"THE 7 R's OF RETAINING TEETH"
1. Don’t Ruin
The number one rule follows the Hippocratic Oath's first rule, "first, do no harm". That is, don’t Ruin teeth by doing the procedure without the microscope, without careful planning, or without deliberate attempts to preserve tooth structure. The microscope is ESSENTIAL for this - the better one can see, the better one can do. Often times, many clinicians focus on doing procedures as fast as possible with little regard to planning the procedure or ignoring the consequences of hasty and sloppy treatment. I am ethically opposed to that. As a RESTORATIVE endodontist, I feel that our job is to rehabilitate a tooth so that it is asymptomatic and functional, with longevity. As such, I take much pride in achieving these goals.
3. Regenerate
In areas of disease, effective and thorough treatment is performed so that the bone can Regenerate in areas that have been lost due to chronic infections. In pediatrics, our goal is to Regenerate the pulp in an underdeveloped tooth, so that our young patients have a chance to retain a tooth into their adulthood.
5. Restore
I aim to meticulously Restore teeth to function and aesthetics, so that they work and look like they did before they were drilled into. For many years, I have been committed to learning the nuances of adhesion science and cosmetic dentistry.
2. Rescue
I strive to Rescue compromised teeth - those that really shouldn't be there, but need to be there for the welfare of our patient. Sometimes there are medical reason why we need to retain a tooth. Sometimes there are strategic reasons. Sometimes, there are reasons of convenience.
4. Repair
I strive to Repair damaged parts of teeth so that they can continue to function in a useful and comfortable manner for our patients. Sometimes by Repairing a small area, we can avoid a costly replacement of an entire bridge or complicated restorative structure.
6. Reinforce
From an engineering and biomimetic standpoint, I try to strategically Reinforce teeth internally so that the filling materials actually make the teeth stronger, instead of making them weaker. I have spent many years developing my own technique to help stabilize and Reinforce cracks in teeth. Currently, I am analyzing 10 year follow-ups for this technique.
7. Re-evaluate
And finally, I strive to Re-evaluate the efficacy of my treatments with follow-up recall visits, so that I can gain valuable feedback on what does and what doesn’t help teeth.
I am committed to using all the current technologies to achieve "The 7 R's."
It takes time, commitment, and concentration to retain teeth properly.
I don't like to give up on teeth and take pride in resuscitating teeth that other endodontists have given up on.
- Dr. James Ho