Contemporary Dentistry

Contemporary Dentistry is a philosophy of dentistry that is extremely conservative and is dedicated to the prevention of oral disease, and to non surgical and non cutting (non drilling) treatment of damage to teeth and gums caused by disease.  It is deeply rooted in evidence based dentistry (dentistry based on findings published in the most prestigious peer reviewed scientific journals) as opposed to traditional dentistry which continues to emphasize treatment over prevention and tooth cutting over more conservative modalities. Contemporary Dentistry utilizes modern technology such as digital impression taking and lasers, and is dedicated to patient comfort and conservation of tooth and gum tissue. It acknowledges the mouth – body connection and is deeply involved in the inter relationship between oral diseases and systemic disease.

The financial reality of dentistry is that dentists are compensated when they perform procedures. Generally speaking, the more extensive the procedure is, the higher the fee. Insurance companies are part of this fee structure. We are dedicated to patient health, not to generation of fees!!

While traditional dentists (they are not evil people, it is just how they were trained) are content to repair teeth, tell you to “brush and floss” and blame your lack of care when things go awry, we take an entirely different approach:

• All patients are assessed for their RISK of developing caries (the bacterial infection that causes cavities) and their home oral hygiene regimen is prescribed accordingly.
• Where evidence of tooth damage is evident, wherever possible we attempt to prescribe therapies that will help the body remineralize the damaged teeth without tooth cutting (drilling).
• When tooth cutting is necessary, we keep it minimal knowing that as patients’ life expectancies increase, our restorations will have to be replaced or redone. If dentists are too aggressive and prescribe highly profitable crowns and onlays when more conservative restorations are a consideration, they are left with very few options other than tooth loss when that restoration fails.
• When there is no choice but to prescribe a more extensive restoration, laser technology, virtual impressions, and non metallic materials are incorporated into our treatment for patient comfort, accuracy, beauty, and long term success.
• All patients are assessed for their RISK for periodontal (gum) disease. We use a phase contrast microscope as part of this assessment. Once again, specific home care regimens are developed for each individual patient.
• When treatment is necessary for patients infected with the bacteria responsible for gum disease, our therapies are almost exclusively non surgical.  We are dedicated to eliminating the bacterial cause of the infections and allowing the body to heal naturally as opposed to the traditional surgical approach where gum tissue is removed, often leaving sensitive and unsightly teeth behind.
• When cosmetic improvements are needed, we always opt to proceed with minimal tooth cutting if possible.
• Orthodontontic therapies are performed without tooth extraction or unsightly brackets but with the use of Invisilign individualized computer generated technology
• Maintenance of an ongoing relationship with the patient’s primary health care provider is a priority as evidence based dental research has shown a strong correlation between oral disease and systemic disease and vise verse.