When a tooth needs a filling, it’s never just a one-shot deal. As we’ve noted before, all dental restorations eventually need further work. Even the strongest, most durable materials don’t last forever. Fillings wear down. Sometimes they leak. Sometimes they break. And this cycle gets expensive. A 2004 report from Delta Dental’s Data and Analysis […]
minimally invasive dentistry
Less Dentistry, Smarter Dentistry, Biological Dentistry
A few years ago, a group of researchers decided to look at the relationship between patient satisfaction and their experience in the health care system. They found that those who were most satisfied also received more treatment, took more prescription drugs – and were more apt to be dead within a few years. Clearly, more […]
Naturally Conservative Dentistry
Eight dentists. Twenty-one teeth. Twenty-one root canal preparations. And in each and every case, each and every dentist drilled a larger hole than needed. That was the shocking result of a study published late last month in PLOS ONE. The problem, lead author Robert O’Shea explained, is caused by an “optical illusion which makes a […]
What Is “Minimally Invasive Dentistry”?
Maybe you’ve heard the term “minimally invasive dentistry.” It certainly sounds great, but what does it mean exactly – especially for a biological dentist? Let’s start with the matter of diagnosis: When is it appropriate to place a filling in a tooth? Many dentists – Dr. Glaros included – feel very comfortable with using […]
The Answer to the Question Is… Microscopic Air Abrasion
What do you call a technique that uses the principles of sandblasting to stream microscopic (27 or 50 microns) sand particles on a tooth or dental material to remove decay, glossy enamel or slick, non-adhesive surfaces of dental materials? Microscopic air abrasion. What can be used during dental treatment that produces no heat, no […]
Technology Leads to Overtreatment? Not in This Dental Office!
Maybe you, too, saw this headline a while back: It made a lot of us here in the office say “ouch!” – but not for the reasons the journalist responsible probably had in mind. It was a horrible representation of what modern dentistry offers – and of a not-so-new technology that offers a great service […]