Put succinctly, our philosophy is that of a comprehensive nature through advanced diagnostic techniques. Since the term "comprehensive" seems to be a loosely used term these days, it is important to understand what we mean. When we say comprehensive, what we mean is an approach to dental care that takes into account all categories and possibilities of dental pathology: bite dysfunctions, gum disease, infectious tooth decay, and potentially serious oral pathology. All oral disease and deterioration requiring treatment falls into one of these four categories. Since dental science/technology has advanced to the point that we can diagnostically "predict" those who are likely to have dental disease and those who are at low risk, it is now a reality that we can prevent breakdown even before problems arise. Additionally, for those patients already experiencing dental health problems, these same advancements in science and technology can assure that necessary treatment will withstand the test of time. Our diagnostic techniques and treatments are so advanced that as a general rule, our patients do not experience dental emergencies. Dr. Mason takes great pride in establishing and maintaining dental health rather than periodically treating the damage caused by unabated disease and dysfunction. We understand what causes problems in the mouth and we know how to stop the progression of disease before it starts. Our patients benefit from this knowledge! It should also be noted that Dr. Mason does not place mercury amalgam fillings, and hasn't since 1995. There are safety considerations that should be taken when removing amalgam and we go to great lengths to ensure the safety of our patients and staff when doing so. Dr. Mason has written articles on the four categories of dental breakdown and the importance of mercury considerations. For more information, just click any of the buttons to the right of this article!
Very few patients understand how much devastation a poor bite (or occlusion) can cause to their oral health. A poor bite can lead to many dental problems including headaches, TMJ disorders, worn teeth, broken teeth, crowns, and fillings, bone deterioration leading to gum disease, and erosive damage to the teeth at the gum line. These are just to name a few, as the full list of bite disorder symptoms is exhaustive. Rarely do patients naturally have an ideal bite or occlusion, but some patients adapt better than others to the misalignment of the upper and lower jaws. Some patients with severe bite problems can experience little damage, while others can have a seemingly mild bite problem and exhibit severe damage to their teeth and supporting structures. It is imperative that your dentist be acutely aware of the signs and symptoms of bite dysfunction (or occlusal dysfunction) and understand how to treat the problem. While bite dysfunction may sound complicated, a highly trained and skilled dentist can usually eliminate all of the progressive and destructive processes of occlusal (bite) dysfunction in just a few short appointments.
Dental decay is a bacterial infection. The act of filling the teeth due to a “cavity” is merely treating the destructive symptoms of that oral infection. Simply put, when a dentist places a filling in a “cavity” he is repairing damage that was caused by a bacterial infection. What if the patient still has the infection? What if a dentist could perform a test that would indicate whether a patient is still infected? What if the dentist could cure the infection so that the patient could never get another “cavity”.
Well now we can. Dr. Mason has implemented CAMBRA into his practice. CAMBRA is an acronym that stands for CAries Management By Risk Assessment. In our office, each patient is screened once a year with a simple test that will definitively indicate if a patient has a decay causing infection or if they don’t. In a matter of 15 seconds, a small plaque sample from the back of your lower front six teeth can be gathered with a Q-tip and tested with an electronic meter for infectivity. It is as simple as that. If you still get tooth decay, your dentist is not up to date on the latest preventive technology in dentistry.
While periodontal disease has been the most difficult dental problem to eliminate in the past, in all but the rarest cases, it is usually quite simple to do so with modern laser technology. Whether a patient suffers from localized or generalized gum disease, the dental treatment is still the same. We first eliminate destructive and misdirected bite load and then use a no cut, no suture approach utilizing a conservative laser technique that has been FDA approved and proven to help reform the supportive bone. The procedure is called LANAP which is an acronym standing for Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure. The advantages of LANAP besides the less invasive no cut and no suture procedure, is that it does not lower the gum line on the teeth which is unsightly and results in patients experiencing little pain or post operative tooth sensitivity.
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