just a few examples being elementary and high schools in low-income areas, nursing homes, youth development foundations, health-based research foundations/hospitals, migrant labor foundations, and geographically underserved communities. Now that is something to smile about!

Acknowledgments

To my parents: Dr. Jordan Tilden, my personal mentor who was always there for me as a father, professional coach, and my dentist. He took me into his dental practice as a high-schooler, taught me how to be a dental assistant, and showed me what excellent dentistry, chairside manner, and running a practice is all about. Brindell Tilden, my mother, thank you for sacrificing and helping endlessly on my mission to become a dental professional. To my sister, Larissa, for offering insight whenever needed. And finally, Melissa Mara, my dear friend, thank you for always supporting my dream of creating the CFL Organization and this book.

I would also like to thank my staff for always treating our patients like celebrities, and to the wonderful hygiene team at Tilden Dental Group, Evita Sanchez-Rusinak and Nour Radi. You two have helped to shape the foundational knowledge of Your Cavity Free Life and test the merit of this book’s content with our patients.

A word to my professional mentors, the professional dentists I have worked with outside of dental school: your guidance has helped me grow into a better dentist and given me insight on how the CFL Organization can best serve the people, our collective patients. So, thank you: Dr. Ardeshir Eddie Raghian; Dr. Edwin Mangram II; Dr. Cheon Joo Yoon; Dr. Eric Miller; Dr. Lisa Bennett; and Dr. Daniel Weber.

My work today would not be possible without the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) dental school professors who taught me foundational dental knowledge and cultivated the values in me that helped my career blossom. For this, I am grateful to: Dr. Alison Doubleday; Dr. Priscilla Chang; Dr. Adriana Semprum-Clavier; Dr. Courtney Lamb; Dr. Larry Salzmann; Dr. Ales Obrez; Dr. Jamie Hofmeister; Dr. Anna Organ-Boshes; Dr. Terry Parsons; Dr. Michael Santucci; Dr. Clark Stanford (Dean, UIC College of Dentistry); Dr. John Crawford; Dr. Ana Bedran-Russo; and Sheela Raja.

I also thank my clinical instructors, all of whom have helped to shape my career in patient care: Dr. James Benz; Dr. Alice Boghosian; Dr. James Bryniarski; Dr. Johanna Manous; Dr. Jairo Patino; Dr. Fred Stroner; Dr. Fatemeh Afshari; Dr. Seema Ashrafi; Dr. Nadia Kawar; Dr. Steve Weeks; Dr. Maribel Reyes de Lobos; Dr. Michael Miloro; Dr. Beth Miloro; Dr. William G. Flick; Dr. Walter Busse; Dr. Richard Lee; Dr. Thomas Skiba; Dr. Satish Alapati; Dr. Mark C. Baker; Dr. Milton L. Davenport, III; and Dr. Maria Galang.

Since recognizing my goal to bring awareness to public health through the work of the CFL Organization, I have trained with incredible public health leaders that have supported and guided my work. Thank you, Dr. Caswell Evans and Khatija Noorullah.

Thank you to some of Goldie’s Place Staff (past and present): Elizabeth Hutchinson; Dr. Brian Homann; Dr. Kay Henry; Dr. Teresa Maher; and Johanna Dalton—you have opened my eyes to the needs of the less fortunate.

Another important source of professional and personal inspiration for my work comes from the professional organizations I belong to, including: the ADA (American Dental Association); the CDS (Chicago Dental Society); the ISDS (Illinois State Dental Society); and the PDL Study Club.

When acknowledging hard work in the dental profession, I cannot help but think of Kellie Reneau-Jardon, the TeamSmile Program Manager. She works so hard to run the TeamSmile events, which allow underserved kids nationwide to receive free, high-quality dental care by partnering with professional sports teams. Her work is an inspiration to me and the CFL Organization.

I’d like to extend a final acknowledgment to the inspiring professors from my undergraduate years at Carthage College. You challenged me to grow and become a critical thinker, scientist, and humanitarian. Thank you: Dr. Patrick Pfaffle; Dr. Matt Zorn; Dr. Daniel Choffnes; Dr. Paul Martino; Dr. Temple Burling; Dr. Elaine Radwanski; and Dr. Scott Hegrenes.

Meet Dr. Zachary Tilden

At the office and professionally, I go by Dr. Zack, so that’s the name you’ll see throughout the book, the CFL Organization’s website, and on social media. First, let me answer the two most common questions I receive…

What does DMD stand for?

Is DMD different than the DDS I’m used to seeing on the tail-end of dentists’ names?

DMD stands for Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry, but because degrees were commonly printed in Latin, DMD originated from the words Doctor Medicinae Dentariae. DDS means Doctor of Dental Surgery, and it is being phased out across America in favor of DMD. The education and degrees are equivalent though. DMD simply reflects the emphasis dental schools place on training dentists to think not just like technicians of the mouth, but also like medical doctors.

Now that your burning questions have been answered, here is one I asked myself time and time again when creating this book. What should Your Cavity Free Life do for you, the reader? It will be your go-to resource for all things involving the quest for a healthy, cavity free mouth. If I could, I would give everyone a magic wand to make it happen. I’m still trying to figure out how to do that! However, I’d like to think that just delivering the proper knowledge to those interested in learning how to keep their mouth healthy will be their secret to success. While some dentists have written books about dentistry, I’ve noticed that