We saw one patient I did some veneers for a year or so ago. I couldn't tell which teeth they were on without doing a close examination. It is great to have such wonderful materials and labs to work with that this is possible. Cosmetic/aesthetic dentistry sure is FUN!
We also started a crown for another patient which should work out very well. We delivered a whitening system for another patient and thanks to my wonderful team everything went well. It is a great feeling to know we are helping our 'Dental Family' as well as is possible at this point in time.
I am always looking for better ways to help all of our 'Dental Family'.
We had an 8 year old and an 11 year old in yesterday who are brother and siter. They are both flossing all of their teeth daily. This is GREAT! Once the habit is formed and a patient gets accustomed to a healthy, clean mouth they are much more likely to maintain this healthy routine for life. These two will have minimal dental problems and as a result better overall health throughout their lives. How about you?
It is nice to be back in the office after a long holiday weekend. I did have fun though in a number of ways. It was a nice holiday weekend. My wife also arrived home from the Philippines yesterday. It is wonderful to have her home.
We could be busier. We would like to keep our entire team comfortably busy. Michelle, our hygienist, would like to be working more hours. If you can think of any friends, relatives or neighbors, who have teeth, and who might benefit from our help, please refer them to us. We appreciate this vote of confidence when you refer new patients to us very much.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Medications to prevent heart attack or stoke from blood clots.
There are some major changes in the way we handle your medications if you are taking this type of medication. We will not be suspending anti-clotting medications nearly as much as we have in the past.
The American Dental Association has a very good article which includes very recent research which I would recommend you discuss with your physician if this pertains to you. There are 2 versions of the newest recommendations at the following website link, one of which is for patients and the other for dental professional. Please read it if you are taking this type of medication.
http://www.ada.org/2526.aspx?currentTab=2
We are fortunate to live in an environment where improvements in health care are always progressing through research and clinical evaluation of all of our treatments. There are always improvements in the way we treat and medicate our 'dental family' which is our professional promise to you.
The American Dental Association has a very good article which includes very recent research which I would recommend you discuss with your physician if this pertains to you. There are 2 versions of the newest recommendations at the following website link, one of which is for patients and the other for dental professional. Please read it if you are taking this type of medication.
http://www.ada.org/2526.aspx?currentTab=2
We are fortunate to live in an environment where improvements in health care are always progressing through research and clinical evaluation of all of our treatments. There are always improvements in the way we treat and medicate our 'dental family' which is our professional promise to you.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
We also treat handicapped patients.
We are handicapped accessible. We recently joined www.jjslist.com to allow us to be more easily found by future, new, challenged members of our dental family. We enjoy taking care of all of your friends and neighbors. We take special pleasure in helping those with more difficult circumstances. After all, we are in the oral health care field to care for and help all of our friends and neighbors. We take great pride in our work of helping others.
Toothpaste and abrasion.
Toothpaste abrasion and brushing too hard and long have been known to cause gum recession and wear of teeth and exposed roots for years. This is now getting more attention in the media and has been researched more carefully. Please refer to these links:
http://www0.epinions.com/content_3128664196
http://www.saveyoursmile.com/toothpaste/toothpaste-d.html
http://jada.ada.org/content/135/11/1516.2.full
I definitely recommend using the lowest rated abrasivity toothpaste with fluoride and a tartar control formulation.
Please also remember to only brush your natural teeth with a soft or extra soft toothbrush. All of us should only brush 5 to 10 circular strokes along the cheek and lip sides of the teeth and the tongue sides of the teeth. The chewing surfaces can be brushed more vigorously. This will help avoid gum recession and root surface wear. Brushing harder does NOT replace flossing. All of us need to floss every 36 hours also to prevent plaque from hardening into tartar.
http://www0.epinions.com/content_3128664196
http://www.saveyoursmile.com/toothpaste/toothpaste-d.html
http://jada.ada.org/content/135/11/1516.2.full
I definitely recommend using the lowest rated abrasivity toothpaste with fluoride and a tartar control formulation.
Please also remember to only brush your natural teeth with a soft or extra soft toothbrush. All of us should only brush 5 to 10 circular strokes along the cheek and lip sides of the teeth and the tongue sides of the teeth. The chewing surfaces can be brushed more vigorously. This will help avoid gum recession and root surface wear. Brushing harder does NOT replace flossing. All of us need to floss every 36 hours also to prevent plaque from hardening into tartar.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Took a short trip to Florida the end of last week.
Here is a link to the photos I took:
https://picasaweb.google.com/davidmcw3/2011May57BeachBlastPanamaCityBeachFlorida?authkey=Gv1sRgCKyH296NrKWNzwE#
It is always nice to get back too though.
https://picasaweb.google.com/davidmcw3/2011May57BeachBlastPanamaCityBeachFlorida?authkey=Gv1sRgCKyH296NrKWNzwE#
It is always nice to get back too though.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Radiation worries are now on everyone's mind.
Dear All, I have been letting you know about our minimal radiation exposure dental x-ray system somewhat regularly but it bears repeating in light of the disaster in Japan. There is no level of radiation which is desirable. However, until we have a better way of checking for your health or lack of it in regard to medicine or dentistry we are stuck with it.
Our phosphor sensor plate system requires the least exposure to radiation of any x-ray system available. It actually requires 33% of the radiation which other electronic sensor systems need to produce a good image.
I actually had to replace one of our x-ray machines when we bought this system for you and our office. There was no way to set the old machine to a low enough exposure to get a good image.
Please do a Google search if you would like. You will find there isn't a more sensitive system available than what we have for you at Smiles of Skokie.
Your health is our primary concern. We are interested in keeping you as healthy as possible dentally and medically.
We thank all of you for letting us help you as members of our 'dental family' at Smiles of Skokie!
Our phosphor sensor plate system requires the least exposure to radiation of any x-ray system available. It actually requires 33% of the radiation which other electronic sensor systems need to produce a good image.
I actually had to replace one of our x-ray machines when we bought this system for you and our office. There was no way to set the old machine to a low enough exposure to get a good image.
Please do a Google search if you would like. You will find there isn't a more sensitive system available than what we have for you at Smiles of Skokie.
Your health is our primary concern. We are interested in keeping you as healthy as possible dentally and medically.
We thank all of you for letting us help you as members of our 'dental family' at Smiles of Skokie!
Monday, March 7, 2011
It is best to take good care of 'baby' teeth.
http://www.todaysparent.com/baby/article.jsp?content=5890&page=1
This article makes a lot of sense.
I see children at times with numerous cavities. Today this is more rare thanks in large part to better patient awareness and fluoridation.
It is a good idea at times to intervene early with minor orthodontic treatment to help direct growth. This can actually lessen the cost of orthodontic treatment in the long run.
This article makes a lot of sense.
I see children at times with numerous cavities. Today this is more rare thanks in large part to better patient awareness and fluoridation.
It is a good idea at times to intervene early with minor orthodontic treatment to help direct growth. This can actually lessen the cost of orthodontic treatment in the long run.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Bike paths in Skokie. Please help!
I have forwarded this to some of my biking friends and would like to request that any of you who can support this plan do so. It will be a wonderful addition to our community.
This is a proposed plan in need of voices to back it.
>>>
Hello Dr. Dave!
Nice speaking with you a few moments ago! I write to request your help with obtaining community letters of support for the Village of Skokie Model Communities grant application. The Model Communities grant program is a federal program providing funds to "Change Policies, Systems and Environments to Promote Healthy Eating and Active Living". The Village is applying for funds to develop engineering and landscape design plans to complete a segment of multi-use (biking, walking, etc) path along the old Union Pacific Right-of-Way between Oakton and Jarvis.
The proposed portion of the path will provide access to the new CTA station at Oakton Street(construction begins in January 2011), and will link north to the new multi-use path between Oakton and Dempster (construction set for 2011), as well as south into Chicago through Lincolnwood. A map showing the proposed route is attached (in green). Clearly, completion of the new path will significantly benefit Skokie residents, and those of neighboring communities, by improving access to alternative forms of transportation, such as the CTA, and providing additional opportunities for recreation.
We are very excited about the opportunity to complete the biking/walking path from Jarvis to Dempster (and beyond). It would be helpful to have a number of letters, including those from residents (perhaps you?), describing the potential benefits of the project. I have attached a draft letter for your review, although it is more applicable to larger entities than regular citizens.
Thank you very much, and please do contact me if you have any questions!
Catherine
Catherine A. Counard, MD, MPH
Director of Health
Village of Skokie
5127 Oakton Street
Skokie, Illinois 60077
Phone: (847) 933-8252
Catherine.Counard@skokie.org
<<<
Link to bike map in Skokie area:
>>>
http://www.egovlink.com/public_documents300/skokie/published_documents/Community%20Development/Bicycling%20in%20Skokie/Bikeway%20System%20Plan%20201000630%207-10.pdf
<<<
[Please copy and paste the above text lines into a browser window.]
Template:
>>>
[Letter of Support Template]
December [___], 2010
Albert J. Rigoni, Village Manager
Village of Skokie
5127 Oakton Street
Skokie, Illinois 60077
Re: Letter of Support – Model Communities Grant Program
[Organization name] is pleased to support the Village of Skokie in its efforts to apply for Model Communities grant funds to connect Downtown Skokie to Lincolnwood, Chicago, and beyond, via the Village’s Community Connections project, a multi-use path corridor from the Oakton Street CTA Station to Lincolnwood’s municipal boundary.
Investing in planning efforts for a multi-use path will not only provide a future connection to Downtown Chicago, but it will benefit [Organization name] as well. Our mission is [mission statement]. This mission benefits the residents, employers, employees, property owners, business owners, and visitors of the area by [list benefit(s)].
[Organization name] will support the Village of Skokie with participating in community planning events and partnering with community leaders to make Skokie an active and healthy community.
[Organization name] has successfully collaborated with the Village of Skokie in the past by [list past collaboration effort(s)], and intends to be a strong partner in this and future opportunities.
We look forward to collaborating with the Village of Skokie on this Community Connections initiative.
Sincerely,
[Organization name]
[Name]
[Title]
<<<
The letter above is a template.
This is a proposed plan in need of voices to back it.
>>>
Hello Dr. Dave!
Nice speaking with you a few moments ago! I write to request your help with obtaining community letters of support for the Village of Skokie Model Communities grant application. The Model Communities grant program is a federal program providing funds to "Change Policies, Systems and Environments to Promote Healthy Eating and Active Living". The Village is applying for funds to develop engineering and landscape design plans to complete a segment of multi-use (biking, walking, etc) path along the old Union Pacific Right-of-Way between Oakton and Jarvis.
The proposed portion of the path will provide access to the new CTA station at Oakton Street(construction begins in January 2011), and will link north to the new multi-use path between Oakton and Dempster (construction set for 2011), as well as south into Chicago through Lincolnwood. A map showing the proposed route is attached (in green). Clearly, completion of the new path will significantly benefit Skokie residents, and those of neighboring communities, by improving access to alternative forms of transportation, such as the CTA, and providing additional opportunities for recreation.
We are very excited about the opportunity to complete the biking/walking path from Jarvis to Dempster (and beyond). It would be helpful to have a number of letters, including those from residents (perhaps you?), describing the potential benefits of the project. I have attached a draft letter for your review, although it is more applicable to larger entities than regular citizens.
Thank you very much, and please do contact me if you have any questions!
Catherine
Catherine A. Counard, MD, MPH
Director of Health
Village of Skokie
5127 Oakton Street
Skokie, Illinois 60077
Phone: (847) 933-8252
Catherine.Counard@skokie.org
<<<
Link to bike map in Skokie area:
>>>
http://www.egovlink.com/public_documents300/skokie/published_documents/Community%20Development/Bicycling%20in%20Skokie/Bikeway%20System%20Plan%20201000630%207-10.pdf
<<<
[Please copy and paste the above text lines into a browser window.]
Template:
>>>
[Letter of Support Template]
December [___], 2010
Albert J. Rigoni, Village Manager
Village of Skokie
5127 Oakton Street
Skokie, Illinois 60077
Re: Letter of Support – Model Communities Grant Program
[Organization name] is pleased to support the Village of Skokie in its efforts to apply for Model Communities grant funds to connect Downtown Skokie to Lincolnwood, Chicago, and beyond, via the Village’s Community Connections project, a multi-use path corridor from the Oakton Street CTA Station to Lincolnwood’s municipal boundary.
Investing in planning efforts for a multi-use path will not only provide a future connection to Downtown Chicago, but it will benefit [Organization name] as well. Our mission is [mission statement]. This mission benefits the residents, employers, employees, property owners, business owners, and visitors of the area by [list benefit(s)].
[Organization name] will support the Village of Skokie with participating in community planning events and partnering with community leaders to make Skokie an active and healthy community.
[Organization name] has successfully collaborated with the Village of Skokie in the past by [list past collaboration effort(s)], and intends to be a strong partner in this and future opportunities.
We look forward to collaborating with the Village of Skokie on this Community Connections initiative.
Sincerely,
[Organization name]
[Name]
[Title]
<<<
The letter above is a template.
Congratulations to our patient, Alexis Yusim!
Alexis Yusim is a senior at Niles West High School. She is an academic and swimming all star. She is considering attending Swarthmore, Lake Forest College and a number of other fine schools. Lake Forest has offered her a scholarship.
She finished her high school swimming season recently and according to an article in a Pioneer publication she now has swimming records 500 free, 200 medley relay, 200 free relay and 400 free relay events.
Again> Congratulations, Alexis!
She finished her high school swimming season recently and according to an article in a Pioneer publication she now has swimming records 500 free, 200 medley relay, 200 free relay and 400 free relay events.
Again> Congratulations, Alexis!
My office and x-ray radiation.
There have been some news stories recently in regard to the amount of radiation patients are being exposed to via dental x-rays. The first mention of this was in the Wall Street Journal. The current interest in this subject was probably brought about by the new airport screening methods prompting a closer look at radiation exposure in general.
X-ray radiation is a very serious concern for all of us. This is something that I have focused on for years. My office has used the most sensitive x-ray film available for years prior to switching to an all computer based system about 4 years ago. We minimize the number of x-rays we take and customize our approach for each patient. The system that I chose for my office when we moved, was and is the most sensitve x-ray system available. This means that for each x-ray image that we take we are exposing our patients to the least amount of radiation possible to get that image. For a given amount of radiation we can take 3 images in our office and a conventional digital x-ray, electronic sensor would only get one image for that same amount of radiation exposure for a patient.
The x-ray image on this page is from our phosphor sensor plate dental x-ray system of one of our patients within the last year [with his permission of course]. In the past, we used film badge dental team radiation monitoring for years. With the technology and systems we used prior to our even more sensitive systems now, we didn't ever register any significant exposure for any of our team so our regulators agreed to let us stop monitoring ourselves. It was simply a waste of time and money to continue monitoring services when nothing was recorded for years.
The system which we have now is very versatile but expensive. It allows us to take minimal radiation individual x-rays as well as panoramic x-rays. The individual x-rays are more detailed and clearer due to their low radiation, very short exposure time. Movement of the film or patient is much less of a problem with short exposure times. With increased sensitivity there is however a 'grain' problem. This is similar to the pixel problem in digital photography when very low light photographs are taken. When greatly enlarged individual grains [or pixels] are seen making the image more 'fuzzy'. In my mind this is a very good trade-off for exposing my dental family to the least amount of radiation possible and still having good diagnostic images. I think you will agree. As a matter of fact, we had to replace one x-ray machine when we switched to this dental x-ray system because it couldn't be set to give a low enough exposure to get properly exposed x-ray images.
Unfortunately there are some artifacts visible on most of the x-ray images which we take in our office. [There is a faint white line across the image of the x-ray near the bottom.] Artifacts virtually never interfere with the diagnostic use of these images. If we can use 1/3 of the radiation that conventional dental digital x-rays require we should all be happier. Again, the phosphor sensor plates we use only need 1/3 of the x-ray exposure to produce a good image compared to other fully digital dental x-ray sensors which are used in most other dental offices. There are still today many film based x-rays taken in other dental offices which require much, much more radiation than Smiles of Skokie uses for our dental family. We have your overall health in mind at my office in many different and widely varying ways.
We are restoring many implants. Some of the recent news articles were specifically addressing the newer cone beam computerized tomography [cbct] x-ray technology which is very useful for implant placement and other denal uses. Implant placement can be critical for success of the final implant restoration. There is more information in regard to this technology from an online article by a team of dentists headed by Dr. Martin Palomo of Case Western Reserve Dental School, which discusses the advantages of this system and the amount of radiation exposure . According to this article, cbct exposes the patient to, 'up to 4 times less radiation than a conventional' CAT scan. It is on the order of the same exposure that a patient gets from a conventional, film based, panoramic x-ray [which is at least 3 times what our patients receive from panoramic x-rays] and about 1/3 of the radiation dosage passengers receive on a round trip airplane flight from Paris to Tokyo.
I think that this is enough detail in regard to the x-ray radiation subject for now. It was recently in the news and I thought you might like to know more about my dental office and our attention to your health in every possible facet. If you have more questions, please contact me for more information in regard to radiation or any other oral health related topic. It is always good to hear from you!
X-ray radiation is a very serious concern for all of us. This is something that I have focused on for years. My office has used the most sensitive x-ray film available for years prior to switching to an all computer based system about 4 years ago. We minimize the number of x-rays we take and customize our approach for each patient. The system that I chose for my office when we moved, was and is the most sensitve x-ray system available. This means that for each x-ray image that we take we are exposing our patients to the least amount of radiation possible to get that image. For a given amount of radiation we can take 3 images in our office and a conventional digital x-ray, electronic sensor would only get one image for that same amount of radiation exposure for a patient.
The x-ray image on this page is from our phosphor sensor plate dental x-ray system of one of our patients within the last year [with his permission of course]. In the past, we used film badge dental team radiation monitoring for years. With the technology and systems we used prior to our even more sensitive systems now, we didn't ever register any significant exposure for any of our team so our regulators agreed to let us stop monitoring ourselves. It was simply a waste of time and money to continue monitoring services when nothing was recorded for years.
The system which we have now is very versatile but expensive. It allows us to take minimal radiation individual x-rays as well as panoramic x-rays. The individual x-rays are more detailed and clearer due to their low radiation, very short exposure time. Movement of the film or patient is much less of a problem with short exposure times. With increased sensitivity there is however a 'grain' problem. This is similar to the pixel problem in digital photography when very low light photographs are taken. When greatly enlarged individual grains [or pixels] are seen making the image more 'fuzzy'. In my mind this is a very good trade-off for exposing my dental family to the least amount of radiation possible and still having good diagnostic images. I think you will agree. As a matter of fact, we had to replace one x-ray machine when we switched to this dental x-ray system because it couldn't be set to give a low enough exposure to get properly exposed x-ray images.
Unfortunately there are some artifacts visible on most of the x-ray images which we take in our office. [There is a faint white line across the image of the x-ray near the bottom.] Artifacts virtually never interfere with the diagnostic use of these images. If we can use 1/3 of the radiation that conventional dental digital x-rays require we should all be happier. Again, the phosphor sensor plates we use only need 1/3 of the x-ray exposure to produce a good image compared to other fully digital dental x-ray sensors which are used in most other dental offices. There are still today many film based x-rays taken in other dental offices which require much, much more radiation than Smiles of Skokie uses for our dental family. We have your overall health in mind at my office in many different and widely varying ways.
We are restoring many implants. Some of the recent news articles were specifically addressing the newer cone beam computerized tomography [cbct] x-ray technology which is very useful for implant placement and other denal uses. Implant placement can be critical for success of the final implant restoration. There is more information in regard to this technology from an online article by a team of dentists headed by Dr. Martin Palomo of Case Western Reserve Dental School, which discusses the advantages of this system and the amount of radiation exposure . According to this article, cbct exposes the patient to, 'up to 4 times less radiation than a conventional' CAT scan. It is on the order of the same exposure that a patient gets from a conventional, film based, panoramic x-ray [which is at least 3 times what our patients receive from panoramic x-rays] and about 1/3 of the radiation dosage passengers receive on a round trip airplane flight from Paris to Tokyo.
I think that this is enough detail in regard to the x-ray radiation subject for now. It was recently in the news and I thought you might like to know more about my dental office and our attention to your health in every possible facet. If you have more questions, please contact me for more information in regard to radiation or any other oral health related topic. It is always good to hear from you!
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