Dentist and periodontist Carlos Molina compares oral hygiene routines to cleaning a house: “For it to be perfect, you have to reach every corner.” In this interview, he admits the job of a dentist includes fighting misinformation and breaking myths, but on the other hand, seeing patients progressing positively brings every dentist great fulfilment.
What routines do you find most critical for maintaining proper oral health?
The most critical routines are the ones that help clean and maintain the places with the highest incidence of periodontal disease and cavities, which are also the hardest parts to reach. The key is to be able to find the right interdental brush for the right space, and second, learn the proper brushing technique for posterior sites.
What does the word prevention mean to you?
The word prevention is the essence of what dentistry should be about. It means being able to maintain good oral health on all levels.
What is your “golden rule” or advice that you tell your patients often?
I often tell my patients that their oral hygiene routine should be like cleaning their house. For it to be perfect, you have to reach every corner.
What’s the biggest challenge of your job?
The biggest challenge of my job is to eliminate misinformation. People believe in myths, propaganda and all sorts of misinformation which is, after a lifetime of wrongdoing, very hard to change. To speak in examples: “a hard toothbrush is the only way to remove plaque” and “mouth rinses are enough to prevent plaque formation”. These myths are still very common in Ecuador.
Welcome to the Billion Healthy Mouths Club
Proper routines in prevention are the future of dentistry – that’s why we at Curaden launched the Billion Healthy Mouths Club – a community of dental professionals committed to the idea of having proper routines in prevention and a holistic approach to dentistry. is one of those dental professionals who shares these values, and we proudly present his experience and thoughts with other like-minded people from the field. Keep reading our Gently magazine to discover more interviews with forward-thinking professionals from around the world.
What’s the thing that you like about your job the most?
Seeing the impact I can have on a patient’s health. Observing the whole process of change towards the better. Whenever a patient comes to a follow-up appointment and says “my mouth doesn’t smell bad anymore” or “I feel much better”, I feel much better then, too.
What’s the most important thing in terms of an oral care routine, from your point of view?
The most important thing in terms of oral hygiene is the mechanical control of biofilm. There is no such thing as good oral health unless there is good mechanical control. It is directly proportional.
What’s the biggest oral health myth that you fight against?
The biggest oral health myth I fight against is the use of hard toothbrushes. People think it is the only way to keep your mouth clean, but the reality is that this actually only hurts your gums. Sadly, many professionals still recommend it.
Dr. Carlos Molina is a professor of periodontology at the Universidad de los Hemisferios, and he also works in private practice for periodontology at the Consultorio Molina in Quito-Ecuador. Alongside his dedicated work in the periodontology field, he is also an iTOP Lecturer that speaks on the importance of hands-on prevention and mechanical biofilm control in order to achieve optimal health. Currently, he is the Ph.D candidate at Universidade Federal Do Rio Grande Do Sul. For more information, follow Carlos Molina on Facebook or Instagram.
