Monday, June 4, 2012

Do Fillings and Crowns improve your Dental Health?


Fillings and crowns do not improve your dental health.

For those of us who go to the dentist regularly, this may be an alarming statement.  We have spent a large sum of money on that dental work.  Repairing the damages of dental disease is very expensive. The thought that it does nothing to improve my state of dental disease is un-nerving!

But just think for a moment. The disease that caused your cavity in the first place started on a perfectly healthy tooth.  The disease created the hole (cavity) in your tooth.  Repairing that hole restores, to an extent, the integrity of the tooth; true enough.    However, it is easy to realize that filling the hole does nothing about the disease that started the hole in the first place.  The disease is still capable of creating another hole.  Unless you have done something additional, the disease still exists as before.  Repairing the damage of dental disease does nothing to reduce the disease itself!!

The cost of dental disease is very high.  The price of dental health, on the other hand, is very low.  Toothpaste, toothbrush, dental floss and 2 minutes a day is very inexpensive.
 
The one ingredient most people lack is the ability to evaluate themselves and know that their 2 minute effort each day was 100% effective. And that skill is not hard to learn!  It is also easy to teach, though few dental practices today take the time to do it.

 Be sure your dental professional is teaching you how to "disclose" (bring out of hiding) dental plaque.  It is the bacteria in dental plaque that modulate the disease.  You can also look at our website under "dental health" for a photo essay.

Ask your dental professional to show you, disclose, the bacteria causing your dental disease problems.  Then ask them to give you the time to brush the bacteria out so your hands "feel" what it takes.  Then ask them to evaluate with you your effectiveness and coach you with helpful tips. 

We do that with every check-up before we do any professional cleaning of a patient's teeth.  With a little practice, every patient can become totally effective in managing their dental disease.  With every check-up the professional "cleaning" requires less work.  Patients who have effectively learned how to manage the disease causing bacteria in their mouths do not need their teeth professionally cleaned every 6 months.  And they only need a light cleaning at their annual visit, even if they are regular coffee drinkers. 

Dental disease is under control, smiles are bright, new cavities are no longer a worry, fillings last longer - sometimes forever, and the wallet feels healthier too!

Want to learn more about great dental health, click HERE for Winningwithsmiles.com

2 comments:

  1. Dental care and good oral hygiene are an important part of every child's daily routine. Regular dental care not only helps in improving your kid's oral health but also prevents any painful oral problems. The oral care needs are different in kids throughout their childhood, therefore parents should encourage good oral habits right from the beginning.

    California children dentists

    ReplyDelete
  2. Preventing dental problems before they have a chance to get started is the simplest and most cost-effective approach to oral health.

    St George Dental

    ReplyDelete

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Welcome to Winning With Smiles - Pediatric Dentistry. We are dedicated to cavity free, healthy beautiful smiles. We look forward to the opportunity to share with you what we know about creating optimal oral health for growing children. We understand oral health is closely tied to general health and like to work closely with the family physician. Oral health is also closely tied to family life and lifestyle. That is why we like to have the family involved with dental appointments. What we teach our patients works best if understood and supported by the family and will benefit the family as well. We enjoy working with parent and siblings present. We have been learning from families since 1974. With the family present, open questions lead to family learning. We are dedicated to your oral health.