Painless Dental Treatment

Do not assume that all dentists are alike. Dentists, like all professions, have good and not so good practitioners. Just because tremendous new dental treatment and technology has become available, it does not mean that all dentists have incorporated the newest minimally invasive philosophy into your care.

An "insurance dentist", a dentist who is paid in full by the insurance company at reduced fees, will oftentimes not be able to afford the most current dental technology or training. Nor can they often afford the time to spend the proper time with their patients. Without access to the newest training and equipment, and frequently rushed, you run the risk of unnecessary pain, and expense. A modern restorative dentist in private dental practice will do their best to either prevent dental disease, or treat it in a painless way not involving the mutilation of healthy tissue.

Here are 5 important differences between private dentists & insurance dentists that impact you and your health.

1. Does your dentist provide adequate amount of time during your routine cleaning appointments to perform a thorough oral cancer screening at each visit? A 15-20 minute dental cleaning is not enough time to properly diagnose and clean. Dentists who get paid little if anything for cleanings often rush this appointment. Dentists in private dental practice will often incorporate technology like the VELSCOPE, which is a simple light that can detect oral cancer even before it is visible to the naked eye.
   
   
2. Does your dentist look for the earliest signs of gum disease? Are they even allowed to? A full mouth periodontal (gum tissue) measurement should be taken at every visit to look for the subtle changes of gum disease. An insurance dentist might not have the time; a dentist in private dental practice makes it their point to check for early changes. Many even incorporate the use of phase contrast microscopy to check for the earliest signs of gum disease.
   
   
3. What about cavities are they finding them soon enough? A dental insurance dentist might not get reimbursed enough to justify finding small cavities (which require only small fillings). A private practice dentist gets paid to treat dental disease, and often will incorporate the use of the diagnodent, a special laser which can detect cavities well before they are symptomatic or visible on x-rays.
   
   
4. Cracked teeth can be painful when biting, but hard to detect on regular x rays. Digital image technology can often find cracks and weak spots in teeth, long before the symptoms occur. You guessed it, insurance dentists often do not use digital image technology, private practice dentists often do use this great technology.
   
   
5. Top of the line equipment: Drills vs. lasers. Oftentimes, dentist in private practice have incorporated the use of dental lasers to treat simple cavities. What does this mean to you? No needles, no numbing, and no drill!

These are only 5 of the myriad of differences between dentists. Choose a dentist who cares about your well being as if you were a family member. Dentistry, like all other forms of medicine, is best either prevented or treated in the earliest possible phases. Second generation restorative dentist, Dr. Bard J. Levey, in private practice in Hartsdale, Croton (Westchester NY) welcomes your questions. Call 914-271-6225, email info@youramazingsmile.com, visit www.YourAmazingSmile.com or facebook: www.facebook.com/dr.levey.

As a second generation restorative dentist in private dental practice in Hartsdale, Croton-on-Hudson and Westchester NY, Dr. Bard J. Levey has seen a lot of changes in dentistry in his more than 20 years of practice. Dr. Levey explains that many dental techniques, such as dental implants, cosmetic dental veneers, dental bonding, laser gum treatment, and clear braces used for orthodontics did not exist when his father practiced dentistry. Dr. Levey explains that not that long ago, dentistry was practiced with an approach called "extension for prevention." What this meant in real life was that even if your tooth had a very small cavity, the dentist would drill away all of the healthy grooves in your teeth to "prevent" you from getting a cavity in the future.

Levey goes on to explain that when it came to diagnosing dental disease, dentist's in his father's generation were limited to reading crude x-rays. Small problems could then fester until they were larger and more easily seen by the older x rays, or by the patient's complaint of symptoms. Nowadays, dentists choosing private dental practice have the ability to purchase amazing technology that allow for the earliest detection and treatment. Many dentists in private practice now subscribe to the concept of "minimally invasive" dentistry, whose goal is preservation.