Good oral health and dentofacial health is an integral part of having a healthy body and mind as well as living a healthy lifestyle. These are all achievable synergies dependent on many factors. One of the most important is good health.
Oral Health – Achieve Functional and Aesthetic Dental Health
This article focuses on oral health. It briefly highlights one patient’s journey towards reaching his goal of a long term functional, aesthetic and stable oral health. Our patient is an active middle-aged gentleman who originally was only concerned about one failing retained primary (baby) tooth and wanted this one tooth replaced.
Thorough Dental Examination – Identify all Issues and Begin a Treatment Plan
While many solutions are possible, sometimes one failing tooth if not dealt with effectively and thoughtfully sets off a domino effect that can destroy the whole dentition over the coming years. At our practice (and my colleagues who focus on the long-term health of the patient) before we rush to fix a problem, a comprehensive patient interview along with pictures, radiographs and a complete dental examination of the head and neck is conducted. This process tends to start a discussion that with the patient’s input, clarifies the best possible outcome he or she truly wishes to achieve in the long-term. The dental team’s experience in delivering such care is crucial.
Dental Crowding / Teeth Crowding – Fix Issues Before They Create New Ones
Our patient’s dentofacial health was on a deteriorating path due to dental crowding, excessive wear of the front teeth, failing restorations and two infected primary teeth.
Beginning of Treatment Plan to Create Long Term Dental Stability and Oral Health
After our discussions, we completed a two-year plan involving adult dental braces, bone and gum grafting, dental implants (replacing failing baby teeth), crowns and veneers achieving long-term sustainable oral health desired and communicated by our patient.