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Office Policy
Do you really
work by appointment?
What is your
working schedule?
How do you handle
sterilization of the dental instruments?
What happens if I do not attend my
appointment?
Procedures
How many
appointments do I need for a crown?
What is the difference between a
porcelain crown and a metal fused to porcelain crown?
How do I know if I am a good
candidate for bleaching?
How many times do I need to bleach my
teeth in order to make them white?
Are resins as good as amalgams?
Are amalgams
(silver fillings) bad for you?
Office Policy
Do you really
work by appointment?
Yes, we take pride in the fact that we take our patients
in at the time the appointment was scheduled. We
usually ask of our patients to be on time for their
appointments so we can keep our running schedule on time
for everyone.
What is your
working schedule?
We work Monday through
Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Our first
appointment is at 9:00 am and the last at 4:00 pm.
How do you handle
sterilization of the dental instruments?
We follow OSHA codes very strictly. Our instruments
are washed and individually wrapped. Then they are
sterilized after each patient.
What happens if I do not attend my appointment?
We call our patients the
day before to appointment to confirm their attendance.
Since we make sure that our patients are taken in on time,
we do not overbook. When a patient misses an
appointment we miss an opportunity to book the chair.
When this happens we charge the patient a $25 charge for
missing an appointment.
Procedures
How many
appointments do I need for a crown?
Normally, you need a first
appointment to place a post and make the impression.
Then your impressions go to the lab, where it takes the
lab technician about 2-3 weeks to make the crown.
You then come back for an appointment where the actual
crown is placed. Sometimes adjustments need to be
made and the crown may return to the lab.
What is the difference between a
porcelain crown and a metal fused to porcelain crown?
A porcelain crown is made
entirely out of porcelain. When placed on the tooth
it does not have silver margins on the bottom like the
metal/porcelain ones, and they are just as strong.
How do I know if I am a good
candidate for bleaching?
Some people with certain
dental conditions may not be good candidates for
bleaching. People with gum recession, for example, may
have exposed root surfaces that are highly sensitive and
could be irritated by the ingredients in whiteners. In
addition, these products are not recommended for habitual
users of tobacco or certain alcoholic beverages. However, you need
to see the dentist to make sure that the kind of stain
your teeth have can be removed with bleaching techniques.
You can make an appointment for an evaluation only if you
like.
How many times do I need to bleach my teeth in order
to make them white?
Normally, one visit is
enough, but there is no guarantee. Also, to make
sure that these stains do not return (especially those
resulting from wine, coffee and cigarette use), you need
to continue using a whitening toothpaste regularly.
On some occasions patients want their teeth even whiter
than the result of the first visit. In those cases,
the patient can take a home-tray treatment to continue the
bleaching process at home.
Are resins as good as amalgams?
During the past 40 years, dental
research has led to many advances in materials used to
restore decayed teeth. Silver amalgam and white
fillings are the most commonly used. Which material is
most appealing to patients? Composites, or, as you may
know them -- white fillings.
Composites are fillings designed to
match the color of your teeth. The two main ingredients
are plastic resin and a filler of finely ground glass-like
particles. The dentist matches the composite material to
the patient's tooth color. Because they blend so well with
your tooth enamel, composites
are used where dental work could be most visible including
the front teeth and at the gum lines.
Are amalgams (silver fillings) bad for you?
Some patients have
expressed concerns about the effect of the mercury release
from silver restorations. Researchers admit that measuring
the microscopic mercury release from amalgam restorations,
and determining its effect on living tissues, is still
very difficult. Significant conclusions still have not
been agreed upon, and this will complicate solving the
problem for many years to come. The effect of mercury on
human tissues will continue to be monitored by research
while the ADA statement claims "there is no evidence that
amalgams pose health risks in non-allergic patients, and
no known health benefits result from removing dental
amalgams in non-allergic patients." Other federal
agencies agree. (Parts have been taken from Journal, Indiana Dental
Association, Fall 2001, H. William Gilmore, DDS,
editor). |
