Got Teeth? A Survivor's Guide: How to keep your teeth or live without them! (Paperback)

~ Saundra Goodman (Author) "Gum disease is a threat to your oral health and general well being..." (more)
Key Phrases: denture gain, immediate denture, home care instructions, Got Teeth, Survivor's Guide, Saundra Goodman (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Your heart beats quickly, your knuckles clench, and your palms sweat. First date? Job Interview? No. The receptionist just called your name and asked you to have a seat - in the DENTIST'S CHAIR! Every sight, sound, and smell triggers haunting childhood memories. For those who have had unpleasant experiences in the dentist's chair, the anticipation of each visit can be debilitating - and the reason why dental visits are put off until the point of no return. With over 75% of the population suffering from gum disease in varying stages, we are faced with difficult choices and sometimes - no choices: 1-1/2 million people each year get dentures. Periodontal disease can contribute to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, pre-term low-birth weight babies, stroke, and more. With notes and quotes from dental professionals, Section One may help you keep your teeth and improve your health. In Section Two, Saundra delivers a blunt and sometimes humorous (sure, she can laugh now!) account of her life-changing experience with periodontal disease, bone loss, and tooth loss. Her story sheds light on the stages of shock and devastation of realizing your teeth are leaving you, and learning to accept their replacements. Got Teeth? A Survivor's Guide walks you through it - step by step - from "HOW did this happen to ME?" to "WHY didn't anybody tell ME?" Her answer? "BECAUSE NOBODY TALKS ABOUT IT!" I was blessed! I read Got Teeth? at the very time I was awaiting surgery to remove all my natural teeth! If it were not for Saundra and her keen wisdom about adapting to change, I would have gone in blind because NOBODY TALKS ABOUT IT. Armed with this knowledge and knowing which questions to ask made all the difference in the world. I recommend this book to anyone facing dental trauma, or especially if someone you love is dealing with it. Linda S. Please visit www.gotteethguide.com

Product Details

• Paperback: 220 pages
• Publisher: Dog Ear Publishing, LLC (April 11, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1598582992
• ISBN-13: 978-1598582994
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #184,281 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for anyone who values their teeth, June 12, 2007

By	Kathleen Gage (Pleasant Hill, OR) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Most of us have been taught about the care of our teeth by a dental professional. In reading, Got Teeth? A Survivor's Guide, I quickly realized there is a lot we may not have been told.

Author Saundra Goodman covers a topic most people would rather ignore and yet, mustn't. For anyone interested in learning what you can do to save your teeth, this book is a must read. For those who want to know what to do when you have been told you will need dentures, this book is one you absolutely must have.

The author makes it clear she is not a dental professional, but rather an expert based on her own personal experiences as a patient who went through the heartache, pain and frustration of losing her teeth. Join her in a personal journey of frustration, anger, denial, laughter and acceptance that you will remember for a long time.

Saundra Goodman offers incredible insights into what the experience of needing dentures is like and how, in some cases, it can be avoided. She also covers other areas of health risks that poor oral hygiene impacts that many people know nothing about. There is more information in this one book then you could find with years of your own research.

If you value your teeth; want to keep them as long as possible; have gotten or will be getting dentures, order Got Teeth? A Survivor's Guide immediately. You will be glad you did.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Brushing And Flossing Are Just The Beginning, August 11, 2007

By	Apex Reviews (Durham, NC USA) - See all my reviews

You exercise everyday, running at least 40 miles a week. You eat healthily, staying away from fast food. You don't even drink alcohol that often, preferring to enjoy a sip or two on social occasions. Yet, one day you get pains in your chest, you have shortness of breath, and as you're rushed to the hospital your worst fears are confirmed: you just had a heart attack. There's no history of heart problems in your family, and you appear to be in perfect health, so you ask the doctor how this could have happened. The answer stuns you: bacteria in your bloodstream triggered your liver to produce a protein creating fatty deposits that lodged around your heart - and the bacteria came from your diseased gums!

Years ago, this may have sounded like the ruminations of a random quack, but it is now a scientific fact: gum disease is a leading cause of heart attacks. In fact, it is now the second leading risk factor for them, behind only smoking. Got Teeth? A Survivor's Guide is teeming with educational nuggets just like this, as Saundra Goodman has compiled a veritable encyclopedia of crucial facts and information regarding the importance of dental care. In it, she presents a detailed A-B-C guide to the various diseases and risk factors to look out for, but she also does an admirable job of apprising the reader of the specific steps to take in order to avoid falling victim to them.

For example, the aforementioned protein that causes fatty deposits to lodge around the heart is known as C-reactive protein (CRP). Given how expensive health care is these days, you may think that a test to diagnose the levels of CRP in your body would cost upwards in the thousands - but, as Goodman informs, even for the uninsured the test costs around $60. An unbeatable price to pay for the sake of knowing that your health is secure from a silent killer you would never have known had invaded your body.

Also, for all the old-school die-hards who think that brushing your teeth or washing your mouth out with baking soda solution will help clean your teeth and rid your mouth of unwanted bacteria, you may be surprised to learn that baking soda is actually very abrasive and can ruin the enamel on your teeth - so don't be surprised if the cavities keeping popping up despite how much Arm & Hammer you're using.

To help highlight the evolution of dental care, Goodman even provides detailed accounts of different cultures throughout history, such as the Chinese, Romans, and Phoenicians, and their various approaches to toothcare. One may be surprised to learn that the Chinese are credited with inventing the modern bristle toothbrush in the 1490's due to their belief in "toothworms" that infest the mouth. It may also be just as surprising to discover that, in order to secure a steady supply of healthy teeth for study, ancient dentists often obtained them - for a price - from soldiers that plucked them out of the mouths of fallen combatants on the battlefield.

Of course, what you may find most surprising of all is the fact that Paul Revere himself, instead of his storied midnight ride to Lexington, is actually best known as the forefather of one of the tactics employed in a random episode of CSI...

Closing out with her own personal story of triumph over the woes of dental despair, Got Teeth? is a delightful and informative read that you will find crucial not only to your dental health, but your greater health overall. Your body will thank you for it.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Informative Journey, June 24, 2007

By	Josette Michele (Pasadena, CA United States) - See all my reviews

After reading this book I thanked my lucky stars that I have always had ethical and caring dentists working on my mouth. Saundra details her journey through periodontal disease and apathetic dental caregivers that eventually ends in her losing half her teeth and needing to wear a denture.

This book is full of helpful tips, information on the mouth/body connection, and interesting history on the origins of modern dentistry. I would recommend this book especially to anyone that has ever had bleeding gums, unexplained bad breath, or a history of dental problems. This could be a wonderful resource to answer questions and avoid unnecessary pain of upcoming dental surgery and recuperation.