Finding out that you have a cavity may sound straightforward. The dentist sees decay, removes it, and places a filling. However, determining the right treatment for a newly discovered area of decay should involve more than simply identifying a dark spot on an X-ray or an area that looks suspicious during an examination. Not every…
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When a tooth is painful, deeply decayed, cracked, or showing signs of infection, patients are sometimes told that they need root canal therapy. In many situations, root canal treatment can be an effective way to preserve a natural tooth. However, recommending the procedure should begin with a careful diagnosis rather than simply responding to pain…
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When a tooth becomes painful, deeply decayed, or infected, treatment often seems to come down to one immediate goal: eliminate the infection. That is certainly important, but good dentistry also asks another question. How much of the natural tooth can still be preserved safely? At the Institute of Systemic Dentistry in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey,…
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When a patient develops one cavity after another, simply repairing each damaged tooth may not answer the most important question: why does the decay keep happening? Tooth decay is not just a hole that suddenly appears in a tooth. It is the result of an ongoing disease process involving oral bacteria, dietary exposures, saliva, the…
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Some dental problems are straightforward. A tooth hurts, an examination identifies a cavity or fracture, and the source of the problem is relatively clear. Other situations are more complicated. A patient may have persistent discomfort in an area where a tooth was removed years ago, unexplained jaw tenderness, pressure, or symptoms that do not appear…
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When a child develops a cavity, parents naturally want to know how it can be repaired safely. For families who prefer a holistic or biological approach to healthcare, the questions often go beyond whether the tooth needs a filling. Parents may also want to understand what materials will be placed in their child’s mouth, how…
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A recommendation for root canal therapy should not be based on tooth pain alone. Sensitivity, pressure, swelling, cracks, deep decay, and bite problems can produce similar symptoms, but they do not always require the same treatment. At the Institute of Systemic Dentistry in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, we take time to determine what is happening…
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Many patients are interested in preserving a damaged tooth with the least invasive treatment possible. They may ask whether enamel can be remineralized, whether a deep cavity can heal, or whether nutrition, ozone, or other biological therapies can help them avoid a filling, root canal, or extraction. At the Institute of Systemic Dentistry in Berkeley…
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When a tooth is deeply decayed, fractured, or painful, patients are often told that they need a root canal. In many situations, root canal treatment is an appropriate and effective way to remove infected or inflamed tissue and preserve the natural tooth. However, it is not automatically the only possible treatment for every tooth with…
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At the Institute of Systemic Dentistry in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, we believe healing should not be judged only by whether the tooth is gone or the gums look closed. A past extraction site may appear finished on the surface while the deeper tissues are still in the process of remodeling, or in some cases,…
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