Five main differences between a ‘regular dentist’ and a low- biological cost dentist
Despite what you may think, all dentists are NOT the same! Low-biological cost dentists, like Belle Dental, differ to your run-of-the-mill dentists on these five key areas. Our aim is to be as conservative as possible, reducing unnecessary removal of healthy tooth structure.
1. Crowns
Regular dentist:
Crowns offered at regular dentists require ‘preparing of the tooth.’ This is essentially a shaving down of healthy tooth structure in order to have the crown fitted properly. Shaving down layers of healthy tooth is not a conservative approach and is unnecessary.
Belle Dental:
To avoid this unnecessary destruction, Belle Dental has developed a special Composite Resin Crown, or CRC, with a minimal biological cost. CRC’s only remove damaged or weakened tooth matter before being placed directly onto the natural tooth. These special crowns strengthen the natural tooth, increasing its durability.
2. Root canals
Regular dentist:
Root canals are necessary when your tooth becomes infected deep within its nerve. This can occur when your tooth has deep decay or has been weakened or cracked in some way. Some regular dentists will recommend a root canal treatment before looking into other options. This could mean unnecessary treatments and removal of potentially healthy tooth. In severe cases, a regular dentist may suggest removal of an infected tooth as a method of treatment.
Belle Dental:
At Belle Dental, a root canal treatment is the absolute last resort. We will always advocate preventive dentistry and regular check-ups to ensure cracks, chips or the presence of decay don’t grow to be this problematic. If you come in with tooth pain, we will look into all other options before opting for a root canal. However, when we do have to perform this treatment we do so in a minimally invasive manner; removing only decayed or infected tooth matter and restoring the function of the natural tooth.
3. Veneers
Regular dentist:
Most regular dentists offer patients ceramic or porcelain veneers as their preferred option, with composite veneers being a secondary option. Ceramic veneers require ‘preparation of the tooth’ which shaves off healthy tooth structure to place the tooth. This shaving down of your tooth poses risks to the health of your teeth as it shaves away the enamel.
Belle Dental:
Instead of ceramic veneers, we offer our patients composite veneers when they are looking to transform the appearance of their smile. Composite veneers do not require any preparation of the tooth as they are much thinner, and they still look natural placed on the surface of your tooth. Composite resin veneers are much easier to repair if necessary and have a much lower biological cost to your teeth.
4. Fissure sealants
Regular dentist:
Sealants seal up deep grooves that exist naturally in the back molar teeth which cannot be reached by a regular toothbrush. This prevents decay occurring and the weakening of tooth structures as a whole. Fissure sealants are generally a part of a regular dentist’s services; however, they are most commonly used for only children.
Belle Dental:
We are strong advocates for fissure sealants! We believe they should be used more than they are in current practices and even recommend them for our adult patients. Parents should bring their children in as soon as they develop their first adult molars, usually around the age of six to assess for the need for sealants. This early prevention will strongly reduce the chances of decay developing in your children’s teeth.
5. The low biological approach
Regular dentist:
In general, regular dentist do not worry about removing healthy tooth structures. They commonly shave back a healthy tooth in order to treat it and are not concerned with the effects that may have on the oral and overall health of the patient. They simply follow common practices rather than look at dental care as a holistic approach.
Belle Dental:
In every treatment, we offer we aim to do it in the most conservative manner possible. We understand that nothing can replace your natural tooth and will always aim to keep it intact where possible.
For more information on our low-biological approach, click here.
