"To practice what is known" Our approach may appear unique or "different", in that we spend a lot of time developing a thorough understanding of the contributing factors of your dental and health condition before we pick up a drill. Consider this: If "we know" the cause of your dental ailments, doesn't it make good sense to address these FIRST? Our instruments and materials allow us to repair damage and rebuild tooth structure. We prefer to do this after we are confident that we have dealt with the cause of the destruction, or at least have it controlled. Oftentimes, this involves a combination of a few strategies. We are accountable to "practice what is known". Research and countless studies have linked factors of age, health condition, diet and lifestyle to dental health. In our role as your dental advisor, it is our job to apply critical thinking and base our recommendations on a thorough analysis of these factors. Because we do not view a cleaning as just a "shoe shine for your teeth", we judge the success of your hygiene visit as not just how shiny the teeth are when you leave, but the effectiveness of the dentisthygienist team in diagnosing and making recommendations for prevention depending on that person's health history, dental variables and stage in life. Some of the most effective and rewarding visits for a patient can involve just discussion and not tooth polishing. We strive to provide our patients with the thoroughness and completeness that comes from constant continuing education. Our recommendations will differ for each individual depending on their personal modifiers (such as cavity risk, systemic health or stage of life).