Dr. Adam Langan of the Langan Dental Health Center in Norfolk, leads his community to a healthier future.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), dental caries (cavities) is an epidemic in the United States; and although it is largely preventable, it remains the most common chronic disease of children aged 5 to 17 years — 4 times more common than asthma. Dr. Adam Langan decided it was time to offer his patients something different. Instead of offering the tired ‘brush and floss’ advice, his patients can look forward to a program built on a new model of health: the Caries Free Zone.
“It is time for something new,” says Dr. Langan. “We have been telling the same story of cavities for years, and it is obviously not working. Here at the Langan Dental Health Center, we have decided to elevate the conversation with our patients. Patients are smart and there is no reason to oversimplify this complex biofilm disease any longer.” With the launching of a Caries Free Zone in office, Dr. Langan will not only change the content of the conversation about dental decay, but also change the approach he takes with patients. The process now includes a comprehensive risk assessment where the patient is a mutual expert during the caries risk conversation. Langan states, “It is not always diet or hygiene related, and we need to start discussing other risk factors like medication, saliva flow, presence of oral appliances, and current bacterial challenge. “When a patient knows how and why they are experiencing decay we can form a true partnership and plan how we are going to reduce their risk,” says Rebecca Edwards, RDH. 
Dr. Langan explains, “The ultimate goal is to bring each and every patient into a low to moderate risk category and keep them there long term. If we can do that, we can start to create a truly cavity free patient base. All of our patients that follow through with our new program will be initiated into our Caries Free Zone and represent the future of oral health in our practice and community. This disease is absolutely preventable, and it is time for us to take the lead in reframing how we co-manage the treatment and ultimately, prevention of dental caries.”
About Dr. Adam Langan:
Dr. Langan graduated from Norfolk Senior High School in 2001. He then received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology with a minor in Biochemistry from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2005. He worked as a teaching assistant in the Biology department and as a student researcher in the Plant Pathology Department at UNL. Dr. Langan then attended the University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Dentistry where he graduated with distinction as a Doctor of Dental Surgery.
Dr. Langan is a member of the American Dental Association, the Nebraska Dental Association, and the Academy of General Dentistry.
