Frequently Asked Questions - General FAQs

It depends on the site where you need the additional bone, your choice of donor tissue, the availability of a donor site if you choose your own bone and the volume required. Own bone may be harvested from within the mouth ( palate , chin or wisdom tooth area ) or even the hipbone( larger volumes ).External sources may be donated human or animal bone , calcified natural material like coral or a range of synthetic chemical products that resemble bone content. The product is placed in the prepared site and either screwed down with mini screws or covered by a protective layer of material (Teflon ® etc) .It is then left to heal. Mini screws are usually removed and the covering membrane removal depends on the material used.

There is a lot of information available on the Internet. It is however directed at the average Joe Soap on the street. Brushing twice a day may not hack it for you. Using a soft brush in a modified rolling action may not get your teeth clean.You may have skew teeth, complex bridge work and fine delicate brushing movements may not be your biggest talent. An electric toothbrush may be little better than a motorised mistake.What you need is for an interested and correctly educated professional to see you in action with your existing equipment and then to tell you what to do.If you do want some advice , follow our links , if you require more detailed instruction.

A reconstruction is a total makeover of your teeth. It may involve braces on the teeth (Orthodontic treatment) jaw breaking and repositioning surgery (Ortho-gnathic surgery) implants and crowns on virtually all your teeth. The main reasons to do this are aesthetics, collapse and wear of the bite and poor oral function (speech and chewing). Costs vary from country to country and with the skills, training and equipment of the treating practice (eg CADCAM same day dentistry).

The jaw joint is called the TMJ. It moves with every bite you take and every time you do anything with your mouth. It carries all the weight of your chewing action and if your bite is wrong or if you use your teeth incorrectly eg for grinding etc, the joint can be damaged. Because it is a two sided double joint ( unique in the body ) , it is difficult to research correctly ( lack of controls or normal values that are applicable ) , opinions on treatment and protocols abound.The most common symptoms of TMJ problems are – clicking joints , pain in the joint/joints , locked jaw , snapping jaw , sudden limited opening , resistance to closing, pain upon chewing , back teeth do not fit , lack of back tooth power when chewing , sudden heavier touching of front teeth , morning stiffness of the jaw, headaches especially on side of the head ( temples ) ,problems with eye sight and prescription lenses, deafness ,inability to filter and discriminate background sounds, tinnitus , ringing sound in the ears, uneven wear of teeth, problems with balance .

You find an experienced practitioner and after thorough examination and testing try the most conservative suggestion first.

Biological dentistry acknowledges the fact that different individuals differ in their ability to eliminate and cope with the different chemicals that are used to practice dentistry. The most basic example is the Mercury content (50 %) of the traditional silver coloured dental filling material. Actual verifiable proof of an illness causing role for the Mercury elimination deficient population is lacking. It is clouded behind unverifiable anecdotal populist reports of miracle cures , the reported apparent reticence of the conventional orthodox medical fraternity to come forward with known proven side effects of exposure to Mercury at doses relevant to this discussion, political expediency in the under developed or developing world and long standing legal proceedings in first world countries like the USA between authorities and anti-Mercury lobbyists. The controversy and lack of singular guidance and consensus renders desperately ill patients vulnerable to exploitation. Biological Dentistry is a health issue and not a dental issue. The participation of a biological dentist within the treatment team is indispensable but the key player is the health practitioner. A significant deficiency is case management. Patients jump from one scheme to the next and eventually run out of disposable health funds or patience. One single health practitioner must play the co-ordinating role and all team members must answer to this one person. There have to be clear targets, time frames and reviews. If you believe that you may be sensitive to dental materials used in your mouth, find a trained health practitioner that is sympathetic to your complaint, has a team of people and resources (including a dentist) around his/her practice and is equipped to render quantifiable rational test results that can form the basis for judging the positive outcome or lack thereof for any therapy that you agree to. Non-quantifiable techniques like corneology, kinesiology or iridology can be supportive but must not form the definitive basis for random irreversible dental actions. (Note- My personal opinion.).