Riz Dentopedia
Evidence-Based Dentistry For My Patients
Dentistry de-mystified
I was actually quite surprised the other day when a very close friend, who is educated and well versed and up to date with most fast-paced developments of the current day told me she had no clue what veneers/ implants actually mean, and another doctor friend bought an over the counter whitening gel, which was quite harmful to the teeth, she bought in coz of a strong marketing campaign.
In my 18 years of career, I have found that the dental awareness of common diseases and problems associated with the mouth and teeth is not so well understood and common terms like veneers/ implants although people have heard of it and are familiar with the terms and does not fully understand it.
I hope to make dentistry simplified and evidence-based (backed by research) so that it will help you decide what is best for you to care for your own teeth and preserve them and what treatments when needed would be best suited for your age, teeth and budget. It made me realise the public is unsure of dentistry basics, as the general fear of dentists and the 'expensive' tag associated with dentistry, people do their own research and come to a lot of misconception because of advertising and marketing campaigns by non-dental people.
My aim is to have simple, easy-to-understand explanations - regarding natural healthy teeth, the reasons for the problems, prevention and solutions for the different problems and the complications for each treatment explained in a way that makes sense enough to anyone and helps them decide, on what's best for each of them.
I will try to answer some frequently asked questions regarding teeth/dentistry, which I have had to answer repeatedly at the practice. I will try and make it as simplified as I can in, with simple words and illustrations where possible. I will also add Evidence, (highlighted in pink) to know that although it is my opinion, it is based on research by well-known scientists and academicians/clinicians in the field.
The most important Awareness, I would like to bring to everyone's attention is that there is ‘NO THIRD SET’. My speciality involves the replacement of missing teeth and the use of lab-made prosthetics to improve peoples esthetics and function - so in simple words treatment like - crowns/bridges/implants /denture and smile makeover with veneers and composite bonding. In my experience and knowledge - none of these replacement options compare remotely to the quality of functions, aesthetics and longevity(or how long they last) that our teeth bless us with and for that reason, My biggest aim with these blogs would be to help you understand teeth and mouth - its parts and structure, how it gets diseases and the prevention of it all.
THE MOST IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM ME IS - THERE IS NO THIRD SET OF TEETH AND, YOUR CURRENT SET OF ADULT TEETH ARE A REAL BLESSING AND IF LOOKED AFTER WELL, CAN LAST YOU A LIFETIME!
If you have questions add them as comments on the blog! Let me know if this is helpful.
Understanding teeth series
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Milk teeth, their eruption sequence and their importance
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Caring for the milk teeth
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Ugly duckling Stage
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Permanent teeth, their eruption sequence and names
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Treatment in Dentistry explained