
Area of interest in dentistry
Bioesthetics
What is bioesthetic dentistry? Is it yet another word for cosmetic dentistry? No, but the results are beautiful. It was coined over 20 years ago by Dr. Robert Lee; a biologist, gnathologist and dentist. It is a science of gnathology that holds that the form or shape of our teeth was constructed with a purpose and that this form dictates the function, beauty and comfort of your mouth and its related structures. If the form is present (has not been damaged or replaced with a flat filing) and there is harmony between the function of a healthy joint (TMJ), the facial musculature and the teeth, these teeth will last a lifetime. Traditionally, dentists have been trained to treat teeth one at a time and then only under adverse circumstances such as fracture, decay , or deformation. It is time that we as dentists stop to question the reasons for wear, fracture, recession, abfraction, malocclusion and other dental disease. There are reasons for these problems and it is best that we discover the source of the problem before we put a crown on the tooth shaped the same as the one that broke! We need a paradigm shift.
The jaw joints, the facial muscular complex and the teeth are a system that must work in harmony (this is the study of gnathology.) It seems so simple and yet it is difficult to return a system that has begun to collapse to a stable and harmonious one. The beauty of the discipline is that we are able, with an understanding of occlusion( how teeth fit together in relation to their joints) and the information from an in depth comprehensive diagnosis, to intercept and reverse this destruction and provide our clients with oral health, comfort and natural beauty for a lifetime. This is the type of dentistry we offer and it doesn't get any better than this!
If you have problems with any of the following:
- severely worn teeth
- broken molars
- chipping of worn front teeth
- facial muscle fatigue
- sore neck muscles
- joint tenderness
- multiple abfractions (grooves along the gumline) and/or clenching
We may be able to help you. We will offer a comprehensive exam and, if you wish, an occlusal evaluation consisting of stone models of your teeth accurately mounted on a simulator which mimics normal function. With this we are able to study the movement of your jaw without muscle interference and with minimal patterning. We are able to study your occlusal patterns and determine often why you are wearing and damaging your teeth. At this point we have several alternatives which may include replacing the lost tooth structure with the latest dental restorative materials.
We rarely hear about the individuals who enter their 70's and 80's with minimal wear on their teeth. Most aging information we read tells us that wear is normal and an acceptable part of aging. Why is it normal for the strongest substance in our bodies (tooth enamel) to wear away when it is considered a disease for us to lose 10-20% of our bone mass? Guess what? Not everybody out there has worn teeth at the age of 45 or even 65. Nor should they. Those individuals about whom we refer to as being physically younger than their years rarely have worn teeth and as a result their facial muscles are not sagging or collapsed. They have what we refer to as a stable and healthy vertical dimension. They are vibrant and youthful individuals whose appearance exudes good health.