Sunday, April 03, 2011

A Better Choice. Part 2.


 Thursday of last week I went to a new dentist for a second opinion.  Dr. Arnoud Noot in American Fork.  I was referred to him by my old dentist, so I googled him.  Glad I did!  Come to find out he practices only Biomimetic Dentistry.  Don’t worry, I had no idea what that meant either.  “Biomimetic dentistry treats weak, fractured, and decayed teeth in a way that keeps them strong and seals them from bacterial invasion. Careful sealing against infection removes the need for 60% to 90% of the crowns and root canals of traditional dentistry.” (http://toothconservingdentistry.com/p-about_bd.html).
I scheduled an appointment for a consultation with him.  After a few x-rays and discussion, he felt he could save my tooth.  I fully anticipated that I would need to schedule another appointment for work to be done.  However, he was immediately able to start work on it that day.  When I expressed my concerns about epinephrine in the shots, he assured me that he doesn’t use that in his practice.  He numbed me just around the tooth that he would be working on.  It took longer than a traditional filling but was well worth it.  Luckily I had Justin there for emotional support.  He was able to sit and rub my feet, (my favorite sedative) and watch the whole procedure on a screen in the room.
He was able to repair my tooth and avoid a root canal.  He used a microscope and innovative tools to remove decay.  He then properly sealed the tooth and a few days later added an onlay.  After the procedure, I had little numbness.  It was only right around one tooth and wore off quickly.  I had no pain afterwards and was able to eat normally that night.
Talking with him about his methods and philosophy taught me a lot about the problems in traditional dentistry.   I was especially impressed with the fact that we weren’t shuffled through like at the other establishment.  Dr. Noot took the time to talk with us personally about our concerns.  I would highly recommend Dr. Noot and plan to send my whole family to him from now on.

3 comments:

Cheryl said...

I am so glad you found someone that you could feel comfortable with! What a relief!

Cheryl

Walter Jeffries said...

I will be very interested to know how this comes out. I have a tooth that for fifteen years I have been told by dentists will need a root canal. It hurts. I live with it. Root canals are expensive. Very expensive. I had one root canal and crown already on a different tooth that was broken by a blow. Like you I don't like the anesthetic. I had that one done without any anesthetic. Keep us posted as to how your tooth fairs. I would like to know how you like the new doctor and what he does over the long term.

Teresa said...

So far so good. It has been over 2 months with my tooth and not a single problem. I was so impressed that now my husband and son have both gone in to Dr. Noot. The pediatric dentist was determined to pull my son's molar. Dr. Noot did the same procedure to his tooth and saved it, for much less than a root canal. My husband lost a filling at work and Dr. Noot saw him the same day and fixed him up good as new. I'll have to blog more about what we have learned.