Transformative Dentistry
At Harper Dental we love doing transformative dentistry
That’s dentistry which changes everything that you want changed.
It’s also dentistry that changes everything that you need changed.
It could be your smile the way you dream it could be
It could be your teeth not breaking constantly but feeling solid and strong
It could be your gum disease stopped dead in its tracks
And when it’s all finished
Your mouth should be completely healthy.
Which means that the health of your mouth is no longer stopping you.
That's a big promise!
To fulfil that promise we do 3 things
We start with an endgoal for your mouth to be healthy
What does an unhealthy mouth look like?
- Gum disease is present – the most common cause of tooth loss
- Teeth are crooked – making them more difficult to clean and more prone to decay
- Cusps breaking off – the capacity of the teeth to accept wear and tear has been exceeded
- Grinding is a constant habit – magnifying gum disease and tooth wear
Once we have identified each problem, we eliminate them each in turn.
- Infection should always be dealt with first.
- Prevention of future problems should be resolved next
- Smile perfection should be carried out in the final phase.
We use the right tools to get there
So what are the right tools?
- Microscope dentistry
- Same day crowns
- 3D scanners
- 3D printing
- Clear aligners/Orthodontics
- Implants
We follow the right processes
So what are the right processes?
- Comprehensive examination using all of our dental knowledge
- Comprehensive treatment planning
- Maintenance for a lifetime
Why is microscope dentistry such a vital tool for my health?
Put simply, it’s the best means of identifying any factor which would cause you to lose your teeth.
Imagine looking at the inside of a watch. You have to identify why the watch is going slow.
Then imagine the inside of the watch is now the size of a barn door.
Do you think it would be easier to see the cause of your trouble when it’s 19X the size?
How does comprehensive dentistry keep me healthy?
Because it’s dentistry which addresses all of the factors in your mouth which would lead to loss of your teeth and loss of your health.
What's the mechanism by which we ensure that happens?
We identify your current problems with a comprehensive exam
Through careful questioning we discover your dental history and through careful examination we search out your dental risk factors.
This will uncover any of the 4 major causes of tooth loss:
- gum disease,
- tooth abscess,
- tooth breakdown and
- grinding.
Early discovery of these problems will allow us to create a plan which you can undertake at your own pace.
The knowledge and experience we bring to bear on analysing this data then leads us to the next step.
And we anticipate your future problems
A stitch in time saves nine! When people have full function in their 80’s its not because of what they do in their 80’s or even 70’s, it’s because of what they did in their 50’s. Our experience in treating and examining patients over decades will indicate where those problems are likely to lie. And it’s never too late to start!
Anticipating your future problems also comes from the knowledge that we have about our patients, the themes we all have which cause problems as we age, and the breadth of our dental knowledge acquired over many years of dental study.
Then we deal with each one in turn
Urgent problems are dealt with straightaway(dental disease).
More long term problems (misaligned teeth, worn teeth, missing teeth) can be dealt with at your own pace, with guidance from us on where is the best place to start.
Any treatment plan has to be done in a way which is sustainable for you.
That’s very important to us.
How can a 3D scanner make me healthier?
It could be said that its 21st-century technology. It could be said that it’s the way of the future. It could be said that it’s computer-based and that computers do everything far more reliably than humans can. And all of these things are true.
But that doesn’t mean anything unless the end result of using a 3D scanner is that our patients have healthier mouths.
The 3D scanner accomplishes that beautifully.
How does the scanner make that happen?
Essentially what it does is that it takes the human error out of taking an impression.
I’ve heard very skilled dentists saying that it took them 30 years to learn how to take a good impression. Then the 3D scanner came along and they realised the 30 years was completely wasted.
Taking an accurate impression is a very difficult thing to do. The process is full of potential for human errors. Using a 3D scanner, a child could take a great impression. The technology means that any errors are corrected by the software.
Principally we use the 3D scanner for taking clear aligners impressions, taking crown impressions, taking veneer and implant impressions. Accuracy of fit is key to success in all of these procedures. In independent testing it has been shown that a crown produced by a 3D scanner impression is superior in fit to that taken by a traditional rubber-based impression.
Dentistry and whole body wellness
Inflammation and heart disease
Medical researchers are currently looking into possible links between gum disease and heart health. They are proposing that bacteria in the mouth can facilitate heart disease. Much research needs to be done before the link is proven, however, there is no downside to having a mouth which is healthy and so packed with good bacteria that no bad bacteria have room to take hold.
The incidence of both gum disease and heart disease tends to increase significantly after age 50.
Not everybody is prone to one or both conditions but the age of the patient is something that we take into account when doing examinations. To ensure that the health of your mouth doesn’t affect the health of your body, if the patient is 40+ we focus very strongly on gum health.
Sleep apnoea as seen in the mouth
Increasingly the medical world is focusing on proper breathing at night time as being a pillar of general health.
You can’t live a healthy life unless you get a proper night’s sleep.
As dentists we have a golden opportunity to identify airway problems and help alleviate those.
In conjunction with sleep physicians we can provide splints to alleviate sleep apnoea.