Yesterday I saw a new patient that had seen his old dentist regularly for years.
At his last visit his old dentist placed a small “filling”. Everything else apparently was fine!
So, to make a long and unfortunately too common story short, this patient has extensive decay and very poor dentistry. His oral hygiene is very good and with a little Ideal Dentistry this patient will have a great smile. Thank goodness his true dental problems were discovered before it was too late! It is very regretful that his old dentist practiced supervised neglect…
What do YOU expect from your dentist? Do you want the truth? OR, do you want a false sense of security that everything is ok? I firmly believe that it is YOUR decision what to do about “your” dental problems. Once I have informed you of everything that is going on, YOU can make the decision that is best for you. I will never be afraid to tell you the “truth” and give you a way to get back to good dental health.
Today a great article was published on MSN. I have included a link so everyone can read it.
Smile Article
Here is a quick Summary:
- We subconsciously connect a dull smile with age€”enamel wears over time, darkening our teeth.
- A bright smile, on the other hand, gives the impression of good health and youth.
- One quick anti-aging beauty tip: Cut back on teeth-staining habits such as drinking coffee and red wine and smoking cigarettes.
- Every day, it seems like another new study links oral health problems to other big health issues such as heart disease, premature birth, and erectile dysfunction.
10 Ways to a Healthier Smile:
- Limit carbs to mealtimes
- Don’t drink and brush – soda makes teeth weak
- Increase your vitamin C intake
- Drink tea – black or green
- Sip with a straw – soda
- Boost calcium consumption
- Protect your smile when you swim – chlorine is bad for teeth!
- Have an apple a day
- Smooch your partner – it also increases saliva in your mouth, which cleans your teeth of the bacteria that can cause cavities
- Go for whole grains
I hope you enjoy the article.
Do you want a beautiful smile but don’t want your teeth cut down?
Do you want a beautiful smile but don’t want an injection?
Do you want a beautiful smile but don’t want to go through wearing plastic teeth that could break or fall off?
Then you want super thin, super strong, no-prep veneers!
I have been restoring smiles with beautiful veneers for a very long time now, and am happy to announce that no-preparation veneers finally have approached the quality level that I demand for my patients. You can block out the color of dark teeth, change the shape of misaligned teeth, or just enhance your smile with these new veneers without the need for injections or tooth reduction in most cases!
Veneers depend on two things, the skill of the dentist and the skill of the technician. Here at Ideal Dentistry I use only the highest skilled lab technician, and as most of you know,
Almost without exception, when a patients asks me about veneers they tell me they have a friend that just got them and that they look like Chiclets. They are afraid that their teeth may turn out that way. Well, rest assured, our patients don’t get Chiclets, but rather custom designed natural looking teeth. That is what makes us different.
So, if you ever wanted a beautiful smile but were afraid of the injection or cutting down your teeth, this is your chance to get the best there is from a cosmetic dentist!
This patient came to see me after spending a fortune at another office. He was not happy with the final result.
Disclaimer: This is NOT my dentistry
The sad part is that yes, the aesthetics are not good, but there are many more problems than just the aesthetics…Now I need to meet with the patient and try to explain all the underlying issues that may not have been discussed before. Not my favorite type of discussion.
- The back teeth show severe wear and cannot support the bite as it functions right now
- The front teeth, supported by implants, are possibly failing due to the distribution of load on them
- The final aesthetics did not meet the patients expectations
- The soft tissue/gums were not managed ideally which will/has resulted in poor aesthetics
This case is very complex, no matter how much experience you have. The expectations of the patient need to be realistic as well. In my opinion we need to focus on the reason behind the wear of the teeth so that we can make this patients dentistry last! It makes no sense to only focus on the front teeth when the back teeth won’t work correctly!
If you have a complex case or very high expectations, make sure you see a dentist that has the experience and background to tackle the case!
Dentistry, just like anything in life, comes in all forms and shapes. It may be easiest to compare dentistry to something we all are familiar with, a roof.
So lets look at this roof. There are a few leaks, cracks, and mold is building up inside from the moisture. In short, you know you need a new roof. So, you have a few choices. You can get the cheap roof that lasts a few years and then will require another costly replacement, or you can pay a little more, get the best roof and be set, possibly for the rest of your life.
It seems like a pretty simple choice now, but in a few years when the same problems arise, just worse this time, you wonder why you did not fix it right in the first place. Now you have to have someone come fix a mold problem from the continuous leaking. The supporting structure of the roof is also falling apart, adding to the cost of repair.
Your warranty ran out since it was for a short time, and the insurance won’t cover failure in such a short time. In short, you are stuck with a huge time and money consuming issue now. Had you gone with the high quality roof you would have still been insured, under warranty, and not in need for any treatment for a long time. Was the quick fix worth it? I don’t think so.
Dentistry is similar. There are many ways to “patch” a tooth, but that will only result in much more trouble down the line. I see it everyday. The key is to prevent decay and rebuild teeth naturally whenever possible. Should you need any type of dentistry, fixing it right is priceless. You only have 32 teeth for your entire life.
Even perfect teeth without cavities at a normal rate of wear will need serious rebuilding after 55 years! Who want to worry about that when they are just about to retire? Now imagine what old dentistry, stress, grinding and all the other negative factors affecting your teeth will do to them? You are right, teeth take a beating and will eventually break if not treated right.
Now there is a better way! Top quality dentists can restore your mouth and keep it from breaking down, saving you money, a lot of money, and time in the long run. We all know this to be true, but few people think more than 5 years ahead.
Here at Ideal Dentistry we think ahead for you. It is our job not to just be tooth mechanics but rather mouth doctors. We treat the problems that are causing the breakdown of your teeth, then rebuild them with the best materials and skilled technicians available, and then finally help you manage and keep your teeth healthy for the rest of your life.
So, that is why the cost of poor/cheap dentistry far exceeds the cost of quality dentistry. Where do you stand? How much time and money do you want to spend on your teeth in 10, 20, or even 50 years? That is entirely up to you.
The Diane Sawyer 20/20 report on Kentucky’s Appalachian Mountain people was interesting and confirmed something I noted years ago – Mountain Dew is the drink of choice, and also a significant part of why there is so much tooth decay in Kentucky.
I have been informing my patients of the dangers associated with drinking soda, both regular and diet, and Mountain Dew is nothing but a soda loaded with extra sugar and caffeine! It gives you that jolt associated with coffee and the refreshing feeling of a soda.
Unfortunately, every time you sip a soda your teeth demineralize for 20 minutes. Continue this all day and your teeth will become very porous, which is another way of saying decayed. Teeth are very strong, but at a pH of 5.5 or less they begin to dissolve. Check the archives on my website for an article on soda and its pH…it is very interesting!
In my practice I don’t focus exclusively on treating the results of soda and sugar, but rather on how to prevent the problem in the first place. Keeping your teeth healthy and strong requires more than just brushing and flossing. For more information, call us or just stop by and talk to me.
