Advanced Skills & Technology Provide The Best Care For Specific Needs

Posted on May 14, 2018 by William J. Claiborne, DDS MS

When our heating system or air condition goes on the blink, I don’t call a do-it-all handyman. I call a trusted HVAC company to schedule a technician who is specially trained in its repair. He (or sometimes she) shows up understanding the specifics of our system and already has the tools (and many parts) at hand to do the job quickly and efficiently – and most of all, correctly!

The same is true when people have periodontal (gum) disease. Seeing a periodontist (a dentist who specializes in accurate diagnosis and treatment of gum disease) provides a number of benefits:

• Proper diagnosis: Do you have periodontal disease? If so, at what stage is your disease? A periodontal specialist has advanced training to properly diagnose all stages of gum disease.

• Proper treatment: I have a reputation for never over-treating or under-treating. While I always want to provide the most successful outcome based on each patient’s specific needs, I never want to put anyone through more time and expense than is necessary. My skills and experience enable me to know what will work best based upon each individual’s unique needs.

• Proper tools and equipment: As a periodontal office, we are fully prepared for the diagnosis and treatment of all stages of gum disease as well as the placement of dental implants (another important realm of the specialty). As such, we can tend to our patients in an efficient and effective manner. This also enables us to provide treatment in minimal time and to an exceptional level of comfort.

• Advanced features: One of the reasons we receive so many referrals from other doctors, dentists, and past/present patients (in addition to trust) is in the environment we provide. Our office is structured to tend to the unique needs of our patients to the highest standards of care possible. For example, in administration of IV sedation (twilight sleep), we utilize an on-site Board Certified Anesthesiologist. Additionally, diagnosis and treatment planning is backed by images from our on-site 3D Cone Beam technology. These features are not required of a periodontal practice. We simply believe that our patients are given better care with them.

• Proper care of patients’ needs: We see our patients far beyond their oral health needs. Here, patients are respected, cared for with compassion and gentle hands, and given the quality of care we would want for ourselves and loved ones. The caregivers who refer to us know this, and the patients who come to us for care experience it firsthand.

In a perfect world, everyone would have excellent periodontal health and teeth that last a lifetime. But, we know we live in a world where gum health can become compromised and teeth can fail. Our goal is to help our patients regain healthy, confident smiles they’ll be proud to share, often and joyfully!

If you feel your gum health is poor or have experienced tooth loss, begin with a consultation appointment. Call 828-274-9440 to schedule. From the very first phone call, I believe you’ll know you are in good hands!

 

Dental Fear? We Provide Patient Comfort In Many Ways!

Posted on Oct 18, 2017 by William J. Claiborne, DDS MS

I have a friend whose wife is a notorious backseat driver, and she freely admits it. Her husband, actually a good driver, has become used to her ‘guidance’ when they’re on the road. She explains it like this: “When I see brake lights suddenly appear in front of us as we’re going seventy miles an hour, I don’t know that his foot is on the brake pedal, ready to respond. All I know is the urge inside of me to warn him. He knows I can’t help it.”

I agree. We all react to certain things automatically. When some people see a spider for instance, they may become fearful and want to flee. Other people react to seeing a spider by rolling up a newspaper, ready to eliminate the intruder.

When it comes to dental fear, different people have different levels. Some of our patients are very relaxed in our office, from the moment they walk in and throughout treatment. Others are fine until they are seated in the treatment chair. Still, others are nervous and uneasy the entire time.

Periodontal (gum) disease is the result of an accumulation of oral bacteria. It is also the leading cause of adult tooth loss. As a Periodontist, I find that most individuals have developed gum disease because they were too afraid of having regular dental care. Many avoid going to the dentist for years, only ‘giving in’ when something becomes so painful they can no longer delay treatment.

Dental fear and anxiety are often the result of an unfortunate experience in a dentist’s office that made the person feel out of control and trapped. I know this can go deep. I’ve heard patients tell how a dentist continued to work on them even when they’d told him or her they were not numb. I’ve heard patients tell me about being held down in a treatment chair as a child. And, I’ve heard patients tell me they have no idea where their fears came from, yet smells and sounds trigger sweating or a more rapid heartbeat.

If you experience these feelings associated with dental visits, there is nothing ‘wrong’ with you. It’s likely your individual response to something that makes you feel vulnerable because you’ve either heard people relay experiences of discomfort or have experienced it yourself, it’s normal to anticipate pain – sometimes even before being touched.

Perceived pain can be just as real to some people as actual pain.

In our office, patient comfort is a priority at every visit. We have even designed our reception area to pamper you from the moment you enter. Patients in this area can enjoy a selection of gourmet coffees, cable television and WIFI connection. The seating is comfortable and our front office staff are attentive to your needs.

We offer a private consultation room for patients as well. In this room, we can discuss your treatment and answer your questions in a comfortable setting. This allows patients to become better informed about their treatment needs and options versus communicating while they are seated in a treatment chair.

Our surgical suite offers a rather unique setting for a Periodontal office. A large window provides beautiful mountain views, very soothing to our patients. In addition, we offer oral sedation as well as I.V. sedation (twilight sleep) for most procedures, if desired.

Oral sedation is a pill that helps patients relax. It also has an amnesiac effect, leaving most with little or no memory of treatment afterward. I.V. sedation places the patient in a deeper sedative state, also erasing memory of the procedure. It is administered by a doctor of anesthesiology for optimal comfort and safety. With both, patients are monitored with advanced safety equipment throughout treatment.

Our entire staff provide a unified team, each bringing a sincere level of compassion and commitment to excellent care. While the doctors involved in your care are top-notch, I must admit that our staff are the pros at making our patients feel truly pampered.

When patients realize that our goal is to provide exceptional care in TOTAL comfort, they relax. When they experience this, they relax even more. When they experience this more than once, a sense of trust is born. When patients trust us, they feel they no longer need to avoid dental care. Like everyone, fearful patients desire a healthy, confident smile. Once the obstacle of fear is removed, their ability to achieve that is greatly heightened.

If you or someone you know has fear that has prevented needed or desired dental care, schedule a consultation appointment. This will take place in our private consultation room. Here, we can discuss your needs and concerns and have your questions answered thoroughly. From there, you can determine what pace is best for you.

Call 828-274-9440 to learn more. Our friendly telephone staff will make you feel good from the very beginning!

New Technology Means No More Messy Impressions

Posted on Sep 22, 2017 by William J. Claiborne, DDS MS

In addition to staying on top of the latest techniques and materials in periodontal treatment, I select advanced technology based upon its benefits to our patients. In addition to technology that helps to optimize treatment outcome, I incorporate advancements that allow patients to move efficiently and comfortably from the exam process to treatment to the final results.

This is what Carestream 3600 provides with fast, easy and accurate digital imaging. What is this?

If you’ve had impressions of the inside of your mouth made, you probably recall having a mold filled with an oozy substance placed over the upper or lower portion. This was held in place to ‘set’ firm and was then rocked back and forth to remove. From this impression, a mold was made to show unique contours that would be involved in treatment.

Using Carestream 3600, we are able to eliminate that process altogether while creating vibrant full HD 3D images. Using a small handheld device, I scan the full arch in one continuous motion for a more comfortable experience for our patient.

Carestream provides precision dimensions at every angle. While this helps us to achieve outstanding clinical results, our patients no longer need to have messy impressions taken.

Carestream 3600 also makes sharing the images with referring doctors or with a dental lab more straightforward—resulting in clearer communication and faster turnaround. I have found it to be especially helpful for Dental Implant cases.

We are pleased that our patients can enjoy a simpler process through this advanced technology. For more about Carestream 3600, visit: http://carestreamdental.com/us/en/scan/CS%203600#Features%20and%20Benefits

 

 

 

To Floss Or Not? Should It Really Be A Debate?

Posted on Aug 01, 2017 by William J. Claiborne, DDS MS

If you could see what I see.

Most of us see very little of the insides of our mouths. As a matter of fact, until the arrival of intra-oral cameras, it was sometimes challenging to convince patients that they needed treatment for certain things that didn’t hurt.

Intra-oral cameras are designed to give patients, while seated in the treatment chair, clear, enlarged views of specific areas in the mouth. When an individual can see red, receded gums or deep tooth fractures, the decision to treat often changes from IF to WHEN.

As a periodontal specialist, I treat all levels of periodontal disease. Over the years, I’ve helped patients go from nearly losing their natural teeth to saving them and having a healthy, confident smile. It’s impressive when a person goes from taking their oral health for granted to being highly committed.

Yet, I still find myself trying to convince some people that daily flossing is an advantage. It DOES make a difference! According to the Delta Dental Oral Health and Well-Being Survey (http://www.ada.org/en/publications/ada-news/2014-archive/october/survey-finds-shortcomings-in-oral-health-habits):

“Only four of 10 Americans floss at least once a day, and 20 percent never floss.”

Perhaps this is one reason why over 47% of American adults have some level of gum disease, which is also the leading cause of tooth loss. While brushing twice daily helps to remove oral bacteria buildup (a sticky film known as plaque) from tooth surfaces, bits of food caught between teeth aren’t easily dislodged by the bristles of a tooth brush.

Over recent years, a few studies have shown minimal benefit from flossing. Yet, upon closer scrutiny, flaws in the studies were quickly argued. For example, one study followed children who were allowed to floss their own teeth.

It has been noted that the flossing technique can be what makes the action less effective, rather than the act of flossing itself. For example, the American Dental Association recommends curving the floss along the sides of each tooth and firmly, but carefully, motioning it up and down. This moves the floss gently down to reach slightly below where the tooth connects with the gum tissues, getting at the ‘hiding’ spot for much oral bacteria accumulation.

Like the intra-oral camera, having a firsthand, enlarged view of what’s going on in a mouth is a powerful image. If you looked at a stand of floss under a microscope AFTER flossing your teeth, you’d have a pretty frightening impression of exactly what you DO NOT want crawling around and breeding in your mouth.

Oral bacteria are micro-organisms. In other words, they’re bugs living and reproducing in the mouth. Saliva flow is designed to help rinse these out during the day. However, brushing thoroughly twice a day is what keeps them to manageable levels.

Flossing grabs those bits that are left behind. If not removed, these left-behind pieces begin to rot and add to bacteria levels in the mouth. Oral bacteria gets its strength in numbers. The more there are, the more rapidly they multiply.

Keeping oral bacteria levels under control takes a commitment, yet requires just minutes a day. The reason your mouth feels ‘fuzzy’ and you feel your breath is bad when it’s dry is because saliva has been depleted and oral bacteria is running rampant. Add sugary foods and beverages and acidic colas and you super-charge oral bacteria further.

As research shows on a continual basis, your overall health is intricately linked to your oral health. The bacteria of gum disease has shown correlations to a number of serious health problems, including everything from heart disease to preterm babies. Obviously, the small amount of time taken to floss daily – and to do it correctly – is worth the advantages of lowering the risk of developing cavities, gum disease and other diseases and conditions.

We are happy to help our patients develop an at-home care regimen that helps them to enjoy a healthy mouth and fresh breath between regular dental check-ups. Call 828-274-9440 to schedule a thorough examination.