What is an “extreme dental makeover” and what can it do for you? We asked this question of this Carslbad Cosmetic Dentist and received the following reply:
Well, if you’ve been taking care of your teeth with regular brushing, flossing and rinsing on a daily basis, chances are you won’t need one. Teeth are extremely durable, and properly maintained teeth are likely to be around for centuries, or even millennia, after the rest of their late owners have turned into dust.
That said, the fact is that relatively few people regularly brush or floss their teeth on a regular basis. Add to that the high sugar intake of too many Americans (and a fair number of Europeans as well), and you have the ingredients for a “dental disaster.”
Then, there are those who in fact are conscientious about their dental hygiene, but may have been born with some congenital problem, such as crooked, misaligned and/or short teeth (which is not uncommon), or a condition that makes their teeth vulnerable to damage, such as Type I diabetes.
Teeth also become injured in accidents, or through stress-related grinding (known as bruxism). A person can suffer from stained, discolored teeth through no fault of their own if they take certain prescriptions such as tetracycline – or simply because they enjoy tea and/or coffee and blueberry pie.
But let’s take a hypothetical worst-case scenario: John Doe loves sweets, drinks loads of coffee, is under stress that has caused him to grind his teeth a great deal – and rarely uses a toothbrush (the word “floss” is not in his vocabulary).
Now, at age 40, he has major gingivitis (gum disease) and a mouthful of rotting, discolored teeth.
In the old days, a dentist would have had few options except to pull ‘em all and fit John with a set of dentures.
Fortunately, dental science has come a long way since then. There is hope – even for the John Does of the world. Using a range of techniques that include porcelain veneers, crowns, new surgical techniques to restore gum and the underlying bone tissue and professional whitening techniques, patients like John can today enjoy full dental and oral rehabilitation. With dental implants, a skilled prosthodontist, or cosmetic dental specialist, can give such patients a complete new set of porcelain teeth that look completely natural.
Chances are your family dentist is not a prosthodontist – but s/he can certainly tell you whether or not you are a candidate for an extreme dental makeover and refer you to the prosthodontist that can do the job right.