Honest Family Dental

FAQs

Dentists, like all medical practitioners, should have a treatment philosophy that governs their care. Mine is, simply, this: The best dentistry is no dentistry, though if you need it, then get the best. Utilizing advanced technology, skills, and knowledge I create the perfect plan for you. I’m sure your last dentist did their best. Though, they can’t diagnose what they don’t know or can’t see.

Unfortunately, many dentists’ treatment philosophy falls under what is called “duct tape dentistry”. Since honesty is a tough pill to deliver, they tell you what you want to hear, rather than what you need to hear. They trade short term gain for long term pain by doing or avoiding work that seems ok now then turns into painful and expensive issues in the future.

A filling is designed to “fill” the inner aspects of teeth or replace up to 1/3 the overall structure. If more than 1/3 of your enamel is compromised, then a crown is recommended. Although, if utilizing fiberglass reinforced fillings (FRCs), then the filling limit can be increased up to 2/3 of enamel replacement. In order to get a FRC, your dentist needs to be certified in “biomimetic dentistry”, like we are here.

Just think of it this way, if you have 1 minute to take a shower what areas do you clean? The cracks and crevices. Well, the area between your teeth are exactly that. Your gums house the most diverse (aka gross) microbiome in your body. Considering this fact, I’d say that flossing is definitely necessary.

The real question is do you want ideal or non-ideal results? Invisalign and other dentist-mediated clear aligner systems can move your teeth in all directions, with incredible precision. Mail-in ones can’t. For example, if I want to rotate your front tooth 15 degrees, I would require a handle to move it with. Those handles are called “attachments”. Mail-in aligners don’t have that feature. That limits their ability to less then 10% of all orthodontic cases. Unfortunately, these companies happily take your money regardless if it works or not. If you want to take a gamble with your pearly whites, then go for it. If not, do the ideal treatment and gain the ideal results.

Yes and no. If your cavity is bigger than the remineralization limit, then not likely. If it’s smaller, then yes, more likely. Most people (even many dentists) have no idea how this process works or what the limits are. Its quite simple. All you need is a good flow of saliva, dietary modifications, and time. Remineralization sizes and methods will be discussed during your exam.

Any toothpaste works as long as it doesn’t have abrasives such as charcoal, silica, pumice, or baking soda. Also, avoid chemicals such as sodium lauryl sulfate, parabens, propylene glycol, and triclosan. I personally use “Isha Life Herbal Toothpaste” . It’s made from an all natural, Ayurvedic recipe, that helps your entire mouth (teeth, gums, and tongue) stay healthy.

It’s not a question of which is better or worse. They just have different indications, primarily based on force application. Titanium is the standard and can be used in all areas(front and back teeth). Ceramics are ideal for front teeth. Depending on what forces the implant would undergo, I will suggest accordingly.

In the short term (less the 3yrs), you will be fine without it. Although in the long run, if you want to maintain efficient chewing, prevent bone loss, and adjacent teeth shifting, then yes.