Dr. LeSage’s philosophy on holistic dentistry focuses on preventive care, preserving your teeth, and providing conservative treatment options.
Holistic Dental Care
Your oral health and your physical health are closely related. Research shows there is a relationship between your oral health and certain medical conditions, including diabetes, blood cell disorders, heart disease, arterial blockages, and stroke.
At Beverly Hills Institute of Dental Esthetics, Dr. LeSage and his team provide holistic dental care by promoting good oral and overall health in several ways.
Prevention
Our exams are thorough and designed for early detection and treatment of any issues with your oral health that might compromise your overall health. The exam includes:
- Oral cancer screening
- Examination to detect decay in your teeth and signs of progressive periodontal disease in your gums
- Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) evaluation
- Intraoral video using a handheld digital camera
- Digital x-ray
Preservation
If a tooth is badly broken, worn, or decayed, most dentists remove the damage, file down the entire tooth, and cover it with a dental crown to protect it. But that technique results in the loss of healthy tooth structure. Dr. LeSage has a different approach. Instead of filing down the entire tooth and covering it with a crown, whenever possible, he removes only the damaged portion and replaces it with a porcelain onlay or an inlay. Your healthy tooth structure remains intact. It’s a holistic approach that can help you maintain your natural tooth structure as much as possible.
Conservation
As with dental crowns, Dr. LeSage prefers conservative treatment for concealing imperfections in your teeth. For example, if you choose porcelain veneers to enhance your smile, he will use veneers when necessary but recommend dental bonding when possible because it is more conservative and minimizes any preparation of your teeth. But even with porcelain veneers, Dr. LeSage prepares your teeth far more conservatively than the majority of cosmetic dentists. Read more about his technique on our porcelain veneers page.
Precaution
Amalgam filling removal
If you ask Dr. LeSage to remove amalgam (“silver”) fillings in your teeth and replace them with composite, inlays, or onlays, he takes holistically sound precautions to protect you from exposure to mercury vapor. He isolates each tooth before removing the fillings so that you don’t swallow any debris and provides a small mask for you to breathe in oxygen instead of vapor from the filings.
Dr. LeSage replaced this patient’s amalgam filling with a composite restoration. Twelve years later, in the photo on the right, the tooth and filling are still healthy.
Allergies or sensitivities
Let us know if you have any allergies or sensitivities to any chemicals, materials, or substances. We will accommodate you. We avoid the use of metals such as nickel and beryllium that cause sensitivity reactions in many patients.
Dr. LeSage understands your desire for holistic dental care and will thoroughly explain your treatment options. You can request an appointment online or call us to schedule.