A tooth that’s had a root canal needs a crown. Some put this off but in fact the tooth is frail and cannot withstand the burden of chewing without the crown. If it cracks (it’s dried out because the nerve is gone) it will need to be extracted. That means getting a dental implant and crown or some other tooth replacement.

Then there’s replacing missing teeth. When this is neglected, the burden of chewing is shifted to remaining teeth. Just recently, a patient with missing teeth on one side of the mouth cracked a tooth holding a bridge on the opposite side of the mouth, which was overused for chewing.

The moral is: the sooner dental conditions are treated, the less time and money you’ll spend.

Source: Journal of the American Dental Association March 2001

With a deep cleaning …called a “scaling and root planing” you get all of that trapped bacteria, plaque and calcification cleaned out. The result is your gum tissue can reattach to the bone. A deep cleaning, when necessary, is one of the most therapeutic health treatments you can get. Good gum health is a foundation of good overall health.

For example if your tooth had a three surface cavity, many dentists would do a crown and build up. I might start with a three surface filling to see if that alleviates your problem. If the filling doesn’t hold up, you may need the crown in six months, but often times the less invasive — and less expensive –dental procedure will suffice.

The distance between your nose and chin is detemined by your back teeth. So your entire face, lips and smile is dependent on your back teeth.

The teeth in the back of your mouth serve a vital chewing function. If that function is compromised due to missing or broken down teeth that need to be capped or replaced, the entire chewing mechanism is compromised.

This sets the scene for more tooth loss in the future. Besides, it reduces the ability to chew up your food and puts the brunt of digestion on your stomach. This often results in gastointestinal problems.

So, replacing missing teeth or getting crowns in the back of your mouth is not a cosmetic decision — but a decision in favor of maintaining overall health.

This is not a recognized specialty in dentistry. Rather, it’s a term we use in our office to describe the Pagano Protocol – the sequence in which your teeth, gums and structure are treated which results in a dazzling smile that sits in a structurally sound foundation.

What do we mean by “orthopedic cosmetic dentistry?” Think of your teeth and gums as the inside of a house and your jaw and head bones as the structure and foundation. Once Doc ensures that the structure is balanced and stable – which often includes treatment that eliminates headaches,

teeth grinding and other unwanted conditions – then the restorative and cosmetic treatments on your teeth and gums can be performed on a stable foundation. This results in cosmetic treatment that lasts, a bite that feels natural, and eliminates redoing your work.

One patient with lifelong headaches experienced complete relief. Her treatment included straightening her teeth and getting a gorgeous smile.

You can read more about orthopedic dentistry in Doc’s free downloadable ebook: Lifetime Smile at www.stlouisdentistdrpete.com.

Correct the Problem and These Symptoms Go Away. That’s Done By Balancing Your Head, Neck and Jaw Before Doing Dental Work. That’s What Orthopedic Dentistry Is All About. It Also Ensures Your Cosmetic Enhancements Don’t Create An Imbalance.

In a perfectly constructed mouth, the teeth and jaw fit together to perform the function of chewing. The slightest adjustment to a tooth can throw this precise functioning off-balance. Even the replacement of a filling can make your bite feel different if it’s not balanced correctly and if not adjusted, can cause your jaw joints to move out of place.

If just a simple filling requires such precision, imagine the skill required in placing veneers or implants while ensuring they not only look great but are completely natural in their feel and fit.

Like a perfectly balanced bridge constructed to withstand the elements of weather and carry immense weight, your teeth and jaw are designed with a similar precision. The ability to work with the precision of an engineer and the talent of a master artisan ensures your dental outcome is both sound and beautiful.

Try Adding This Little Known Step to Your Daily Dental Routine

Everyone pretty much knows by now brushing and flossing after every meal and getting a

professional cleaning at least every six months has a huge impact on dental health.

But there’s another facet to personal daily dental hygiene that has a big impact on dental

health: scraping your tongue. Perhaps we don’t hear that much about it because tongue

scrapers are not well promoted. One inexpensive one can practically last a lifetime.

Studies suggest that by removing the soft plaque from the tongue, you’re removing

most of the bacteria and other debris that are the primary source of bad breath, hard

plaque (tartar) and mineral leaching acids (tooth decay).

The latest research associates the bacteria in our mouths with heart disease and other

ailments. The bottom line – for dramatically better oral hygiene and health just add cleaning

your tongue to your routine.

You can get a tongue scraper at your next St Louis dental appointment.

If you’ve passed the age of forty, you really should have a mid-life diagnosis to evaluate the overall state of your oral health AND to plan a proper course of treatment that will enable you to keep your teeth for the remainder of your lifetime.

Patients over forty have often shortchanged their dental health or just barely maintained their teeth and gums. With the expense of family taking precedence through the previous two decades, Boomer-aged patients coming to me for the first time are often prepared to play catch-up with their own dental health.

Today you can plan a course of treatment that will ensure you’ve got your own teeth to chew with well into your senior years. In addition, nothing is more youthful than a natural-looking white smile. Unlike your parents, if you take care now you can have both.