Dentistry goes beyond cleaning and filling teeth in this century. Dentist have the unique ability to help patients understand how sugar and acid is slowly killing all of us. Yes, it is that bad.
Sure, Cosmetic Dentists love to fix your smile and make you look great, but we have an opportunity to not only save your smile…but your health.
More and more studies from reputable sources (Mayo Clinic, etc.) are confirming the facts that acid (diet) and sugar (diet) are the root of almost all health evil.
The good news is that dentists on the cutting edge, such as Ideal Dentistry, help you not only fix broken teeth but become a healthier, happier human being. We do not use amalgam (silver mercury that is banned in many countries) or other products that do more harm than good. We put you first and tell it as it is, like it or not 🙂
So if you have a dentist that still insists that silver fillings are fine and you should rinse daily with Listerine and brush with Colgate Total, run, fast. Want to know why? Come visit us and learn about your health, preservatives, acids, toxins, and why quality care means more than just nice looking teeth.
Silver Mercury Fillings, or Amalgams, have been around since the beginning of dentistry. Back in those days it seemed like a good idea to mix mercury with silver and place it into teeth. The dangers of mercury were not yet known…
Silver Mercury Fillings were invented in 1819 (the first amalgam filling was placed in 1830 in the USA). The car was not invented until 1885!
Many things have changed since the wild west days, but mercury fillings are still placed in the United States.
Mercury fillings have been banned in Europe and Canada for their obvious release of Mercury and consequent toxicity. Nobody is denying this anymore, not even the FDA.
At Ideal Dentistry we put your health first. We have been mercury free and are a certified mercury free dental practice.
If you have mercury fillings that you are concerned about, seek out a dentist that practices what he/she preaches (Do they have mercury in their mouth? Did they just recently stop placing mercury fillings or are they still placing them?).
Read this interview with Dr. Oz and watch the “smoking teeth” video to see the actual mercury vapors released by the silver mercury fillings.
What does Endocarditis, Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes, Osteoporosis and Alzheimer’s Disease have in common?
They all have been linked closely to the mouth!
Your oral health no longer is just about shiny white teeth and good breath, but your entire health depends on it.
The bacteria in the mouth can be very dangerous and literally kill you. Read the Mayo Clinic Report below to learn more about how these diseases are related to your mouth.
At Ideal Dentistry we have understood this link for a long time and focus on creating a healthier you, not just fix teeth. Every patient receives a very thorough consultation which includes an emphasis on nutrition, one of the major reasons why the mouth is breaking down in today’s society.
Addressing the cause of the problems rather than just fixing them is they key.
Look at it like this:
You have a thorn deep in your hand, so you see the doctor to address the pain. The doctor sees that you have pain, swelling and some bleeding, so he/she prescribes antibiotics for the swelling, cleans the wound and puts a brand new bandage on it for you. What is the problem with this? THE THORN is the problem, not the infection, the swelling or the bleeding!
This analogy can be used all too often for Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease, Osteoporosis and almost all other major disease.
The solution? REMOVE THE THORN.
We live in a pill society, meaning, when we have a headache we take a headache pill, when we have a stomach ache we take a stomach pill, when we have a disease we take a pill created for the disease. A pill will not solve your problem, only mask it. To make it even worse, each pill has a negative side effect that then often is addressed with, you guessed it, a pill.We want a quick fix for everything (think drive through food).
A pill society is wonderful for pharmaceutical companies – it makes them a lot of money, but it is terrible for you.
So, to summarize, don’t put off fixing your oral health or it will slowly kill you in a painful, expensive process. Find a dentist that is not a tooth mechanic but rather a biological mouth doctor.
The mighty OAK is a great analogy to you, the mighty HUMAN.
Both the oak and you need stability to grow strong and live long. Here is how the oak tree does it:
Oak trees have a strong roots system that nourishes and supports the tree.
In human beings we need a strong root system to nourish and maintain the body as well. Over the past 13 years I have developed a 5 root stability program that allows you to become the strongest and healthiest “you” that you can be. Each one of these 5 roots is essential to helping you escape the dental cycle and even more importantly, live a healthy long life. At Ideal Dentistry we treat each patient according to this stability program helping them ensure their dentistry lasts longer and they live healthy, productive lives.
Here are the 5 roots of the Stability Program:
INFECTIONS
DECAY
FUNCTION
NUTRITION
ORAL HYGIENE
Satisfy all the requirements in the above 5 categories and you too can ensure your mouth is healthy.
To learn the details of each root just become a patient of Ideal Dentistry and take the first step towards dental peace.
A beautiful smile is a treasure. It helps you in every aspect of life from your social life to your work life. Smiles open doors, confuse an approaching frown, are contagious and release endorphins, making you feel better.
A beautiful smile changes how other people think of you, and more importantly, how you feel about yourself.
A beautiful smile allows you to express yourself and engage others more easily.
Here is a collection of statements made over time about smiles. Enjoy.
When someone smiles in is universally known as an expression ofhappiness which is recognized by almost all cultures.
A frown uses more muscles to contract and expand then a smile does.
Smiling releases endorphins and makes us feel better, even when you fake a smile you can feel better.
A person that smiles more is deemed to be more pleasant, sincere, attractive and more sociable then a on-smiling person.
We are born with the ability to smile, it is not something that we copy. For instance, even blind babies are able to smile.
Humans are able to differentiate between a real smile and a fake smile by seeing the difference in a persons eyes when they smile.
Newborns tend to have more preference for a person with a smile then a person that is not smiling.
It boosts your immune system: Smiling really can improve your physical health, too. Your body is more relaxed when you smile, which contributes to good health and a stronger immune system.
Smiles are contagious: It’s not just a saying: smiling really is contagious, scientists say. In a study conducted in Sweden, people had difficulty frowning when they looked at other subjects who were smiling, and their muscles twitched into smiles all on their own.
We still smile at work: While we smile less at work than we do at home, 30% of subjects in a research study smiled five to 20 times a day, and 28% smiled over 20 times per day at the office.
Smiling helps you get promoted: Smiles make a person seem more attractive, sociable and confident, and people who smile more are more likely to get a promotion.
Smiles are the most easily recognizable facial expression: People can recognize smiles from up to 300 feet away, making it the most easily recognizable facial expression.
Smiles are more attractive than makeup: A research study conducted by Orbit Complete discovered that 69% of people find women more attractive when they smile than when they are wearing makeup.
Before you put on a frown, make absolutely sure there are no smiles available. ~Jim Beggs
Wrinkles should merely indicate where smiles have been. ~Mark Twain
The robbed that smiles, steals something from the thief. ~William Shakespeare, Othello
I’ve never seen a smiling face that was not beautiful. ~Author Unknown
So, be sure to smile at someone today, you will brighten both your days!
Nobody likes to see the dentist, yet our lifestyles are geared towards tooth decay and inevitable dental visits. Cavities are €œnormal€ and expected, yet they are completely preventable.
Each new patient at my practice receives a comprehensive exam and then, most importantly, a consultation on where they stand, how they got there and what it takes to avoid any future dental problems.
Here is a general synopsis of the information you can expect during your consultation:
Bacteria: Â Sugar Bugs DO NOT Eat Teeth
There is a common misconception out there that bacteria eat teeth and cause the cavities. Well, that is simply not true. Bacteria do not eat teeth. Bacteria eat junk food, candy, sugar, etc., then €œrelease€ acid as a waste product. This acid sits on the teeth, demineralizing them. This demineralization is what we call a cavity. In other words, acid causes cavities, not bacteria.
Maintenance: Â Clean Teeth Are Easier To Maintain
So imagine this. You have a brand new car that was just waxed and buffed. As water and dust fall onto the paint it easily blows off due to the shiny slick surface. Water pearls right of a freshly waxed car. Now how about a car that has a very old scratched paint job with swirl marks all over it. It is dull and dingy without any shine. Dirt sticks to it and water just sits on it. Well, the same thing happened to teeth.
Acid does not only cause decay but it makes the entire tooth surface more like sandpaper, not glass. The acid slowly eats at the surface taking away that shiny glassy look and feel. Now every food particle sticks to the teeth. Bacteria live in this food that sticks to the teeth and release more acid, which in turn makes the tooth more like sandpaper. Now those €œpearly whites€ are not pearly anymore by any means. They are food traps. This trapped food, bacteria and waste product also gives you bad breath!
The 2 minute rule of brushing was created for perfect pearly white teeth, not for sandpaper like tooth surfaces. 2 minutes of brushing on sandpaper teeth is almost useless. Double or triple this time, at least, if you want to actually clean all your teeth. Taking this into account, how many kids that have acid eaten teeth that are now more like sandpaper actually brush correctly for 2 minutes? I venture to guess very few. The national average for all people is more like 1 minute.
If you have clean, shiny hard teeth then 2 minutes of brushing and flossing will maintain your mouth very well, but if you have less than perfect teeth due to constant acid exposure then you need to brush longer and more frequently. The good news is that teeth can remineralize!
Acid:Â Â Where Does It Come From And How Do I Avoid It?
This is the most important dental question anyone could ask. If you understand this then you know how to prevent cavities as well as seeing the dentist. We know that cavities are actually caused by acid eating into the teeth, therefore the goal is to eliminate acid from the mouth. A quick lesson on pH: Teeth demineralize at a pH of 5.5 or less. So, anything that has a pH of 5.5 or less should be avoided. Soda, diet or regular, has a pH around 3-4. Most mouthwashes have a pH in the mid 3s. Flavored water has a pH in the 3s. All these products create an environment in your mouth that dissolves your teeth and helps bacteria grow. There are only a few liquids that are not acidic, regular water being one of them. After taking a sip of soda it takes 20 minutes, in a healthy mouth, to get the pH back to neutral (7.4). So, if you have to drink a soda, drink it quickly, do not sip, and rinse with water afterwards.
The moral of the story check and be aware of the pH of what you eat and drink – You are what you eat!
Rebuilding/Remineralizing Teeth
Yes, you can rebuild and remineralize your teeth, naturally! With the right amount of minerals in your diet/saliva your teeth will rebuild themselves. The key is to rebuild your teeth quicker than they are breaking down. Every person€™s teeth break down and rebuild at different rates. Some people seem to never get cavities regardless of what they eat or drink, while others just look at a soda and get decay. Your best bet is to focus on rebuilding your teeth while eliminating acid from your diet.
So, how do you rebuild teeth? There are several products out there that help rebuild teeth such as fluoride and MI Paste, a calcium derived product. Furthermore, your saliva needs to be plentiful and packed with the right minerals. Certain medications such as allergy medications reduce the saliva flow and that significantly impacts the ability of your saliva to protect and rebuild your teeth. A healthy well balanced diet is very important. Avoid processed food, preserved food and junk food. Buy whole organic and natural products whenever possible. Snack on vegetables such as carrots and celery, not chips. Drink lots of spring water, not flavored water. Essentially, if the earth does not make it then avoid it!
Dentistry:Â Â Fix the REASON Behind The Problem First
Often fillings are placed and the reason given is that there was decay. Well, yes, obviously there was decay, but why was there decay? The focus, first and foremost, needs to be on how the decay got there in the first place, otherwise decay will come right back around the filling or on another tooth. During your consultation we will evaluate your current dental health, diet and hygiene. This will give me a baseline on how decay prone you are. From here we work on building a strong foundation that is decay resistant.
This is our tagline for a reason here at Ideal Dentistry. More and more people are re-discovering the benefits of eating natural, organic foods! You are what you eat is one of the best statements ever coined.
Just the other day somebody bought some cupcakes for a birthday party here at Ideal Dentistry. The thought was great, but I was stunned by the incredibly long list of ingredients! Here is a photo of the ingredient list of the cupcakes:
Really now, what DOES it take to make cupcakes? I did a few searches for natural cupcakes, and below is the list I came up with:
1 1/2 cups cake flour 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 2 1/4 teaspoons Baking Powder 3/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup unsalted butter, softened 2 cups sugar 4 large eggs, beaten 1 cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla
That is 9 ingredients, not counting the frosting for the NATURAL cupcakes.
The “grocery store” cupcakes have OVER 60 ingredients!
Are you kidding me? 60+ ingredients? There is something wrong here…
What does this mean? Well, simply put, we use the most natural procedures and products available. We have never used mercury in any fillings, and focus on the whole body, not just the teeth.
It is hard to believe that still today in the USA the most common filling placed is a mercury filling!
When you become a member of Ideal Dentistry you will be treated according to our founding principles:
The less dentistry we perform the better for the patient
Treat the individual, not the tooth
Use natural products and procedures whenever possible
Help the patient escape the Dental Cycle as soon as possible
Deliver comfortable, quality dentistry in a pleasant, earth friendly environment
We want our patients to feel comfortable knowing that we use the most natural products available (some created by Dr. Hahn specifically for our office), which in turn reduces the chemicals you are exposed to on a daily basis. Less is more. Our dental office is designed to be earth friendly conserving our precious resources whenever possible.
Ideal Dentistry is your partner in ideal, natural oral health
Ready to switch to a more natural alternative? CALL Lori at 502-228-4585 to schedule your COMPLIMENTARY consultation today!
You see the dentist for your bi-annual cleaning and check-up, and a cavity is €œdiscovered. You schedule an appointment, go in and get your cavity fixed, and then wait till your next cleaning and check-up appointment, at which point a new cavity is discovered and you schedule an appointment to get it fixed. Repeat this for the next foreseeable future you there you go; you are in the dental cycle.
Frequently this dental cycle is closely related to your insurance benefits. Meaning, you see the dental hygienist two times a year because your insurance pays for two visits a year. You get one exam per year because the dental insurance company pays for one exam per year. And you get a certain number of fillings per year because, you guessed it, that is what insurance companies pay for. Who is your doctor? The insurance company?
Dentists often get stuck in the dental cycle as well, drilling and filling so many teeth each day that they forget that people are attached to these teeth. It is a business, and unfortunately many dentists need to focus on the teeth to make a living, not the people. Time is money, and the cheaper the dental treatment is the less time a dentist can spend on the person. Quality is directly related to time, as dentistry is actually a quite demanding profession requiring concentration and skill, and of course time. Here is where the dilemma really begins. The payment that a dental insurance company gives a dentist who is in-network is directly related to the average cost of dental treatment in that dentists area. Kentucky has been ranked nearly dead last in oral health for many years now, and you guessed it, average dentistry here is cheap! Dentists keep trying to get more business by undercutting the competitions prices, further driving down their profit which requires the dentist to do more work on more teeth to make a living. Insurance companies constantly adjust the fees that these dentists have to subscribe to, reflecting the average cost of dentistry in their area. Quality just goes out the window. Who do you think looses in this scenario? You do. This is why you tend to get higher quality dentistry in areas such as Florida, California and New York, as even the average insurance dentist get paid enough from insurance companies to deliver better quality care.
This is the main reason most quality dental practices are out-of-network with insurance companies, especially in Kentucky. The quality practices focus on getting you out of the dental cycle, not just treating the resulting decay. For a dentist to be able to do this they need to have a good understanding of why you are getting decay in the first place. This mostly is due to acid from nutrition, medications, lack of saliva or neglect bacteria. Once the reason for the decay is discovered treatment can begin, not any sooner. Each patient has a unique situation and a different approach is required. This takes time, and as we learned from the previous paragraph, time is a luxury that does not exist in insurance driven practices.
The dental cycle is a downward spiral that takes is toll on your teeth and body. It starts with a small filling and can easily end up down the line with dentures/false teeth. Along this path your whole body is suffering and you are constantly visiting the dentist, not to mention the costs involved are astronomical. I strongly urge all patients to find a dentist that understands this dental cycle and focuses on them, not their insurance plan. Only then can you have a future free of constant dental worries and a smile you love!
If you are sick and tired of the dental cycle and are ready to take control of your health, then Ideal Dentistry is what you are looking for. Discover the underlying cause of your dental problems – remember, the mouth is a window to your body’s health. We can not treat one without the other.
For many decades fluoride has been given credit for the reduction in tooth decay. All this may change.
When I first moved to Louisville I noticed an alarming number of patients with a tooth pattern called “dental fluorosis”.
This epidemic of dental fluorosis here in Louisville pushed me even further towards my belief in natural, organic care.
What is dental fluorosis?
Simply put, the enamel (the strong, outside layer of the tooth) is created with a different crystal, namely fluoride, which can increase the strength of the enamel but also makes it look like it has white spots on it. These white spots eventually can turn into brown spots as the fluoride-enamel fails and then decay gets into the tooth.
Fluoride is found almost everywhere now – from the water supply to toothpaste and mouthwash. Even if it is a good thing, too much of a good thing is not good.
I do believe fluoride has its benefits for certain cases, but I do not believe in constant fluoride exposure.
Many dentists stand behind fluoride 100%, but now even the FDA (as of a few weeks ago) is going to recommend cutting the fluoride levels in drinking water by 50%. For the FDA to admit there is a problem is a big deal, so take their recommendations serious.
My recommendation: Fluoride is under review and should be cut back to a minimum. Topical fluoride (without ingesting) is best for decay prevention. Avoid constant fluoride exposure in toothpaste. Do not take fluoride tablets, and drink as much “clean (fluoride free)” water as you do tap water. Talk to your dentist, and hopefully they are open minded and don’t place silver mercury fillings (the other thing that will soon change in dentistry).
