Dr. Robert Nara: Freedom from Dental Disease

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When a patient comes into my Oramedics office, he or she is given—as a part of the routine examination—a U.S. Navy plaque index test. Now, most people will be curious about this test, because it's unfamiliar to them. The staff then explains what the test is: that it was developed and is in constant use by the Navy, and that it is a means of measuring the amount of plaque—a film made up of bacteria, food particles, and saliva —which is adhering to the teeth. From that point, most folks want to know how the test relates to them and how they can improve their "score".

Similarly, when we ask the patient to spit into a little bottle, he or she will usually ask why we're doing this. The question is a logical one, and we answer that the saliva sample will be tested to let us know the amount of bacteria that the mouth contains.

And, once the person understands the reasons for the tests, he or she is told that— if we all work together—we can eradicate most of the plaque and bacteria . . . and thus create an oral ecology that will no longer support tooth decay or gum disease!

Of course, most folks become a bit suspicious upon hearing this. But, we go on to explain that their suspicion is a product of an "old" frame of reference . . . and that the frame of reference will have to be changed because Oramedics doesn't accept tooth decay or bad gums.
The two tests, then, help the dentist understand whatever problems are present. But. more important, they also help the patient see the problems. And, once you let someone understand his or her disease—and then convince that person that the disease can be simply and inexpensively cured—you can expect that he or she will cooperate with you to get the illness cleared up.

Over a period of almost 20 years of using these methods, we have never failed to eliminate dental disease from the mouth of anyone who has cooperated with us. Of course, we have had some folks say, "Dr. Nara, you're some kind of a nut," and just get up and go out the door.

PLOWBOY: What percentage of your patients have refused to follow the program and left your practice?

NARA: We've kept careful records on that. Over the years we've lost between three and five percent of our patients because they weren't willing to try—or stick with—the program.

PLOWBOY: That leaves you with quite an impressive "success ratio".

NARA: And the people who do stay to listen get our message, and once they get the message, it stands to reason that they'll follow through. I mean, who really wants to have bad teeth? Then. of course, once the results begin to show up—which is usually in a matter of weeks—these patients feel very proud of themselves, and rightly so ... because Oramedics is self-help dentistry. The dentist's office becomes a place where the patient can check the progress that he or she is making toward having a completely disease-free mouth!

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