Author Archive

Wouldn’t you rather save your own tooth first?

Implants are relatively easy to place where there is adequate bone and they enjoy a high percentage of success. They don’t decay and they are usually simple to restore because all of the components are precision machined to fit into the implant.  Most general practitioners have become adept at restoring implants, but many do not have good crown and bridge skills.. Because they have become more comfortable with restoring implants than with restoring ...

Many patients are having teeth extracted even when they can actually be saved.  These teeth are being extracted because there is no tooth structure above the gum, there is poor periodontal bone, or poor root anatomy that cannot support fixed bridgework.  In fact, only teeth with fractures below the periodontal bone and teeth with little or no periodontal bone cannot be saved.

Many patents are surprised to learn that teeth that have no tooth structure above the gum are far from ...

Hippocrates famous saying is “first, do no harm”. Where there is no disease, it is usually better to retain one’s own teeth. (An exception would be extraction for orthodontic correction). Teeth can always be extracted; and in truth, no one can predict how long even the most “hopeless” of teeth can last. There have been many instances where teeth condemned as “hopeless” by dental practitioners have lasted in health for many years after corrective treatment—often in spite of diabetes, cancer ...