Article written by: Dr Mitchell Innes
There are many treatment options available for restoring the teeth and mouth to health.
For a number of years now it has been apparent that oral health impacts on a person’s general health and quality of life. The experience of toothache pain, enduring dental abscesses, problems chewing and eating and embarrassment from discoloured, missing, damaged, loose or poorly shaped teeth adversely affects a person’s self-esteem, wellbeing and daily life. As a specialist once said to me about his patient’s teeth,
“This person has been suffering poor dental aesthetics her entire life”.
From a medical standpoint, poor oral health is linked to malnutrition due to poor eating habits (eg poor chewing and compromised nutritional intake), as well as general medical issues such as heart disease and infections that can compromise the airway. From a dental standpoint, poor oral health is associated with damage to and loss of tooth structure, loss of bone through gum disease and other infections and degeneration of the jaw joint.
Another significant problem is the social aspect of poor dental health and aesthetics. People who suffer bad breath and those who aren’t happy with the appearance of their teeth and gums often become more reclusive, avoiding public situations. They don’t smile as much, or hide their smile, won’t laugh, have a poor outlook on themselves and consequently care less about their general appearance and tend to engage members of the opposite sex less.
We are fortunate to live in a revolutionary time in dentistry. There are many treatment options available for restoring the teeth and mouth to health. At Casey Dentists we use modern techniques such as layered tooth-coloured resins, porcelain veneers and crowns made from zirconia, porcelain and/or gold. We also offer treatments to replace missing teeth including bridges, dentures (full and partial) and implants to replace single and multiple missing teeth and to stop lower dentures from moving around in the mouth.
I have had a number of patients present in recent weeks who have suffered all of the above problems and with the help of my hygienists and technicians these patients are making the transition from active oral diseases, missing teeth, poor chewing and poor aesthetics to a healthy oral environment with improved looks that will, all things going to plan, remain with the patient for many years to come. Today I had an appointment with a lovely lady who has finished her “disease stabilisation phase” and is now undergoing her “reconstruction/prosthetic stage”. When we fitted the temporary appliance and gave her the mirror, her face lit up. My team and I can already see an improvement in the way she views her teeth and we are excited about sharing this transition with her.