Things I Thought I Knew.

I recently attended my 30th dental school class reunion. It was great to see old friends and catch up on our lives together. It got me thinking about things I was taught or thought I knew that I now have a completely different understanding of.

Things such as implants. I remember seeing a gentleman back in the early 1980's who was so proud of his "state of the art" blade implants, but I could see on his xray he was going to lose them in the near future due to his body rejecting them. I remember thinking to myself "I will never recommend implants or do this to a patient!" Now, thanks to the work of people like Dr. Per-Ingvar Branemark, I not only recommend implants routinely as the best option for replacing missing teeth, but it is the only option I would want for myself!

What about "toothbrush abrasion"? I was taught and still hear being taught today that the grooves often found at the gum line on teeth are the result of brushing too hard and wearing away the tooth enamel. Question: How does a thin flexible piece of nylon wear away the hardest natural substance in the body, and, how do you explain finding these grooves at times below the gum line where they are unexposed to brushing? The research of Dr. John Grippo has shown us that in reality these areas, which he called"abfractions", are the result of a process called stress corrosion. They are the result of lateral forces from the bite creating stress at the neck of the tooth coupled with the insult of an acidic environment created by the oral bacteria and dietary components.

One of the most troubling ideas that I was given in dental school was that "TMJ is a problem associated with post menopausal women". In other words, these are just women going through a hard time in their life looking for some attention. Thankfully for thousands of patients we have come out of the dark ages on this! Tempromandibular Dysfunction, or TMD as it is now called, is a very real problem that manifests itself in numerous ways in both men and women. Its symptoms include chronic headaches and migraines, sore jaw muscles, pain when eating or talking, popping and noises in the jaw joint, ringing in the ears (tinnitus) and hearing loss, wear on the teeth and grinding (bruxism) along with other symptoms of pain and discomfort. Thankfully while our knowledge and understanding of the problem have progressed so have our treatment modalities. We have progressed from learn to live with it psychotherapy and valium, through surgical interventions to an understanding that the cause of the problem lies in a disharmony between the joint and teeth. It is this disharmony that has the whole system under stress. We have found that when we address the underlying cause by bringing the teeth back in harmony with a stable jaw joint that the symptoms disappear and the whole system is restored to optimum health.

How do I know this? Because I have lived it. I have experienced it in my own body and system. I have also seen it true for many patients. I have had the privilege of helping numerous patients get out of pain, stop their headaches, end their jaw discomfort, yes, even find their hearing improved when we have restored harmony back to their systems by applying the principles of Bioesthetics. At times it has seemed nothing short of miraculous.

Life is a journey of learning. I am so thankful for those who have not accepted the status quo, but chose to question and seek truth. What will we look back on 30 years from now and shake our heads at? Til next time....

Bioesthetics? What's that?

Bioesthetics is the study or theory of the beauty of living things in their natural forms and function.  It is a term coined by a California dentist, Dr. Bob Lee. Dr. Lee was originally trained as a biologist and as such was always interested in how nature functions. It led him to study healthy systems instead of disease. He discovered several principles that all healthy mouths had in common.  He then found he could use these principles to evaluate and diagnose the cause of breakdown in the mouths of his unhealthy patients.  When he applied the principles to the restoration of these patients they too became healthy and did not break down again in the future.  Additionally, their natural beauty and esthetics were restored, often resulting in a much younger appearance.  

This is what we routinely see in our patients as well!  That's why I say that bioesthetics is where beauty and function come together to create optimum health.  In the future I will share some of the additional benefits we have seen our bioesthetic patients receive!  Til then...