Psychologists have proven that a beautiful smile, resulting from good oral care, enhances your personal appearance, improves your self-confidence and can truly affect your life. Your teeth do more than help you to look your best. They help you to talk and to eat. Missing teeth not only affects your appearance, but impacts your speech and the foods that you can or can't eat.
Where do dental problems come from?
It usually is because of one of two reasons, sometimes both.
First, there is plaque (bacteria). Everyone has bacteria in their mouths. The bacteria produce acids, poisons and toxins that cause decay and gum disease. This must be professionally cleaned periodically, at the dentist, You have the critical responsibility to remove it daily. Bacteria in the mouth could be related to heart disease and current studies are supporting this.
So your dental office needs to work with you, one on one, and figure out what works easily and effectively in your mouth. And the other thing is that all areas of the mouth must be easily cleanable. If dentistry is done that is not designed with this in mind there is a potential for problems. Or if there are deep gums pockets, or crooked teeth that are not cleanable there are potential problems.
The second reason for problems is because of what I like to refer to as "engineering",
that is , the bite of the teeth. Think of the pressures and forces we can generate with our teeth. If you put a pencil between your back teeth, you could bite right through it! Studies have proven that it can be hundred of pounds! If the bite is not "engineered" these forces can cause lots of problems. Such as chipped, broken or painful teeth,, chipped or broken fillings or crowns, wearing of the teeth loosening of the teeth and sometimes even headaches or other jaw problems.
And since the teeth are connected to the Jaw joints, you have to do a jaw joint TMJ exam to really analyze 43the bite of the teeth. Like a hinge on a door; and since the muscles move the jaw and have to work when you bite together, you also have to analyze the muscles. So you see this engineering check requires very careful consideration with models of your teeth on a jaw simulator.
If these two reasons are addressed, it is amazing how few problems people will have.
Your dentist will look at these two reasons and talk to you about them. We do that at our practice. Please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have. Drchernoff@chernoffdds.com
