Open Wide

Open Wide

Going to the dentist is considered an important yet routine part of your overall health care. An annual check-up and a twice yearly clean have become the standard in societies affluent enough to afford them. Yet many people neglect their teeth because of previous bad experiences in the dentist's chair or because they simply cannot afford the often exorbitant bills that accompany dental treatment. Why do dentists evoke fear and loathing in so many?

Open Wide has been written by an industry insider to inform and educate the general public - we all have teeth and they need looking after. Tom Parker will take you inside the hidden world of dentistry; he explains what to look for in a dentist and will arm you with information so that you can ask the right questions about your treatment.

Tom Parker explains the dental hierarchy and how many people are actually involved in looking after your teeth and mouth. You may consider the dentist to be the most important person but the staff he or she employs, such as the nurse/assistant, hygienist, and the unseen technicians (who make crowns, veneers, dentures and bridges), can be equally as important in your care. There are also a host of specialists such as endodontists, periodontists, orthodontists, oral surgeons and prosthodontists in the dental industry with very particular skills.

Open Wide covers important topics such as:
How unscrupulous dentists over-service and rip off their patients, and how easy it is for them to get away with malpractice and fraud.
Advice on how to achieve good quality dental care for a lower price.
Reveals the hidden truth about many dental and oral care products, including tooth 'whitening' products, fluoride, mouthwash, toothpastes and toothbrushes.
Outlines a simple solution for the problem of public dental health, which will reduce costs and improve dental health for all.
How advertising and the media shape your expectations of dentists, and especially expectations of achieving a 'Hollywood' smile with 'white' and 'straight' teeth.

Dental technician Tom Parker opened his own on-site lab in Sydney in 1983. Over his 40 year career he was a member of dental societies such as Dental Aesthetics and Ceramics Society (DACS), Australian Society of Dental Aesthetics (ASDA), Australian Society of Implant Dentistry (ASID), Australasian Osseointergration Society (AOS), Seattle Study Club (SSC) and Alpha Omega (AO). Tom lectured to all these societies, except AO and ASID, on his work, and served on three of their committees. He also attended society meetings, lectures, seminars, congresses, conferences and specialised hands-on aesthetic courses in Australia and around the world. He has 27 certificates in addition to his qualification.

Open Wide
GoForIt Publishing
Author: Tom Parker
Price: $29.99