Over the last 10 years I have been researching natural alternatives in Dentistry, continuously seeking the healthiest form of treatment for my patients. Just repairing the problems that I encountered with my patients teeth seemed futile. It is not enough to just “fix what broke.” WHY did it break in the first place? WHY are your gums bleeding?
WHY are your teeth loose? WHY do you need a root canal? These are the questions I spend most of my time on. All too often our society seeks the MAGIC PILL to fix the problem. You can get a pill for anything and everything these days. Why? Because it is instant gratification and big business. As DOCTORS we need to look beyond the pill and “FIX THE PROBLEM first”. This does not mean that you do not need any medication, it means we need to find out why you may need the medication first and try to correct it.
For 2010 IDEAL DENTISTRY is expanding its focus on what we have quietly provided all along, ORGANIC DENTISTRY.
You may ask “What is Organic Dentistry?”, and rightfully so.
Organic Dentistry (my definition): Dental Products, Procedures, and Philosophies that focus specifically on re-establishing and maintaining the most natural environment in the mouth.
What makes IDEAL DENTISTRY Different?
We’re passionate about our organic approach to dentistry. Ideal Dentistry helps patients achieve an overall feeling of well-being using safer, less intrusive practices and products. Our passion for the organic approach to improved quality of life goes beyond the dental office and is seen in everything we do, even at home.
We don’t pontificate. We innovate.
Experience and credentials you can trust.
Care of teeth and gums and YOU. At Ideal Dentistry, we whiten and repair damaged teeth, create beautiful smiles, treat the gums and provide other dentistry services but do so believing that the mouth is the gateway to the total health of your body, mind and spirit. We focus on identifying the cause of the problem before trying to blindly repair it.
An engaging and interactive approach to patient care.
One visit to Ideal Dentistry and you’ll know you’ve come to the right place. There is a reason why our office won the 2009 Health Care facility of The Year award from Contract Magazine. This national competition sought out health care facilities that delivered an environment that is environmentally green and centered around building a comfortable patient experience. We are very proud of our beautiful facility and invite you to come visit anytime.
What is the difference between a Cosmetic Dentist and an Accredited Cosmetic Dentist? Well, the difference is in the details.
Understanding facial aesthetics, not just teeth, is critical. The goal with every cosmetic smile makeover is to improve the whole smile, the whole face, the whole person, not just the teeth.
Here are a few cases I found online that are touted as “Smile Makeovers“. You be the judge. Are these smiles complete? What is missing? More after the pictures.
Please remember, these cases are NOT MY DENTISTRY!
Do these cases sound like “Smile Makeovers?”
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A smile goes from one corner of the mouth to the other. Teeth are framed by the lips and need to follow the lip line. A “black corridor” will result if one side of the smile, or frequently both sides, are neglected. This dreaded black corridor makes the person look like they have no teeth on that side when they smile, especially in photos! Who wants that? How is that “cosmetic/aesthetic?” All these patients above spent a lot of money on their smiles, significantly more than their insurances would ever cover. Why would you not finish the case and get rid of that black corridor? Until that is done right, it is not a “smile makeover”, but simply a few veneers on some teeth.
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Bulky. Teeth are not bulky, why are so many veneers bulky? They shouldn’t be. It does not look real, and it is not good for the teeth.
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Shine through. Meaning, you can see the prepared tooth shine through the porcelain. Look at the last before and after. Can you see the darkness in the middle of the two front teeth? That is of course ignoring the blackness of the back lower teeth and the black corridor on the top side.
Long story short, everyone is a cosmetic dentist, but if you are going to invest in your smile, why not see someone who has the experience to give you a result that really can be called a Smile Makeover?
Most of our Smile Makeovers are Smile Redoes. Who wants to go through this whole process twice, not to mention pay twice?
That is what being an Accredited Cosmetic Dentist is all about. Having the experience to do it right the first time!
I will try to answer questions from my patients as they arise. Today I want to answer one of the most common ones: Why are you not “in network” with my insurance?
The answer goes back several years to the point when I had to make a decision: What type of dentistry did I want to provide to my patients? Well, about 10 years ago I chose to provide only the type of dentistry to my patients that I would accept for my myself or my family. It was not an easy decision. Providing top quality dentistry comes with its own challenges.
First, you must have the skills and education to provide that type of dentistry.
Second, insurance companies are in the business to “not” provide dental benefits. If every insurance company paid for dentistry on their members then they would be broke (or are they already – AIG?). Seriously though, insurance companies try to pay as little for as little as possible.
So, 10 years ago I became an “out of network” provider for all insurance companies for the benefit of my patients. It was a tough move at first, but my practice grew tremendously because I focused on my patients and their needs instead of what the insurance would cover. Over the past 10 years I have been following my patients and am now able to point out a few tremendous benefits of top quality dentistry:
- LESS Emergencies – Yes, I have nearly zero emergencies with my patients! A thorough new patient exam coupled with a complete exam annually virtually eliminated emergencies for my existing patients! What a great benefit. All my patients know exactly where they stand with their oral health. Everything is outlined after their consultation. There are no surprises.
- LESS Root Canal Treatments – Yes, I do very few root canal treatments on exiting patients! Root canal treatments are due to accidents, severe decay or poor dentistry. Accidents are accidents and will happen. Severe decay should never happen as a dentist needs to find the initial warning signs way before it gets that bad. And poor dentistry, well, that we just don’t have here. That being said, I think it is very sad to see holes in crowns (caps) that were placed by other dentists. This usually means the cap was cemented and required a root canal treatment afterwards. I can’t remember the last time I had to do a root canal on a tooth after cementing the final crown.
- LESS Dentistry– The best benefit of all, top quality dentistry and meticulous exams result in less dentistry over the patient’s lifetime. I address dental problems when they just begin to appear, hopefully preventing the need for more invasive dentistry down the line. Quality dentistry lasts longer, fits better and functions correctly. This is not as common as you might think. These factor together result in less visits to the dentist, less redoes, less pain. You actually will save money in the long run by choosing top quality dentistry! Not to mention the increased comfort, better function and beautiful aesthetics.
The difference between exceptional dentistry and average dentistry, financially, at first, is not as much as you might think. Most insurance companies will pay towards dental treatment even if you are out of network. Even if you are in network, they might reduce your benefit to something smaller and make you fight for your money. It is a game they play. With a practice like mine we exclusively focus on you and your needs. As a benefit to you we will file your insurance information and fight to get you your benefits, but we will never have a dental insurance company tell us what we can and can’t do for you!
The ONLY reason I am not in network with insurance companies is to be able to provide quality care for my patients. Period.
I hope this helps. Most of the patients in my practice understand this answer perfectly and would not go anywhere else regardless of insurance. I invite you to stop by and see the difference for yourself!
