I have the pleasure visiting some of our homebound senior citizens and treating them each week with our PortableDentalServices.com dental van. Each visit is quite powerful because it helps us get insight into our patient’s eating habits and evaluate their previous dentistry.
This past week I had a patient who had his teeth “patched” up over his 80 years or so. He held his dentist in high regard in that he trusted him and valued his opinion over the years. He had lost some fillings over the past year that he thought needed to be refilled. The truth was that he had some enormous fillings in his teeth to the point that there was nothing left to fill.
He had a dry mouth which I find in many of my patients who are on multiple medications. These medications dry out the mouth leaving their teeth prone to dental decay. We usually find that when faced with chronic dry mouth these patients start sucking on candies or drinking soda to keep their mouths wet. This exposure to sugars and refined carbohydrates are bad because they promote dental decay.
When this home bound patient was examined he had many cavities. Only if his dentist didn’t do him “such a favor” and do patch work he would have avoided this massive breakdown of the teeth. Even though It is possible to get cavities under crowns he would have been best served with crowns (caps). For patients who are at risk for these cavities they should be treated with crowns that cover the entire tooth.
Sometimes the good intentions of some dentists to do as little as possible for a patient seems to be the best. The reality is that broken teeth, large cavities, root canals, food traps and poor oral hygiene can be a consequence of the “let’s just watch it” attitude of some dentists. Just be careful that when a cavity and broken filling is so large that a crown is suggested, it would be a wise decision to do so.
So Complete Dentistry is to do the most conservative procedures but know when it is wise to invest in more invasive procedures such as crowns, implants, root canals and dental bridges. At our office we take digital photos of the entire jaw so that you can actually see where there are areas of concern. This way you can make the most informed decision for your best level of care.
Dr. Antolak treats his dental patients in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere where you are treated like a guest in the home. His motto is to “relax while we take care of your smile”. He specializes in cosmetic dentistry, implant dentistry and general dentistry using sedation dentistry if necessary for his high fear patients. He has been treating patients for the past 21 years and is located in Shelby Township, Macomb county Michigan
