Less is more in dentistry. The primary motivation of most dentists is to save teeth, but they are also motivated to do more dentistry. However, the more times you work on a tooth the shorter the lifespan of that tooth. In other words if you work on a tooth too many times, it eventually fails and may need to be extracted.
A Tooth has 9 Lives Just Like a Cat
‘A cat has nine lives and so does a tooth.’ Once a tooth has been worked on 9 or 10 times you are reaching the end of the lifespan of that tooth, and what dentistry can do to save it. Therefore, it behooves the patient and dentist to do what can be done to save tooth structure, because dentistry is not as good as your real teeth. We do our best, but Mother Nature has always had a better plan and better materials to work with.
The Bottom Line About Root Canals and Veneers
The best 2 examples of this are avoiding root canals whenever possible, and being very conservative with cosmetic dentistry. Root canals greatly shorten the lifespan of a tooth, and in many cases tooth structure is cut away in order to get veneers or crowns to cover the teeth. A general rule is: don’t be too aggressive in removing tooth structure, because it cannot be replaced once gone. Also, keep in mind that all dental work will eventually need to be replaced and then more tooth structure will need to be removed every time you do this.
An Example of Conservative Bonding
The photos give an example of what can be done to improve cosmetics and the smile without removing new tooth structure.
As you can see there are often ways to improve your smile and your dental health without having to do aggressive and expensive dental treatment. Another common misconception is that root canals are required most of the time when crowns are done. This is not the case and most of the time it’s avoidable, especially if the tooth is kept cool during the work.
When dentistry is too aggressive, it can not only shorten the lifespan of a tooth, it can also negatively affect your bite. At Integrative Dentistry, we take a conservative approach whenever possible.
If you would like to like to set up a consultation/exam to discuss your individual situation with either Dr. Evans or Dr. O’Rielly, please call us at 760-632-1304.
Check out our website at myholisticdentist.com.
