Do you have a TIME BOMB in your mouth? Take a look…do you see any black silver mercury fillings? IF you do, then you have a dental time bomb!
Silver Mercury fillings expand and contract 3 times more than your tooth does, which always cracks the tooth…it is just a matter of time! This is great for dentists, bad for you. Those silver mercury fillings start out as a cheap filling and when they crack it turns into a very expensive, often painful experience for the patient. Don’t be that patient!
Dentists do not always like what I have to say…but it is the truth.
Everyday I meet with new patients and teach them this program, and everyday I am surprised that even after seeing dentists for their entire life they have never heard anything that I am talking about! No wonder their mouth is a mess and every single time they see the dentist more things are wrong.
If you are a person that is sick and tired of spending money and time at the dentist without no end in sight, maybe it is time you visit Ideal Dentistry and find out how to stop the madness.
Keep Smiling.
Would you like to know what it takes to truly be free of dental problems?
Would you like to have a healthy, clean, functioning mouth?
Would you like to escape the ever increasing need of dentistry and cost over your lifetime?
To achieve this you need to follow a plan developed by Ideal Dentistry to maximize your chances to stay out of the dental office, saving thousands of dollars and hours of time spent in the dental chair.
The gap between quality dentistry and patch dentistry is growing with this economy. Unfortunately only the patients loose, receiving worse and worse dentistry as the socialized medicine disease grabs hold of dentistry as well. Insurances are paying dentists less and less for their services, and contrary to medical practices, dental practices have a significant overhead associated with laboratories that actually fabricate all the indirect restorations. Cutting costs in dentistry directly translates to cutting quality.
The first question many patients ask their dentist after learning that their tooth is rotten and poisoning their system is :”does my insurance cover this?”. Well, no, they don’t, so let’s let the tooth completely break and cause a systemic infection that could land you in the hospital or worse. Maybe your medical plan will then cover it…
Sorry, I regress, but the problem of poor dentistry and poor dental insurance coverage of dental needs is an epidemic that has spun out of control. Learn more about this by reading past blogs I wrote.
At Ideal Dentistry we focus on you, the patient. If you have insurance benefits, that is great, we will try to maximize your benefits for you, but, we do not ever allow dental insurances to dictate your treatment. Dental insurance is a benefit, not a true insurance. They cap their benefit around $1500 per year, a number that has not changed since the early 1970s!!! How is that fair to the patient and the dentist?
At Ideal Dentistry we serve you, not the insurance company. Nobody should dictate treatment other than your doctor. We create a plan to help you escape the dental cycle, fix your broken teeth and functional issues, address gum disease that is linked to many systemic health issues such as diabetes and heart disease, and finally keep your mouth healthy. Let us worry about your mouth, not you.
Follow the trifecta of Oral Health created by Ideal Dentistry and only available at Ideal Dentistry and become dental worry free.
Keep Smiling.
Who loves to go to the dentist? I bet most of you would rather watch grass grow than visit your dentist for a check-up.
Why do people dread going to the dentist? My experience has allowed me to narrow it down to 2 main issues:
- Fear of pain
- Fear of cost
Many patients simply have had bad experiences in the past or have heard horror stories from their friends. We are, after all, a society that seems to focus on negative in our world – most people feel inclined to share and discuss how bad everything is…just watch the news!
So, realizing that these fears are real and won’t go away, how does a dentist address these fears?
Here is what I have decided to do with my practice, Ideal Dentistry:
- Dentistry should not hurt! We have amazing methods that allow us to do just about anything without pain. For example, new topical anesthetics used properly allow for painless injections.
- Taking your time as a dentist to discuss all aspects of the treatment sets patients at ease – no surprises! Listen to your patients concerns!
- Quality Quality Quality! All too often I see terrible dentistry…bad fitting crowns, decay that was left, and fillings that do more harm then good. This is simply not acceptable.
- Solve the cause first. Everything happens for a reason. Teeth decay for a reason. Teeth break for a reason, etc. At Ideal Dentistry we don’t just fix the resulting problem but we solve the reason for the problem, ensuring that it won’t happen again!
- Prevention. Yes, it applies to everything in life. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. We intercept dental problem before they hurt or become costly.
- Stand behind your treatment.Everything we do is done to our best ability. Should you have any problems at all just talk to us, we will fix it. Nobody is perfect, but we certainly try.
- Minimize cost of future treatment. Fixing your teeth right the first time with quality restorations saves you ten fold what you spend in the future.At Ideal Dentistry we actually GUARANTEE that our restorations will last, as long as you follow a few normal maintenance protocols. There is nothing better than knowing you have the best possible type of dentistry in your mouth with the best chance of not needing it replaced or fixed for a very long time.
Ideal Dentistry is different because of the above qualities. We want you to get fixed and get out! I bet you would be much happier if I reduced the time you spent in my dental office and was able to minimize the time you would need with dentists in the future. That is our focus!
Keep smiling.
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.
Smile, it’s natural.
Ideal Dentistry: The Truth about Decay
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: 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: 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: 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: 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.
Smile.
At Ideal Dentistry our philosophy is simple
SMILE, IT’S NATURAL
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.
Keep Smiling.
The Dental Cycle, and freeing yourself from it, is at the core value of Ideal Dentistry. This whole concept is what sets us apart from all other dental practices.
We work hard at teaching you how to not need our services, rather than find services we can provide for you!
Those services we do provide are performed only at the highest standards, without compromise. Our perfect patient has a beautiful, healthy mouth and body, not a mouth full of bad teeth that we can fix.
This concept goes against the “business” nature of the dental business, but that is ok. The fact is that there will always be enough dentistry to perform, regardless of how successful we are at getting our patients out of the dental cycle, since most dental practice due just the opposite.
At Ideal Dentistry we do not have “tooth vision”, but rather we focus on your entire body. You can live without teeth, but you cannot live very well, or long, with infected teeth or gums. Our job is not just to fix the tooth, but to fix the person.
We are not tooth mechanics, we are mouth doctors. And yes, there is a difference.
The dental cycle is, essential, the perpetual nature of seeing a dentist for the rest of your life, expecting a problem to be found almost at every visit. These problems become larger, more costly, and more uncomfortable with time. In my opinion, the Dental Cycle is an epidemic and since it has been going on for so long most patients accept it.
There is a better way, but it requires you putting your health, including your teeth, first, for a while. Quality dentistry is not cheap. Nor is quality medical care, quality cars, quality schools, etc. You always get what you pay for, that simply is a rule of life that we all try to break occasionally, with little success. The sad truth is that most patients “trust” their doctors, and dentists, to do what is best for them. The problem with this is that there is no “one level” of dental care. Dental care varies from exceptional to poor and is not related to how nice the dentist may be. You only find out that your nice dentist delivers mediocre care after you had a lot of problems or switched dentists. At that point any “fixes” will be much more expensive.
Daily we get new patients at Ideal Dentistry that have researched dentists until they found us. These patients often are in their 50s, frustrated, and have already heavily invested in their dentistry which now is failing, again. I feel for these patients, as getting their oral health restored now is not only expensive, but a long process. Plan your exit from the dental cycle as soon as you can!
If patients knew how closely their body’s health is tied to their oral health, then I would not have to perform half the dentistry I now do. And if patients could see what infected gums and poor dentistry looks like then they would take care of it immediately. But, unfortunately, unless there is pain most patients feel their mouths are in good shape.
So, when you are a patient at Ideal Dentistry we show you what your dentistry looks like, we give you an honest opinion of its quality, and we tell you how healthy your mouth really is. Then, we offer to teach you how to fix the problems and get your mouth back to optimal health, escaping the dental cycle once and for all. We guarantee that the dentistry we deliver is world class – the same quality dentists would demand for their own mouths.
So, if you want a dentist that delivers the cheapest dentistry available, tells you that seeing the hygienist every 6 months is ok since your insurance will only pay for that, then we are not for you. But, if you want a dentist that treats you like he does his own family, putting your health needs first and not delivery “supervised neglect”, then we are for you.
Keep Smiling.
