Mercury Free Dentistry

Our primary goal at Tooth By The Lake is to provide you with quality cosmetic and preventive dental care. The outline that follows is a guide to help answer many of the questions you may have. If there are more question, please ask since we do want to help. Since cosmetic or elective dental treatment is a complex decision, it is our goal to provide you with information and resources that may be helpful. Prior to any dental treatment you will receive an Informed Consent, which states the various risks, concerns and limitations of elective dental treatment.

COMPLETE DENTAL EXAM
To evaluate your existing restorations and detect new decay, a complete dental exam is necessary. This includes the following:

1. COMPLETE DENTAL XRAYS
To make a thorough evaluation a full mouth set of x-rays (or a panorex) and bitewing x-rays are taken. If a full mouth set of x-rays was taken within the last 5 years or bitewings within the past six months, please have them sent to our office prior to your appointment or bring them with you so they will not have to be duplicated.

2. VISUAL EXAM
It is important to check for worn or damaged fillings, weakened teeth, changes in bite alignment, new decay, and the health of the gums, to provide you with an optimum treatment plan.

3. PERIODONTAL EVALUATION
Checking the gums to provide you with a proper diagnosis of gum problems so proper home care and clinical treatment can be recommended.

INSURANCE CONSIDERATIONS
Only restorations that are decayed, worn or broken down to the extent that new restorations would be recommended, regardless of patient choice, can be submitted for insurance coverage.

IMPORTANT PRE-TREATMENT CONSIDERATIONS:

1. Be informed and ask yourself -
    A.Do I have all the information I need?
    B. Is there any danger to my teeth if I choose cosmetic replacement?

2. Dental material choices -
    A. Composites vs. lab resins vs. glass vs. porcelain vs. gold
    (See California Fact Sheet on Dental Materials)

Note: There are many questions regarding the process of detoxification, life style changes, supplements, your diet, plus other pre-treatment and post-treatment concerns. In our New Patient Packet we address some of these issues but these areas are mainly your responsibility and personal commitment to better health.

IMPORTANT:
We provide no diagnostic procedure in this office to determine whether your fillings are affecting your health. We recommend you consult with your physician if you think amalgam removal will improve or eliminate a medical condition. We also have the right to refuse treatment that is discretionary.