Beyond Clinical Walls Podcast

A Pediatric Dentist's Perspective: Dr. Wilde on Early Oral Health Care

• Dr. BCW - Dr. Curry-Winchell, M.D. • Season 1 • Episode 15

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When Dr. Blake Wild, with his unwavering passion for pediatric dentistry, enters the conversation, you can't help but be captivated by his zest for nurturing smiles on the youngest of faces. His journey to becoming a beacon of hope for children's oral health is nothing short of remarkable, all the more so for the support of his family through the crucible of dental school. Join us as we uncover the moments that shaped Dr. Wild's career, from epiphanies at Ohio State University to the creation of his practice at Dentistry for Kids in Reno, and how his devotion extends beyond the dental chair to touch the hearts of families in his community.

Nutrition and oral health hold hands in a dance that is often complex, with every bite influencing the rhythm. Dr. Wild guides us through this intricate tango, shedding light on the surprising connection between common foods and dental caries – the silent epidemic in our children's mouths. With each insight, the importance of a balanced diet becomes clearer, and the conversation shifts from the science of tooth decay to actionable tips for parents. Armed with knowledge on healthy snacking and the unwavering support of experts like Dr. Wild, every parent can lead their child in a waltz towards lifelong dental and overall health.

Wrapping up with heartfelt advice, Dr. Wild stresses the profound impact of establishing strong oral health habits early on. He places emphasis on the concept of a 'dental home' – a foundation for preventive care that can ward off major dental issues down the line. The dialogue extends an open hand to listeners, inviting them to be part of a movement towards enhanced health education. And as the final words resonate with the promise of a healthier community, we are reminded that the conversations we have today can shape the well-being of generations to come.

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Speaker 1:

Hi everyone, it's Dr BCW. Thank you, as always, for joining me. I am so excited about the guest that I have today. His name is Dr Wild and he is just an amazing individual and bringing forward health in a way that I'm just excited to hear and share and talk about what he brings forward in his practice and why he does what he does.

Speaker 1:

And so Dr Wild grew up in San Diego, california. He attended college and graduated, of course, from Brigham Young University. After college, he attended school at the Ohio State University and that's where he discovered his love for working with kiddos. He stated it brought him joy and satisfaction. Shortly after that, he moved to Arizona and completed a two-year specialty program in pediatrics industry year specialty program in pediatric dentistry. He's married to his wife, brooke, and has a family and enjoys all the hobbies and the offerings that the Reno Tahoe area has to offer, such as hiking, swimming, skiing all of that which, yes, you can do in one day when you live in Reno, nevada. And he is also a part a member, excuse me of the American Dental Association as well as the American Academy of Pediatric Dentists. I'm just so excited to have you join me today and to share your work and so forth. So welcome to the show. Please introduce yourself.

Speaker 2:

Thank you, Bayo. I think that was introduction enough. I heard that and I'm grateful for your invitation today and to be able to share a little bit about what we're trying to do here.

Speaker 1:

Excellent. Well, I always love to start with why someone does what they do, and I think that story really is so powerful. So, dr Blake, wow, tell me, why do you do what you do?

Speaker 2:

You alluded to it a little bit in the bio. I went to school at Ohio State and at Ohio State we did different specialties so we would go through rotations of various specialties in dentistry and one of my last rotations was through the pediatric clinic and I remember coming home after my time there and sitting down at the kitchen table with Brooke and saying, brooke, that was so much fun, I had so much fun today. It was different than a normal day in dental school. I was working with the kids. It was just a great time.

Speaker 2:

I think I'd like to do pediatrics and she looked at me and I said, well, it would be some more schooling a couple more years. But I remember just visiting with her and feeling a lot of peace and comfort in that decision and so we moved forward with that and haven't looked back and I think it's been a wonderful decision for us and it's been a way that I hope we've made a difference in some people's lives. So I enjoy it. I love working with the kids. It's refreshing. I think starting young allows us to perhaps make a bigger difference than catching them later in life.

Speaker 1:

You know and you mentioned, you knew it brought you joy and peace, and not a lot of people have that feeling always with what they do and sometimes, when they do, they may decide not to pursue it. I'd like to take a step back and I would love for you to share with those that are listening. How did you find dentistry in the first place? Where did that joy or love or drive, where did that originate from?

Speaker 2:

Good question. I learned early in life that my first passion baseball wasn't going to work out as a career. That's okay. I looked at a lot of different careers, honestly. I looked at law for a while and thought I could have an impact there and be able to help people through law. I learned a little bit more about that and didn't think it was the best fit for me.

Speaker 2:

And then, in talking with friends, honestly, I have some friends who are dentists and were in school and I've always wanted to do something. That I think makes a difference. I can't imagine having a career and doing something that wasn't fulfilling or brought a level of care and comfort to others. And so, boy, if I could find something that allowed me to do that but also provide for my family, win-win shadow dentists early before I decided to go into it and just watching them and their interactions with others and the impacts they were able to have with others solidified that decision and moved forward, went to dental school and, like I said, that's where I really found a love, a niche for working with kids.

Speaker 1:

And when you talk about that journey where you, you know being able to help people and also provide for your family, that win-win situation and you can feel it. You know all of us have different times or different challenges through our journey of pursuing what we would love to do, and I would love to know you know, because it is an arduous task, it's a long journey to get to where you've been able to achieve. And so for someone listening right now, can you share what allowed you to have that kind of perseverance to get through? Because we all have these dreams and passions and we find things that we love to do and want to do, things that we love to do and want to do, but then we have this real life kind of come at us and how we navigate it is really how some of us are able to kind of be able to achieve that. So any examples or things that you can share with anyone listening?

Speaker 2:

I hope so. I think you have to really want it. If it's forefront in your mind and the reasons you're doing it matter, then the difficulties can be overcome. For example, I started dental school with two children and we had two more during dental school and I remember coming home from classes and my wife was there with young children and she was tired and I wanted to help her. And so how do you balance young kids at home and having to study and learn all that's necessary to excel in school? And there were times when it was a struggle. I remember studying late into the night and setting up a little corner in the basement of our little home where I could get some quiet time and space and just focus on my studies. There will be challenges, there will be bumps in the road, but I think if we have our eyes forward, on where we're going and why we're going there, then those bumps are just little bumps instead of things that stop us in our goals and our progress.

Speaker 1:

That is powerful and I even wrote down when you said, if it matters to you, that pushes you through. And then you also stated looking at that forecast what's to come and keeping your eye on that can also help you navigate or climb those hills that seem really big at that time, but then as you get through they seem smaller and smaller and I think for those listening, whether it's dentistry, whether it's you know, whatever you're trying to pursue, what Dr Weil just mentioned, I think, is something that you should put in your playbook or in your pocket for anything in life. I think when you can map it out or put it in that perspective, it can really help push you through. I think when I look at the work that you're doing and how you love to educate and share information whether it's those challenges when you were going through dentistry school or the challenges that may come working as a dentist that love and drive of putting forward and helping people comes through.

Speaker 1:

I wanted to have a conversation with you in respect to so many different things, but highlight oral health, and often people, I think, dilute or discount it to just brushing your teeth. But it's more than that. It's more because your oral health is truly just vital to your overall health, and that's why it's so important for us to highlight that, and so I would love for you to share some of the things that you're passionate about, as far as sharing with your patients and the parents, because one thing that I love is, every time I've taken my children to you, it's not just about the kiddos, it's the adults and understanding the cross-pollination of literacy, health literacy and education that needs to happen to help overall health. So can you share with us some of the things that are important to you when you talk about that?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, I'd love to. Before I do, I want to piggyback on what you said about pressing through challenges. I don't want to paint dental school as this miserable experience. I think anyone who wants to go to dental school or any postgraduate work should. I think it's a wonderful experience and I think hindsight gives us clear vision. I look back on dental school and see it as a wonderful time in our lives, made wonderful friends, learned so much At the time. I don't know that I would have said that, but hindsight allows me to view it more clearly and I think that's true.

Speaker 2:

In life we go through challenges and they can be really hard when we're in the middle of them but we keep going through and then when we get through, we can look back and say, wow, I understand better now. I see the significance of that. I learned so much and I'm grateful for it, and I think that's a good way to press through life, because challenges will come one after the other and we just keep pushing on and learning from them and hopefully, improving and growing.

Speaker 1:

The reason why that's so important. What you mentioned and, to your point, it wasn't an overall miserable experience, but it was a tough experience and I think somebody listening right now could be going through a tough moment and hearing someone else's story really can help you feel like, okay, I can get through this. And I think that's so powerful because I talk about in med school and residency. It was so hard. It was one of the most challenging but rewarding moments in my life and, as you mentioned, as you reflect and you look back, you're like, wow, but sharing your story will help someone think about continuing and pushing forward because it is a long process, but hearing other people and how they got through it can really be that kind of catapult to help you feel like, okay, I'm going to get there.

Speaker 2:

I hope so, thank you. So your question about oral health? You're right. A lot of people look at it as something trivial, less important. It's not the real body, it's just the mouth.

Speaker 2:

Some statistics may surprise people. It's far more prevalent than most people realize, and I'll just read some of these. The Surgeon General came out with a report years ago identifying dental caries or cavities as the most common chronic disease in children. In the United States, 40% of children have cavities before they reach kindergarten. That's almost half Half of kids in our country have cavities before they make it to age five or six. Roughly 51 million school hours are lost each year dental-related illness, and so it's prevalent.

Speaker 2:

It happens, even if it's not happening in our homes. It is happening in so many homes, so we need to recognize that for what it is. It's something serious that needs to be addressed and taken care of. We know it's there. I think the why it's there is not well understood. How long have dentists been telling patients just brush, just floss, brush and floss, everything will be better. Use more fluoride here, use some more fluoride, and we've done that for a long time now, but people are still getting cavities. That's not working. The truth is, diet plays a tremendous role in oral healthcare, far more than brushing and flossing and fluoride do and I'm a fan of brushing and flossing and fluoride. Those are really important, but if we rely solely on those, it's not going to take us where we want to go in relation to oral health. I have a lot of kids I see who they brush and they floss. They do a really good job with it, but they're still getting cavities. And I have some kids who don't brush and floss very much at all and they don't get cavities. Why what's the difference? After doing this for a while, I believe it's diet related, and it's hard in our society because foods have become so convenient and we rely on those conveniences in our busy lives, but those convenient foods are packed with primarily sugars that don't help our teeth or our bodies, and so you alluded to this correlation between our oral health and our overall health, and it's a strong correlation. We're learning a lot. Recently some research was done on the correlation between oral disease and heart disease, and we're learning a lot about how that's related, and that's a big field that we could go into. But, in essence, if it's not good for your teeth, it's probably not good for your body, and there's been some wonderful podcasts and research done on that too. As far as how do we do this, how do we help people, I think better understanding the science, and I won't dive into it because that can bore a lot of people, but I'll try to make this simple.

Speaker 2:

In our mouths, we all have bacteria. Bacteria wait for a food source. Their food source is sugar and when they have sugar, they metabolize it and their byproduct is lactic acid. The lactic acid is what causes the problem. It breaks down teeth. That acid over time can cause cavities, and it's not a one-time event. It's not, boy, this weekend I am pounding a lot of sugar and I have to worry about getting a cavity because of it. That's not how it works. This is something that happens over years of habits, and what we know is that when we introduce sugar into our mouths, the bacteria use it.

Speaker 2:

Lactic acid is a byproduct, and that lactic acid sticks to our teeth or in our mouths for roughly 20 minutes.

Speaker 2:

The saliva can buffer those acids in about 20 minutes time and neutralize our mouths, so those acids are no longer affecting our teeth, and so for someone who is periodically having a snack, a sugar, the saliva can do what it does.

Speaker 2:

It can take care of our teeth, it can remineralize the teeth. But for someone who is frequently snacking on sugary snacks or carbohydrate snacks or drinking juice or soda frequently, the mouth can't handle it. The saliva can't buffer those acids and, as a result, the teeth are breaking down faster than the saliva can fix them. And so in this scenario, you see, you know, maybe it's one of my kids they go to the cupboard and they find a handful of goldfish and they eat the goldfish and they chew those, and the goldfish stick to the teeth for a while, because that's what they do. And then they're thirsty, and so they go get a sip of juice and they sip on that juice for a period of a half hour, little by little, and then they want a couple crackers or a couple animal crackers or cookies, and so you see this pattern of frequent snacking. The whole time the mouth is in this acidic environment and cannot recover from it. And so it's this process over time, years, sometimes that leads to cavities.

Speaker 1:

And so important to understand that hopefully simple science, so we can attack the source of the problem, which is the foods we eat, how often we're having them and snacking patterns us, but when you are eating snacks, continuously, overcompensating for the saliva to be able to take over and help, there's no way that you can possibly catch up, and then, of course, the outcome, unfortunately, are cavities. There are a couple of things in there that you mentioned when we talk about food and then when we talk about access because that is, of course, very important to me from that health equity standpoint and, as you mentioned, over time our food has become more processed. We are eating foods that are not nutritious, and we are seeing it in cancers oral cancers as well as colon cancer, breast cancers all of these cancers that used to present themselves at a later stage of life, and now we're seeing 30-year-olds, 40-year-olds, get cancers that we normally didn't see. And so I think it goes back to, as you mentioned, not only just understanding what the value is when it comes to what we put in our mouth and that impact on our teeth and our overall health, and then also what has happened over time with the processing of foods. I think, just through that, it's a wonderful understanding for people to think about what they eat and how it can impact not just their lives right now but also future.

Speaker 1:

When we talk about habits and we talk about how we snack. What are some suggestions that you could give to parents and kids? Because, as a parent myself and as you're a parent we do our best trying to help themselves, but I think it's a two-way street. Can you share some tips that can help that parent or grandparent, somebody who has a little one, as well as that kiddo?

Speaker 2:

Happy to. It takes some planning right, because when we're hungry, we'll basically grab anything, and a kid is the same way. If they're hungry and the option is goldfish or crackers or chips, that's what they're getting, and so it requires a little bit of planning and understanding. So there's an experiment you can do at home which I think will illustrate the importance of what I'm talking about. Go home and get a handful of chips or goldfish or crackers, eat them and look at your teeth, look at your molar teeth, and see how long it takes the food to leave those molars. It's usually about 10 minutes. So they're sticky, and so that stickiness is a problem because it feeds the bacteria that much longer.

Speaker 2:

Okay, now get a piece of bread and eat the piece of bread and see how long it sticks to your teeth. That's one factor. Does it stick to my teeth? And so, in this case, something like a peanut butter sandwich would be far better for the teeth than a peanut butter cracker. A cracker, in essence, is really a dried out piece of bread. It's just really sticky. And the same is true for a dried fruit. That dried fruit, the sugar is concentrated, but it sticks to our teeth. For a dried fruit that dried fruit. The sugar is concentrated, but it sticks to our teeth for a lot longer, and so a fresh piece of fruit is way better than a dried piece of fruit for our teeth. And so, okay, we know that now let's be smart, let's plan ahead. Let's not wait until we're starving to make the decisions of what we're going to eat.

Speaker 2:

What can I have at home that will make it easier to snack on healthy foods when we're hungry? Well, instead of going for crackers, I can take out a piece of bread and I can make a peanut butter sandwich. Even a jam on that sandwich is okay, because it's not as sticky. I can make a quesadilla. I can put cheese in a tortilla, and the cheese is wonderful for our teeth. That tortilla is not going to stick to our teeth for a long time. Fresh fruit is wonderful. Nuts are wonderful. Meats are wonderful. Cheeses, like I said, are wonderful. Popcorn is a great snack. Even ice cream is better than something like a graham cracker, because that ice cream there's sugar in it. Yes, there's sugar, but how long does the ice cream stick to our teeth in it? Yes, there's sugar, but how long does the ice cream stick to our teeth? Unless it's filled with Heath bars or something like that, that ice cream is washing from our teeth rather quickly.

Speaker 1:

See, this was so helpful. I'm learning so many different things. Thank you, those are just amazing tips. Now, from a health equity standpoint, I would love to hear your thoughts. As we know, getting overall health is a challenge. To be able to access it, to have quality care, and so for those families that are listening that may not be able to see a dentist or know somebody who can't see a dentist, and what could you tell those families and I know this is not you to solve all of those problems, but is there anything that you could share with those families or those kiddos, of things that they can do until they can get, of course, to a dentist?

Speaker 2:

I would start early. Try to start early developing those dietary habits because, for example, once a child drinks juice or drinks soda, water doesn't taste very good anymore, and so making that switch at that point is a lot harder than just not starting it at all. Same with snacking. Try and develop early good habits. Do your best I know it can be a challenge, I get that, but do your best. Every little bit makes a difference. Brush that, but do your best. Every little bit makes a difference. Brush floss yes, those are important things. Do that each day.

Speaker 2:

Drink a lot, a lot of water. That water can neutralize a mouth faster often than saliva can, and so drink water with meals. Drink water as much as possible and really watch the frequency of how often we're snacking. I know kids like to eat frequently my kids did too and just try to steer them towards snacks that won't damage their teeth. As far as getting to a dentist, hopefully you live in an area where it is accessible. Yeah, that's an issue on a level that perhaps goes beyond our discussion today in public health, but get there as soon as you can and hopefully develop that relationship with a dental office and make it a dental home.

Speaker 1:

Yes, and even though it's something that we can't solve but just raising awareness about it is huge but also providing solutions and tips that whoever's listening right now that may not be able to access, you've now given them something that they can do, not only for their children but for themselves, and I believe in this cross-pollination of learning from kiddos to adults and so forth for your overall health.

Speaker 1:

And the other piece I want to come full circle. You know you mentioned those statistics when we talk about disease rate and missing school, all of those factors, and so through this conversation, not only have we highlighted why oral health is so important and really dissected the fundamentals of why it is and what it can cause, and then highlighting the data that shows kiddos are missing school, they're having these other illnesses and disease processes, all secondary to not being able to have appropriate oral health and good health that they can create these habits that are long lasting. I am so grateful for this conversation. You have really provided tips and things that they can do within their own household, as well as things that they can share with others, and so I am hopeful, dr Blake Wilde, that we can have a part two and continue the conversation in a couple of months about oral health and all of the impacts that it does have when we talk about our overall health. I would love to know is there anything else that you would like to share with the viewers listening?

Speaker 2:

There's so much. I mean this is something we talk about the importance of getting to the dental office early, when we can talk about how to avoid these problems. It's so much easier to prevent than fix later on. I see a lot of young kids and it's wonderful to see them early, even age one, to talk about what we can do to avoid the problem, and early on, if little problems are starting, we can do things that slow down the progression of the problem. We can avoid a lot of future restorative work if we can catch it early enough. Things have progressed to a point where now really the only option is to do significant treatment and that's what we want to avoid and we can typically, if we can, start this dialogue early.

Speaker 1:

That's important for people to hear. There's often this fear or concern I don't want to know. You know, from a from as a physician standpoint, I'll hear patients who waited a long time to come in from a symptom, an ailment, just because they didn't want to know that news. And, to your point, getting ahead of it or understanding what's happening right then and there, or hopefully preventing it, is vital in hopes of having less complications and just starting early. So I really encourage anyone listening as little ones and for yourself because again, everybody in the family has to be a part of this to go and take your oral health as a priority, because often it's just not really thought of at the beginning, but it should be beginning, but it should be, because it is truly the portal to your health in all areas. And so thank you, dr Blake Wilde, for joining me. Can you share with those how they can find you, where you're at your location?

Speaker 2:

Yeah, happy to Thank you. I work as a pediatric dentist at Dentistry for Kids. We're in the south part of Reno and you can look me up online if you'd like and I can share more or answer any questions you have. Thank you so much for the opportunity to come and chat today. I hope that what we've talked about can help someone.

Speaker 1:

It will and I'm really excited about this episode and more to come, just to continue this conversation, because dialogue is health education, dialogue is health literacy the more we can highlight things that people just may not know about, understand or just overall have the opportunity to hear about. That's how you're going to move that needle and help people overall. This is Dr BCW. Thank you for joining Beyond Clinical Walls. As always, I always end with a level of gratitude for you taking the time to listen and share all of this information that we put forward. This is Dr BCW. Thank you for listening to Beyond Clinical Walls.

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Dr. Bayo Curry-Winchell, M.D.

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