High-Tech Face Lift Dentistry ®
Face Lift Dentistry ® Explained
There are many terms being discussed in the field of dentistry. Patients are hearing dentists referred to as a general dentist, specialist, cosmetic dentist, prosthodontist and now Face Lift Dentist. Face Lift Dentistry ® is a level of care that exceeds all previous levels; it is the highest most complex level of dental care made possible by improvements in advanced technology.
The Face Lift Dentist is a super specialist as his or her care is highly concentrated, utilizing and coordinating all of the dental technologies available to achieve the ultimate level of individualized dental care.
The goals of Face Lift Dentistry ® are to achieve the absolute best jaw position, best dental health level, best jaw comfort, clear speech, ideal facial support and optimal facial length.
Face Lift Dentistry ® changes the entire face
Facial Length and Face Lift Dentistry ®
As we age, our faces get shorter because of tooth wear. Some of us wear down our teeth because of nighttime bruxism (grinding) on top of our daily wear. Some of us never had a good bite to begin with. Our bite is formed in early adolescence once all of the adult teeth erupt. It is our teeth that determine facial length and jaw position for the rest of our lives. Our faces can be short and round if the teeth do not provide adequate support. The development Face Lift Dentistry ® now allows us to change what nature created or turn back the hands of time. For the first time in our lives, instead of being satisfied with the length of our face and the position of our jaw that we grew into randomly at a young age, we can now utilize advances in dental technology to achieve the best possible face, lips and jaw position possible.
Do I have to have surgery?
No surgery is required to the face or any soft tissue structures. Only the teeth are treated. The teeth are lengthened to achieve a longer face and this lengthening process is harmonized with the specific requirements of the patient’s jaw-joint or TMJ. In most instances, the jaw-joint will move to the best position naturally if given the opportunity during the course of dental care.
By only treating the teeth, her facial profile has changed without surgery
How does Face Lift Dentistry ® improve my health?
Many patients need a lot of dental work because they have old crowns, old fillings, dental decay and have worn down teeth from many years of wear and tear. The treatment involves removing all of the old decaying dental work, all tooth decay, all gum disease and any other irritant in the mouth. The entire mouth will heal to maximum health during the course of dental care. Even patients without a single cavity may benefit from the Dental Face Lift ®. For most people, the bite gets worse with time as the teeth wear down and the cusps get flatter. The jaw may not be in the most comfortable position so we are forced to unconsciously adapt and accommodate to a less than ideal jaw and bite position. We don’t even know we are in constant conflict with our jaw position and our bite. Some of us get headaches, some wear down the teeth more fiercely, some live with a deep overbite and others have gum disease. Face Lift Dentistry ® attempts to three dimensionally idealize the jaw position while developing the best possible shape for the teeth to support the lips, to reposition the jaw and lengthen the entire face. The patient looks younger, is healthier and more comfortable.
Cosmetic Dentist vs. the Face Lift Dentist ®
Cosmetic dentistry is generally limited to your smile. The cosmetic dentist makes porcelain veneers for some of your teeth in order to help develop a better smile. However, just as the name implies, cosmetic dentistry can be limited in value because we only smile about 5% of the time. We don’t go around smiling all day, most of the time we are talking or at rest. The bad bite, the short face, the thin unsupported lips, facial wrinkles and an unhappy older appearance are all too evident. The Face Lift Dentist ® treats the entire face while smiling and while at rest. After Face Lift Dentistry ®, we look our best in all expressions, all positions and at rest because all of our teeth were treated. The cosmetic dentist treats a small part of the entire patient: the smile. The Face Lift Dentist ® acknowledges that the teeth are connected to the jaw, which is connected to the skull, which affects our entire face.
Bite Reconstruction vs. Face Lift Dentistry ®
Most of the teaching institutions are instructing the dentist on achieving centric occlusion. The jaw is pushed back and the lower jaw is forced to at least manipulated to the "rear most upper most position". I have heard this over and over from one instructor to the next. Manufacturers have developed electronic devices to assist the dentist (which actually means tell the dentist) where to place the jaw in the "rear most upper most position". Unfortunately, this is actually what is wrong with most full mouth-bite reconstructions. The jaw is in the wrong position. Patient after patient has come in my office telling me they are more comfortable with their jaw in a more forward position. They will even show me where they would like it to be positioned. After 30 years of continuing dental education from many of the best lecturing dentists in the dental business and after being awarded the Master of the Academy of General Dentistry, I have come to the conclusion that "cook book" type of dental care does not work for many patients. Face Lift Dentistry ® is, by design, a fully individualized approach to the best possible care for each and every patient. The treating dentist has to have skills far beyond average dentistry to adapt his care to the needs of the patient.