Broken Filling

Are you anxious to go to the dentist because you always get bad news? Do you feel like every 6 months you need another filling, crown, root canal or extraction?  One of the most frustrating and confusing things as a patient, is the cycle of cavities and constant failing dentistry.  Although dental restorations do not last a lifetime, with proper maintenance, restorations should last a long time. The truth is generally not the dentistry is not failing, but the root cause has not been treated.

Root Cause

If you do not treat the root cause of the issue, then any dental work is a “band-aid” not a cure. In time, the temporary band-aid needs replacing. At Aesthetic Dentistry of Georgetown we will partner with you to break the cycle and get to the true cause of the issue.  Holistic dentistry looks into the cause of dental problems. Let’s explore several common situations.

Bacteria is a root cause

The most common procedure at the dental office is a filling. A filling replaces a cavity caused by bad bacteria. Although one might assume that filling is the treatment that makes a tooth no longer “sick”. The truth is if the cavity process is not  The process of a cavity is an imbalance of bacteria and tooth integrity.

A cavity is an imbalance of bacteria and tooth integrity. If the destruction of the tooth occurs more often than rebuilding, a cavity occurs. A cavity can only form if you have a tooth, certain bacteria present and a food source for the bacteria. The bacteria eat the food and produce acid that creates a hole, A.K.A a cavity, in the tooth. The bacteria is removed from the tooth and the hole is filled with a crown or a filling. But, if the bacteria levels or tooth integrity is not changed, then a cavity will form around the newly placed crown or filling. The root cause is the bacteria or the weak tooth itself. If the dentist does not treat the root cause then a cavity will form around the new crown or filling. Another example of treating the main cause can be seen with short worn down teeth.

Worn down teeth

Teeth wear can occur from several root causes including bite disease.  Incorrectly aligned teeth cause the supporting muscles to work ineffectively. Pain can result. With incorrectly aligned teeth, forces are created where they should not occur. The result is worn teeth. The band-aid situation could be crowns or a night guard. The root cause of bite disease is never treated. At Aesthetic Dentistry of Georgetown we have special training to correct bad bites.  Even more important is the fact that the bad bite causes worn down teeth which causes a collapsed mouth and less space for the tongue which causes problems with the airway.  The tongue is a major reason behind Obstructive Sleep Apnea or OSA.

The problem goes even deeper as OSA will lead to high blood pressure and stroke.  It is generally ignored as snoring or missed because everyone is asleep, but loud snoring is a key indicator of OSA and sometimes OSA is even fatal.  Getting to the root cause of the wear isn’t just about protecting your teeth and keeping a pretty smile!

The root cause of tooth loss

Keeping your teeth for life involves several different factors, but all of them are designed around keeping healthy bacteria in your mouth and pathologic or disease causing bacteria out of your mouth.  The most important factor is exceptional daily hygiene habits.  Dentistry barks about ‘brush and floss’ but the reality is it is generally underappreciated and not well done by most people. In fact, for the majority of people, it isn’t really even the right home care approach!  Excellent tools are available today that can set the stage for you to keep your mouth is the best shape possible.

The first step is to use the best tooth brush approach possible.  This should really be thought of as gum massaging and not tooth brushing, and the bristles should be soft and angled at the gumline.  The whole goal is to get those bristles below the gum tissue to disrupt bacterial colonies before they set up a home, and to stimulate blood flow throughout the gum tissue itself.  We should have named it a gum-brush!  Another excellent tool is a water flosser.  This only needs to be set at about a 5 on the dial, and when pointed at the tooth, just above the gum line, that water jet will shoot down into the pocket by the gums and remove that biofilm before it causes problems.

Together, these home care tools address the top 2.5mm or so of the space, so if your hygienist is calling off 4mm depths or greater, you absolutely need more support to keep your teeth.  This is one of the many vital reasons your hygienists is so important as a health advocate and consultant.  Most people would be way better protected with routine hygiene visits every 3 months or four times a year.  This interval is significantly better at keeping the gum tissue healthy and stable, and even more important if you have already lost a little ground.

Dentistry is different

In the health care world, there are many different disciplines, but dentistry is almost alone in being primarily preventive in nature.  The goal is to prevent the issues in the first place, and the routine hygiene visits is a huge part of that.  Proper alignment of your teeth and bite is a second foundational support to keep your teeth functioning well for your lifetime.  The next layer is nutrition to keep the healthy bacteria flourishing and the pathologic bacteria that cause cavities and gum disease at bay.

In your 6 Screenings at Aesthetic Dentistry of Georgetown, we always address these issues and many more; we want to be your partners in optimal oral health and a long and healthy life!