Patient Treated in the Operating Room
Our goal in the operating room is to preserve as many teeth as reasonably possible while eliminating oral disease. We see many patients who have not had access to care for quite some time. Many of our patients struggle with home hygiene and do not cooperate for their caregivers. It was a privilege to get to know this wonderful woman and her dedicated caregivers.
Patient Able to Avoid Operating Room
This patient had always been treated in the operating room. We decided that because his risk for cavities is minimal and his operating room history had confirmed this, that we would work slowly and try to build a trusting relationship to treat him outside of the operating room. His largest problems are grinding and buildup. We let him use his headphones and allowed him to have his teeth cleaned on his couch where he was comfortable and felt safe. We have enjoyed building a relationship with him and he actually sat in our chair at his last visit! We continue to expand what we can do as a team with him to improve his oral health
Patient Able to Avoid Operating Room
This patient avoided the operating room by taking a minimally invasive approach. What you see on the left is the teeth after they had been treated with Silver Diamine Fluoride. Silver Diamine Fluoride arrests the decay, but as a downside it turns the teeth black. To make them look a bit better we added glass ionomer filling material to cover the undesirable color. You can see the after on the right. With this treatment we can avoid needles and sometimes even avoid drills.