Putting more teeth into his dental exams

By studying more than just teeth, Lawrence resident Dr. Jan Wade Gilbert, said his dental examinations seek to find out the root causes of his patient’s problems.

Working out of home on Broadway for the past 25 years, Dr. Gilbert said his dental examinations look at things not many dentists are paying attention to. “This new examination I perform, asks the question, ‘what is causing destruction in the mouth?,” he said. “It forces dentists to focus on nutrition which is the single most influential thing in health care. Even though it’s influential, no one ever talks about it.”

He looks at a patient’s cavities, digestive problems, periodontal disease, acidic saliva, canker sores as well as changes in tongue and fingernails. His examination is similar to a standard dental examination but he adds an extra two minutes and gives the patient a mirror so they can see what he sees, takes their blood pressure and tests their saliva to see how acidic it is.

The additional 120 seconds help Dr. Gilbert and the patient find out the cause of cavities or gum disease. Following the examination, a consultation is given so the patient can decide on their treatment options. “Once we eliminate the causes, we stop the destructive processes,” he said. “The patient ends up as a healthier patient and many of their symptoms diminish or disappear.”

Ellen Moore, a Valley Stream resident and patient of Dr. Gilbert’s for more than 30 years, said her teeth are in wonderful shape thanks to him. She added that when she had a problem with bone density, she took his advice.

“I get bone density tests on a regular basis and when my doctor told me I should take medication to increase my bone density, Dr. Gilbert referred that I not take it,” Moore said. “I didn’t take it and with his guidance, I increased my bone density within two years without medication.”

Fred Green of Queens said his parents recommended him to Dr. Gilbert and has been seeing him since 1993. “My teeth are in excellent shape and I find that because of him my teeth are actually cleaner than before I started seeing him,” he said. “I had some orthodontic work done before I started seeing him and my orthodontist is amazed at how much cleaner my teeth are.”

Green added that Dr. Gilbert runs his dental practice himself and does not have a dental technician to assist him. “He’s hands on,” Green said. “He doesn’t just believe in dealing with the person’s mouth. He believes his primary duty is to make sure people have healthy teeth but a person’s general health is also important.” Harvard Medical School studies have found that people who have fewer teeth live fewer years, Dr. Gilbert said. “Like Plato said, ‘your mouth is a reflection of the body and the tongue is a mirror of the body,” he said.

Right now until the end of the summer, the examinations are free at Dr. Gilbert’s office, by appointment only. Call him at (516) 239-3333 to book an appointment.