Kent Howard Dentistry of North County San Diego

Rational Dentistry in Encinitas

2011-11-04T15:22:00.000-07:00

What is Rational Dental Care?

In understanding what we mean by Rational Dental Care you need to understand our basic goals at Dr. Howard's Dental Office.

Dr. Howard always keeps in mind what your goals are in your dental care. Not all dentists are trained to have this mindset. Instead of telling you how healthy you should be and provide you the “highest level”, we will help you understand your choices about dental health and then let you make an informed choice. In Dr. Howard’s practice, “We seek first to understand, then to be understood.”

Our second goal is keeping you and your teeth healthy and reduces the amount of dental treatment needed to maintain a healthy mouth. By working together, you, your hygienist and Dr Howard we can increase the chances to keep your teeth for life. To insure success our process is to communicate the effort and goals to provide an effective Master Dental Plan.

Sometimes preventative care is not enough and oral and restorative surgery is required. We place at your disposal the profession judgment and skill that we have gained through many years of dental training, and hundreds of hours of post-graduate education. Part of our expertise is knowing the best experts outside our practice. Along with building a partnership with you, we have spent over 30 years developing a partnership with the best specialist in the San Diego area. We see our practice as being your "coach" and we will always provide you the greatest expertise, even if it is outside our practice.

Within our Rational Dental Care we incorporate the principles of Minimally Invasive Dentistry. This is done by:

Performing the least amount of dentistry needed in any situation.
Never remove more tooth structure than is absolutely required to restore teeth to their normal condition.
Always uses dental materials that conserve the maximum of tooth structure.
Using only dental materials that have been researched by leading dental schools and research institutions and that are recommended by leading practicing dentists.
Using only the strongest and longest-lasting dental materials to reduce the need for future repairs and replacement.
Using dental procedures that keep the number of necessary appointments to a minimum.
Using only dental laboratories that use minimal invasive materials for the restoration of teeth.

Our pledge to you is accurately expressed in these carefully chosen words: QUALITY and EXCELLENCE. We look upon you as a unique person of infinite worth to those who love and need you. Through our care and concern, we will reaffirm that worth.

Dr. Howard practice is located in Encinitas, CA. He has been providing dental care in Encinitas for over 30 years.

Kent Howard - On the Road in the Community

2009-06-29T06:02:00.000-07:00

Dr Howard continues to support the community. He has been a long time sponsor and supporter to Swamis Cycling Club in Encinitas CA. Here he is sharing his ride for the Club membership Photo.

Dr.Howard says keeping your teeth healthy is simple

2009-06-24T12:04:00.000-07:00

Taking care of your teeth is a very important part of the way people see you. It's also important to your overall health and well being.

According to the American Dental Association, to maintain healthy dental hygiene, you should:

* Brush your teeth at least twice a day. Ideally, brush after each meal and always before going to bed.
* Brush your teeth properly. It is recommended to brush for a continuous 2 minutes.
* Floss Daily.
* Eat healthily - It makes a difference. Good balanced meals are always better for you than snacking. Stay away from candy and other sweets. If you indulge in a sweet, especially a sticky candy, always remember to brush your teeth as soon as possible.
* Visit your dentist for check-ups regularly.

This last point is truly the most important thing you can do to ensure oral health. It comes as a surprise to many that no matter how much you brush or how much you floss, the only way to ensure long term oral health is to actually visit your dentist.

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Nice smile-who's your dentist!

2009-06-03T14:29:00.000-07:00

Teeth do not always need to be replaced when damaged, however. Some teeth can be repaired with porcelain veneers, which allows the teeth to be filled in and reshaped. This procedure is fairly common and can be used to repair teeth with chips or ones that have been damaged by cavities. There is virtually no amount of damage that a cosmetic dental procedure cannot fix. Not only can teeth be repaired, but they can be repaired to be just as strong as natural teeth.

There are numerous dental procedures which people can undertake to fix their smile. So if you have been embarrassed about your smile, there is no longer a reason to simply deal with the problem. Yellowed teeth can be whitened and damaged teeth can be repaired. Even the most damaged or ruined set of teeth can be turned into a bright white smile with straight teeth. While many surgeries are needed to correct problems that cause pain or discomfort, Cosmetic Dentist surgeries can help restore a person’s confidence in their smile. Smiling is something that everyone should be happy to do. With some simple Cosmetic Dentists procedures, there is no reason that someone with bad teeth cannot be happy to smile again.

So when we have helped you with your smile, we hope when asked "Nice smile-who's your dentist!" You will say Kent Howard Dentistry in the Round.

Mercury Free Fillings @ Kent Howard Dentistry

2009-05-29T15:52:00.000-07:00

Although many dentists have argued against its usage, mercury has been used in dental fillings in North America since 1830, and it continues to be used mainly for economic reasons. In the 1930s, German research proved conclusively that mercury does come out of fillings. In 1980, the American Dental Association finally had to admit this, but today only 10% of dentists are mercury free.

Many dental patients are switching over to natural tooth-colored fillings. Tooth-colored fillings can either be composite or ceramic. Both options look and feel the same as your natural teeth.

Our composite resin fillings are placed in order to stop cavities and restore the bite surface. During the procedure, the decay and only a minimal amount of the original tooth structure will be removed. Composite resin fillings appear natural and are virtually undetectable in your smile. Even if you have previously placed metal fillings, they can be removed and replaced with composite tooth-colored fillings that are beautiful and metal free.