Dental Fitness Program

People tell me they want a healthy, comfortable mouth, an attractive smile, and to keep their teeth for life. But also... People want NO dentistry! They want freedom from the dentist, and they would  rather spend their time and money elsewhere!

"The preventive/corrective approach can only work if the dentist is able to nurture the patient's latent sense of responsibility so he can become independently healthy. Dental health once attained reduces the urgency of correction so that excellent care can be planned and phased. This new philosophy redefines the doctor/patient relalationship, especially relative to the patient's responsibility and the doctor's role as educator." - Dr Robert Barkley, Champion of Preventive Dentistry

Health First!

How can we help people get what they want - a healthy mouth that feels good, looks good, and lasts for life - and NO dentistry? Is it possible to make dental appointments pleasurable and painless? It's not always true, but it certainly can be if you control the causes of dental disease. With dental fitness you don't have the pains and problems others face when they are not dentally fit. We hope you will think health first, something you give to yourself, and any treatment second. The new patient process in our office is designed to help people get what they want - NO dentistry-via the following: A complete exam and masterplan for oral health. Without a plan it's easy to make decisions about treatment that are reactive, and not consistent with where you want to end up in the long run. Controlling the the causes of dental disease. Optimal treatment so that repair is not repeated over and over through the years.

The Dental Fitness program encourages your participation. At every recare appointment you receive an objective Dental Fitness Score indicating if your mouth is healthy or if you are at risk for dental disease (similar to the way physicians use a cholesterol score to assess your risk for heart disease/stroke.) We  have the most success with people who prefer to control their own destiny. They proactively choose to control the causes of disease, and treat early signs of breakdown; rather than wait to treat symptoms and repair defects. Key to long term success is allowing time to understand your unique concerns and to develop a relationship of mutual trust. We prefer not to spend all your time with our hands in your mouth treating disease. We like to reserve some time to reinforce how you can help yourself. A major benefit of Dental Fitness is that once the progress of disease is controlled, there's no rush to make hasty repairs that need to be redone. Optimal treatment can be phased to accommodate your lifestyle and budget. We think people make better choices when they have proper information and time to evaluate what's in the best interests of their health.