A Fresh Start at Frenchs Forest Dental
Regular patients of Frenchs Forest Dental may have noticed a recent changing of the guard.
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Frenchs Forest Dental
Former principal Dr Malcom Ritchie, who established the practice in 1977, had been searching for the right person to hand over the reins to and found the answer in Dr Ali Shakoori, who has gained much valued experience working in many different regions of Australia, from Alice Springs, to the Gold Coast, Lismore and then to Dubbo in the central west NSW, before deciding to settle here in Frenchs Forest.
Sadly Dr Ritchie passed away in May 2018 and is still very much missed by his family, friends and all of us at Frenchs Forest Dental.
What is your favourite aspects of dentistry?
Dentistry borrows a lot of science from civil engineering which is one of my passions. I enjoy planning, designing and building structures that would withstand tremendous muscular forces.
What are some of the biggest challenges of the role?
The oral environment is constantly declining, and wear and tear over an average lifetime is huge. Managing this wear and tear I find is the biggest challenge. In this day and age, fast-paced lifestyles, caffeine, and stress is causing a very high incidence of bruxism (grinding and clenching of teeth) which occurs mostly during the night and leads to frequent cracks and fractures.
What are your specialties?
My passion in dentistry is smile design and cosmetic dentistry. From brightening smiles using the latest bleaching technology to full cosmetic rehabilitation for severely worn and discoloured teeth.
What are the most common mistakes people make when it comes to their teeth?
Tooth decay and gingivitis is a lifestyle disease. Like diabetes, our modern processed, soft diet is the main culprit. Most diseases, like dental disease, is multifactorial. Inadequate plaque control, dehydration leading to dry mouth, high frequency of sugar and acid attack are some of the factors that increase the risk of dental decay. Preventative dentistry is all about managing these factors. In my experience, home-care measures have less to do with lack of effort and more to do with technique.
A common mistake I find with my clients is not changing their tooth brush or electric brush heads frequently enough.
A common perception is pain equals problem. It is more common for dental disease to develop and progress silently without any symptoms. In our routine active maintenance appointments we thoroughly screen our clients to rule out any disease.
What are your top tips for dental health?
Hydration. Frequent sips of water. Reduce frequency of sugar and acid attacks. Break the clenching and grinding habit. Use a guard to protect teeth during the night. Consider switching to an electric tooth brush. Frequently change the brush head. Proper flossing technique. Regular screening.
You have recently moved from Dubbo to the Northern Beaches. What do you like best about your new home?
I love the community, the ambience and the greenery and I enjoy the coastal lifestyle of course.
