Dr. O’s Treatment Philosophy
Treatment Recommendations
Dr. O’Rielly will establish the proper order of treatment, starting with the highest priority:
- to get you out of pain
- remove infections in the gums and teeth,
- fix broken and decayed teeth,
- replace old dental work that is no longer serviceable
- consider further testing and nutritional support necessary for your dental treatment, if you are interested. Dr O finds that some patients improve to the point that they may no longer need to consider more aggressive treatments. This may include periodontal or cavitation surgery.
What Dr O does and doesn’t do:
- Dr O does not use metals like mercury, nickel or palladium
- He does not use BPA (Bisphenol A) which is a hormone disruptor found in most plastics and white fillings
- He uses fluoride free hygiene products, cements and bonding agents as needed
- He uses concentrated oxygen to remove deep bacteria in decayed teeth in order to prevent root canals
- For root canals he recommends a regenerative procedure or a doing a root canal with bio-friendly materials
- When an infected tooth needs to be removed he recommends extraction, cleanout of all bacteria from the area, concentrated oxygen to promote healing, and the use of PRF (Platelet Rich Fibrin). When more bone is needed, he will use a mineral based graft rather than bone products from cows.
- For implants he offers non metal, ceramic implants also called Zirconia implants
- He always recommends removing the least tooth structure possible to lower the risk of a root canal
- He always lowers inflammation in the mouth first to promote healing of the gums before recommending deep cleanings or other adjunctive treatment.
Dr O needs to take Xrays before commencing with any dental work.
If you want to do treatment on one tooth that needs to be fixed or if you are in pain then he can do the Xrays necessary just for that one tooth. That is perfectly fine. However, if you want to continue seeing Dr O after that, he will need a full set of films to cover all the teeth. If you have a full set of films taken within the last year this usually will suffice. Dr O doesn’t like Xrays either but they are necessary to see what is really going on and to be sure he is not missing something. Also, we can recommend some nutritional and homeopathic support that lessens the negative effects of Xrays systemically.
Can I heal my root canal infection naturally with things like colloidal silver, ozone, homeopathics, Dr Price’s diet, essential oils, antibiotics, etc.?
Unfortunately, the answer is no. While all of these approaches support the body and can provide some temporary relief through boosting the body’s innate healing potential, they cannot resolve or cure an infected tooth. The reason for this is that the pulp of the tooth, along with its blood supply, has broken down and there is no more blood supply to and into the tooth. The tooth is dead and cut off from the rest of the body. No matter what you do, it will not be delivered inside the tooth where the infection is. In the end you need to treat the tooth to resolve the infection. This means either a root canal or extraction. Dr O will discuss your options with you.
What are cavitations and do I really need one?
A cavitation is dead tissue in your jaw bone from a prior root canal or extraction that did not heal well or has become re-infected. Dr O occasionally sees a cavitation but he doesn’t treat them first or always recommend them like some holistic dentists because there are often better ways to heal them than surgery.