Having Fun @ the Dentist

     Yes, dentistry can be fun!  In previous blogs I have written about the many new innovations that we have incorporated in our daily practice of dentistry.  Sonic  cosmetic fillings,  the Isolite mouth system, Zirconium crowns, multi media flat screen entertainment and educational programs, digital x-rays, Invisalign teeth straightening, dazzling teeth whitening, implants, veneers, lasers - the list goes on and on. Our dental procedures are quicker, prettier and last longer. I am excited about the upcoming American Dental Association meeting. This meeting will showcase the next great dental products.   It is a great time to be a dentist  (and a dental patient).

Summer Fun and College Woes

       My family and I just returned from our vacation in Maui.  My son is starting college next week and this could very well be our  last vacation together as a family.  Everyone says that time passes quickly so cherish every moment with your children.  They are correct.  I will miss the baseball catches, tennis matches, swim meets, soccer tournaments, driving lessons, family dinners, and vacations.   I will miss those moments of enlightenment, when the imparting of knowledge makes you feel proud to be a dad.  I sadly  will also regret the times I could not be there for my son.  Work and educational requirements sometimes forced me to forego a sporting event or a special school function.  I am not the first to say this but if you have children, you will never obsess over attending too many functions for your kids but you will regret the few that you do miss.  I will try to do better with my daughter’s remaining years in our household.  Enjoy the time you have with your respective families.  Aloha

Amazing Sonic Dentistry

In the dental field we have been using instruments that vibrate at the speed of sound for a long time.  Most of you have had the dental hygienist scale the hard deposits off your teeth with an ultrasonic scaler (you know, the vibrating instrument that shoots water all over your face!).   Recently, we started incorporating sonic instruments to really clean the canals in teeth during root canal therapy. Now we have a sonic instrument to facilitate the placement of white fillings on back teeth.  This will revolutionize the way dentists restore teeth.  At the present, most dentists fill these teeth in many layers, curing the material one layer at a time. This is done to compensate for the shrinkage of the material as it is cured and to insure that the light that sets up the material reaches the deepest parts.  It is a very  time-consuming protocol, usually requiring 30 -40 seconds per increment.  Also, when layering the material it is very difficult to avoid getting little voids between the layers.

SONICS TO THE RESCUE!

We now have an instrument that vibrates the white filling material at the speed of sound and converts the thick resin into a flowable state that can easily fill the entire cavity at one time. Once the machine stops, the resin turns back into a more viscous form that can  be shaped and carved by the dentist into a beautiful representation of the original unblemished tooth.  The special material also includes more photo-initiators to allow the whole restoration to be cured at once.

Everyone benefits from this new technology.  Sonic assisted fillings are better (less voids) and faster.

Dr. David J. Hauss, Family & Cosmetic Dentistry:  www.drhauss.com

Summer

I wish all my patients, present and future, a great, relaxing, and stimulating summer.  Although I have to keep reminding myself, there is more to life than just teeth.  My family will be busy this summer getting my son ready to start college.  He will be attending Princeton University where he will compete on their swim team and study engineering (no interest in dentistry at this point).

There is a new piece of dental technology that I will be trying out in the next month. My blog would not be complete unless I mentioned some aspect of dentistry! Kerr Dental  has come up with a way to bulk fill white fillings.  The material is sonically vibrated into the cavity which allows the restoration to be placed, without voids, in one application. This will improve the fit and reduce the time to place.  Better and faster – who can argue with that?

Enjoy your summer.

 

My Latest Dental Purchases

  My last blog dealt with the annual dental convention my staff and I were planning to attend in Anaheim, CA.  The meeting highlighted many great dental technologies, most of which we already feature in our practice (digital x-rays, dental lasers, digital photography, invisible dental fillings).  I attended courses dealing with dental lasers, children’s dentistry, oral surgery, and medical billing for our patients.  I always learn something new. As far as equipment purchases, I ordered new fast dental curing lights (what sets up the bonding agents and the white fillings) and an additional equipment sterilizer to increase the efficiency of our process to produce clean, sterile instruments  for our patients.  In our daily meetings, I always stress that the next patient could be your mother or daughter so prepare the operatories accordingly!  Dentists love gadgets that improve the quality of the care we provide to our patients.  At your next visit to our office, you can see and benefit from our new “toys”.

A Dental Marketplace

The California Dental Association’s annual meeting is being held next week at the Anaheim Convention Center.  It is an amazing gathering of all things dental and our office attends each year.  On display are dental products of the present and future.  My assistants, hygienists, office managers and I can pick up and tryout new technology and discuss concerns and uses with the company’s representatives.  Over the years, we have used this showcase to research and acquire most of the technology that our patients now take for granted – lasers, digital radiographs, new dental chairs, more cosmetic and easier to use fillings, ultrasonics, fiber optic handpieces and the subject of our last blog, the”Isolite” system – just to name a few. The meeting also offers a myriad of continuing education courses that will ensure correct usage of our anticipated purchases.  Stay tuned. My future blogs will detail the benefits of next week’s adventure.

Dentistry Made Simple

     Our office just purchased the “Isolite System”, technology that makes dentistry easier,  quicker, more durable and better! 

I have seen this product advertised in the dental journals for over a year but I was skeptical about whether it was necessary for my dental practice.   A couple of months ago a salesman for this product stopped by my office and demonstrated the system.  I was not convinced but asked if he could let me try out the product on one of my afternoon patients.  Sergio, a twenty-four year old severely handicapped young man, was scheduled for treatment and I wondered if this technology would simplify his dental visit.  To make a long story short, the visit went great and I purchased the system.  Sergio received great dentistry that would  have been impossible to achieve without the “Isolite” and I now have this piece of technology that will improve my service to all of my patients.

What is the “Isolite System”?  It is a combination high speed suctioner, illuminator,  back of the throat protector and teeth isolater.   Wow!  To my patients, it simply means better dentistry!  Many of the procedures we do today involve creating and maintaining a dry field.  We are always battling saliva and water.  Not anymore!

Exciting Movements

I just returned from a two-day orthodontic update seminar.  Everytime I attend continuing education, I am so excited to get back to the office to put into  place my “new and improved” knowledge and techniques.  This seminar focused on new ways to incorporate growth estimates into our treatment plans and actually predict movements and visualize different outcomes based on what we do (i.e. extracting teeth, wearing elastics or headgear, or not extracting teeth).

It is amazing what happens if we alter forces just a little.  If we activate a nickel-titanium coil one to two millimeters more, we will effectively move the back teeth forward instead of the front teeth back.  We can also vary forces and outcomes by changing the particular bracket that is placed on a tooth.  Customized bands and brackets allow us to improve our effectiveness in moving teeth.  This can translate into better looking outcomes in shorter periods of time!  Exciting movements!!

Are you the sensitive type?

Many patients we see have sensitive teeth.  They cannot enjoy cold ice cream, hot coffee, sugary sweets or acidic fruits.  Imagine life without pineapples and doughnuts!  The causes of sensitivity are many, including gum recession, cracked teeth, acidic erosion, clenching and grinding,  missing tooth structure, aggressive brushing, and existing dental work.  Fear not!  There are now many ways to bring the  joy back into eating.

Adult fluoride treatments following dental cleanings are easy and inexpensive.  A varnish  brushed over the teeth can provide relief and protection from decay for up to six months.  Replacing leaking fillings, covering cracked teeth or placing new bonded fillings can also help.

A new exciting way to eliminate sensitivity from gum recession or erosion is by zapping the area with a laser for thirty seconds.  The light increases the viscosity of the fluids in the little microscopic tubules present in tooth structure and prevents the transmission of the pain stimuli.  Imagine , no shot, no pain and in thirty seconds all sensitivity eliminated.

Additional treatments  involve the use of special toothpastes  (i.e. Sensodyne) to block the pain impulses and  other agents to neutralize the acidic environment and remineralize the lost tooth structure (MI paste).

Any of the above treatments can help with your sensitive side and allow you to enjoy all the goodies that you have been avoiding.  Give us a call at (562)435-8339 or visit us at www.drhauss.com.  We can help.

Going Paperless

     Our office is continuing on our five-year journey to eliminate patient paper charts.  We started by bringing computers into the operatories and have progressed with digital radiographs and images.  Our recent acquisition of a digital panoramic  x-ray machine has allowed us to eliminate our dark room and all the  messy toxic chemicals.  Digital images are quick, safe and can be enhanced and enlarged for easy viewing. 

   This year we have set our sights on all those cumbersome forms that are required for diagnostic, safety, financial and legal reasons.  As of now, our patients can go to our web site: www.drhauss.com and fill out or update their personal information and their medical and dental histories. The process is completed in the office by a simple digital signature. As an aside, patients can also set up  passwords and view their accounts on-line.   We are also progressing with putting our clinical data on the computer.   All patient information is encrypted for safety and backed up on site and online with sufficient redundancy. 

     Check out our progress when you come in for your next appointment which incidentally will be confirmed by e-mail!