General & Restorative Dentistry
“Attention to detail is extremely important…”
General & Restorative dentistry is more than just restoring teeth.
Fillings, crowns, implants, bridges, and dentures are what we use to restore missing and broken teeth. It is important to remember that dentistry affects general health. Materials and techniques used need to be selected thoughtfully keeping in mind a person’s physiological makeup. Ideally, dentistry should be gentle and minimally invasive. Here is one example of how seemingly benign dental procedure done wrong can affect a person.
This lovely woman came in to have a new set of dentures. Her old ones were over 12 years old and worn down. What’s more they did not really represent her past dentition. They served as a set of “choppers.” On the right is a final result. Smile is restored.
There is more to these pictures. Her dentures were made in such a way so as to enhance her overall physical condition. Construction of these dentures was done keeping in mind basic principles of anatomy and physiology. Her original dentures (on the left) did not meet anatomic and physiologic requirements that would allow a person to function “as if with her own teeth.” They do allow to chew, speak, and smile. Unfortunately, they are a heavy burden on her heart and her nervous system. The amount of time it took to make the dentures on the right was about five times more than the ones on the left.
Attention to detail is extremely important because a small change can shift one’s body from health to disease. While people can get used to almost anything, it is far better to get used to an excellent result. Dentures on the left were a burden on this woman’s central nervous system. To her it became obvious after she put her new dentures in. Immediate improvements that she reported were: I feel calmer and I think I am in a better mood?!
The next day the patient reported that she enjoyed a deeper, more restful sleep. Patient was seen several more times afterwards. The change was unmistakable. A “lighter” version of the same woman appeared. Her eyes were open. Mood was much improved. In addition to her improved smile and overall sense of well-being, it was important to verify objectively the physiological changes that took place.
Above is the “before” and “after” test we conducted to scientifically measure physiological changes. On the left is before, on the right is after. It can be seen that measure of the “Levels of Functioning of the Physiological systems” is drastically improved. It went from 11 to 6. This means that overall functioning of the body went from “in the red” to “average.” This is a significant improvement for someone who only got a new set of teeth.
This is the difference that a holistic approach can offer. Dentistry can no longer be just about choppers. The mouth is connected to the rest of the body. It should be treated as such.