Maintaining teeth for life

Article written by: Dr Matthew Casey

Dental PatientAt Casey Dentists we have evolved from a simple, one dimensional “drill/fill” practice into a comprehensive, treatment plan focused family dental surgery. This was born by my desire to help people with more advanced dental conditions – such which cannot simply be solved by the information we learnt at dental school. I also wanted to develop a greater understanding of dentistry and appreciate the complex interactions between teeth, wear patterns, joint disease and smile design. One of my specialist mentors always told me it’s relatively simple to make a nice set of front teeth, but exceedingly difficult to create a beautiful smile. Another challenge facing modern dentists is people are living longer through modern advances in medicine and retaining their teeth likewise, which ironically creates challenges in rehabilitation of the worn dentition. Over a lifetime, teeth wear down, teeth fracture and teeth are lost. The big challenge is dealing with people who grind their teeth and end up with facial disproportions where the nose appears closer to the chin. These people need rehabilitation of their teeth, they need restoring, rebuilding and strengthening to create longevity once again.

Once I began to understand the scope of treatments required to help these people, I pursued extensive professional development to advance my skill set. The more you learn, the more you realize how little you knew and how much more there is to pursue and learn. There is no end point in dentistry unless you decide to choose an alternate career. There are so many pieces to the complete puzzle of dentistry and therein lies the enjoyment and challenge of being involved in a profession that is constantly changing through technological advances and the overall desire to help people reach a point of teeth for life.

To begin your understanding and journey at Casey Dentists, the New Patient Experience is designed to develop a clear understanding of you and your families health concerns before any treatment is commenced. The New Patient Experience is a fundamental beginning point to determine and discuss what dental problems are apparent to yourself and also dental health conditions that you are completely unaware of, that may impact not only the longevity of your teeth but also your underlying health.

So many mums ask me about their kids, and it’s simple. Our hygienist and therapist are best trained to examine and screen your child; the appointments are simple and fun. When I see young smiles walk down the path and then return as adolescents. I feel an overwhelming sense of achievement that Casey Dentists have not only looked after Mum and Dad, but the entire family.

Tags: