Cosmetic Dentist, Natural Dentist, Holistic Dentist, Comprehensive Dentist… Every wonder why people jump on a bandwagon? Well, it is all about economics, unless you are one of the originals. Dentistry is not much different than Beanie Babies, Rubber Bracelets and Crocs. There are fads that dentists jump on because they are popular. Unfortunately with a profession such as dentistry you can’t just suddenly become a natural/organic or cosmetic dentist, you have to “be” one from the beginning. Here are a few examples why you need to be careful:
Everybody is a Cosmetic Dentist
Cosmetic dentistry became popular in the 80’s with the advent of veneers, porcelain and white plastic fillings. What a great option patients now had. You could replace your old fillings or get new ones that matched your teeth! These new materials came with new rules of how to place them. This resulted in a significant amount of failure of these materials, and still does, as they are very technique sensitive.
Regardless, dentists began calling themselves “Cosmetic Dentists” just because it was popular, yet they had made no changes in their skill set warranting this title. Today everybody is a cosmetic dentist. Who wants to got to a “non-cosmetic dentist”? This of course completely invalidates the description and creates incredible confusion (and lots of bad cosmetic dentistry). Looking around Louisville I have found everything from “Advanced Cosmetic Dentistry” to “Specializing in Cosmetic Dentistry”.
Well, truth be told, there is no speciality in cosmetic dentistry and advertising such is considered fraud. “Advanced Cosmetic Dentistry” should only be advertised if you have advanced cosmetic training. Check the dentists “advanced” training or ask what that means.
So, if you are looking for cosmetic dentistry, be diligent in your research or you will certainly be disappointed with what you get.
Everybody is a Natural Dentist
You knew it was coming! All the stores are going organic. “Going Green” is one of the biggest trends ever. So, what are Dentists advertising?
You got it, natural and green dentistry! Be prepared to see a significant influx of dentists advertising the need to “remove your amalgam fillings now”, even though most still place that type of filling! Does that make sense? Here is the common scenario I can already see; “Dr. ____, for the last 15 years you have been plugging amalgam/silver mercury in my and my families mouth. Now I see you advertising that these fillings are bad and you want to remove them? Why do you still place them then?”
This will happen all the time. For the record, the ONLY silver mercury filling I placed after dental school was the one I was required to place to pass my board examination over 12 years ago! Every since I graduated I have taught my patients the same philosophy behind amalgams. As a matter of fact, the only silver mercury filling I placed was on my brother and I then, after the boards, removed it and replaced it!
So when it comes to natural dentistry, once again, check the credentials. What makes a dentist natural? How is the dentist living a natural life themselves? What type of fillings do they have in their mouth? All critical questions. Remember, choose someone that “walks the talk”, not just chases the current trend.
My patients know what I stand for as I probably talk their ear off about it all the time. The beauty is that I have not been chasing the trends that are emerging, but rather am one of the dentists behind the changes you see in today’s world.
I stand for beautiful cosmetic dentistry performed in a comfortable patient oriented environment and delivered in the most natural and tooth preserving manner possible. Period. Cosmetically speaking nobody has more experience or training. I founded a natural dental products company over 8 years ago to get out the word about my natural approach to dentistry. Today I am expanding on my natural dental products company and am creating a simple system that will allow you to become cavity free, naturally!
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.
Green Is Good.
We all know that by now. Most major companies are going green, people are buying green/natural products, and dentistry is no exception.
I built Ideal Dentistry on this philosophy, and it shows. As mentioned in a previous blog entry, Ideal Dentistry won a national office design competition because I implemented major “green” building principals, providing an environment that is more conductive for both patients and nature.
Business First featured Ideal Dentistry this week in its “Green Business” section because of my approach. I provide many natural dental alternatives to my patients, ranging from healthier tooth conserving fillings to natural oral care products.
Here is a quick synopsis for all those patients that want to know what the most natural home care options are for taking care of their teeth:
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Floss Teeth
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Brush Teeth
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Irrigate Teeth
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Mouthwash
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Massage Gums
FLOSS
a. Pull out 30 inches of floss. Wind most of that around the middle finger of one hand, and the tail-end around the middle finger of the other hand
b. Pinch the string between the thumb and index finger of both hands, leaving one to two inches in between. As you floss, continually unroll a one to two inch span of clean string from the finger that has the most string over to the middle finger of the other hand. Be willing to waste a few feet of floss so that you can practice.
c. Use your thumbs to direct the string between the upper teeth. Use your index fingers to direct the string between the lower teeth. The key to the whole process is the ability to use the index fingers and thumbs to manipulate the string into a C shape halfway around the tooth so that it maximally contacts the outline of the sulcus between the teeth. The string must go beneath the gums and as deep into the sulcus as possible while still not cutting the gums.
It does indeed take some practice. As you are flossing, notice there€™s a squeaky sound. This is good, it means they are getting clean. Don€™t hesitate to ask your dentist or dental hygienist to show you how to floss effectively. There€™s no substitute for a hands-on demonstration.
You can also use a Reach Access flosser which makes the above procedure easier!
BRUSH
First you need to make the toothpaste yourself! This is simple but critical.
Ingredients: XyloSalt (1 part) (Available through Dr. Hahn and local natural markets)
Baking Soda (3 parts) (OR order the soon available premixed XyloSalt tooth powder)
Colloidal Silver (just enough to create a paste) OR Hydrogen Peroxide (ONLY if you do not have any silver mercury fillings in your mouth)
Now place the toothpaste on your super soft toothbrush and vibrate the bristles gently at a 45 degree angle towards the neck of the tooth. Do all surfaces of the teeth for 3-5 seconds each, or at least 2 minutes for the entire mouth. This will harden your tissue making it a much better barrier!
IRRIGATE
Use a waterpick or like unit to irrigate between your teeth. The two units I recommend are the Hydrofloss or the Viajet because they have the right attachments to reach into the sulcus around the teeth. You should use a pack of XyloSalt in the tank of water! Irrigate between all your teeth. This should not take more than a few minutes.
MOUTHWASH
Now that everything is clean you use XyloSalt mouthwash to draw out any inflammation out of your cells and nourish them. Mix 1 pack of XyloSalt with 4-8 oz. of water (a standard water bottle). Use this mix for 1 week, then dispose. You can rinse as many times during the day as you like, but rinse at least twice, once each brushing.
MASSAGE GUMS
Massage your gums with a Butler Rubber Tip. Here is how:
a. Push the rubber tip in between the teeth €“ straight in €“ at the triangular piece of gum between the teeth, so that it slides up on top of this gum triangle.
b. Push down (lower teeth) or up (upper teeth) as hard as you can, within reason. Do not cause yourself pain. Some discomfort may be felt, however.
You€™ll notice that the tip of the stimulator is at an angle. This is so that you can lay the half inch of the tip against the flesh between the teeth. Lay the rubber tip against the gum so that all of the rubber part is against it and stimulate. You€™re not just putting the tip end between the teeth. THIS IS A VERY KEY POINT. Then gently massage the V-shaped gum area with the tip.
NOTE: Imagine rubbing a small spot on your arm for a minute or two. It will get red, after you quit. What you have done is brought blood to that area. That is what you want to do with the rubber tip.
c. Then, gently massage the V-shaped gum area with the tip. Push the rubber tip up, down or sideways left and right, circular for (10) ten seconds. Do this on the inside and outside of the row of teeth, wherever there is gum that lies between your teeth.
Move to your next tooth and begin the stimulating process again. If you still have all your teeth, you would have 60 places to rub (inside and out). So 60 x 10 seconds is 600 seconds, or at least 10 minutes of treatment time.
Now, before you decide that this is too much time, realize that after you learn how to do this, it could easily be done while reading, watching TV, while being driven in a car (we suggest you only do this in front of close friends) or after your evening meal. Time does not have to be your enemy. Be creative in finding the time to improve your dental health.
Note: To take a few minutes each day to properly care for your teeth and gums will save you many hours in a dentist’s chair.
This is the best way that I know of how to maintain optimal oral health. Variations in this technique exist, but for starters, this is perfect.
