- Welcome Message from Dr. Hack
- What’s New?
- Rhymes With Gingivitis: Cartoon by Fritz
- A Success Story
- Recommendation: Deep Cleaning
- The Importance of Negotiation
- Offers
- Dental Trivia
Welcome Message
Dear Patient,
This is our third monthly newsletter and the positive feedback just keeps pouring in. My current clients and my old friends have told me how much they enjoy reading it, seeing the “Before/After” photos of our success stories, how they’re now getting a chuckle from the monthly “Rhymes With Gingivitis” cartoon by Marty “Fritz” Wall (my pal and occasional squash partner), and they especially like the challenging Dental Trivia contest in each issue.
And if you haven’t told me what you think of this monthly missive, please take a moment to share what you think so I can then share that with my other patients and staff.
Keep smiling!
Mike Hack
What’s New?
We’re still wiping the anniversary cake off our collective mouths after celebrating 14 years at our present location at 311 California Street. When I tell my friends, colleagues and patients that this will be our 37th year downtown in the Financial District, I know that much has changed since 1972, but our goal of providing the best quality service and dental techniques has not.
NEW DVDS TO WATCH. As we mentioned in our January and February issues of “Mental Floss,” if you’re a patient with an upcoming appointment, we have a vast library of DVD movies for patients to watch. Some of our most popular movies are:
- Comedy –– “Best in Show” and “Office Space”
- Thriller–– “Michael Clayton” with George Clooney
- Drama –– “Notes On A Scandal” with Oscar® winners Kate Blanchett and Judy Dench
- Music –– “I’m Not There” with Kate Blanchett and others playing Bob Dylan
- Classic –– “Dr. Strangelove” with Peter Sellers and George C. Scott
A Success Story
Everybody loves a story with a great smile. In each newsletter, we’ll share a success story about one of our patients.
Mayu was unhappy with her smile. She was very self-conscious about her teeth, which were malpositioned and on the left side appeared to “disappear.” The choices were to undergo orthodontics, porcelain veneers, or direct bonding.
She chose the latter, which involved placing tooth-colored composite, shaping, and polishing it on several teeth. This was accomplished in one appointment. As you can see, it is extremely natural-looking and has allowed Mayu to feel completely confident about her smile. It was performed without the need of an anesthetic and made an instant improvement. It will be long-lasting and will be esthetically pleasing for many years.
 
Above are the “Before” and “After” photos of Mayu’s makeover.
Recommendation: Deep Cleaning
Many of you have heard of term “Deep Cleaning” in regard to dental procedures. Many of you have had it performed, and it has nothing to do with Watergate. So when is it recommended and how does it differ from a routine cleaning?
It’s common knowledge that bacterial plaque cause dental diseases: both decay and gum (periodontal) disease. Essentially, different sets of bacteria cause each, meaning that you can never have a cavity in your life and still lose teeth to gum disease. (As you know, we monitor your gums carefully, taking gum measurements of each tooth in six different places on your initial visit and checking every time you have your teeth cleaned.)
The first stage of gum disease is when the gums get irritated by the plaque and become inflamed. That stage is called “gingivitis.” Usually a basic cleaning followed up by the patient’s home care practices (flossing and brushing thoroughly) will solve the problem and the gums become healthy. We sometimes see “pockets,” areas where the depth of the gum relative to the tooth is beyond a certain baseline measurement. This measurement has been determined by numerous studies to be the level that cannot be readily cleaned by routine brushing and flossing. The plaque and tartar (hardened plaque) in the pockets are too far beneath the gum and, if not removed, will continue to inflame the gums. Then, the disease moves down the tooth, destroying bone and therefore the support of the tooth until the point is reached when the tooth can’t be saved.
When we see that this has begun, when it’s in the early stages, the hygienist must clean down into the pocket to remove the offending plaque and tartar, as well as smooth the root (to remove rough spots where bacteria can accumulate), hence the term, “deep cleaning.” In the vast majority of patients, this will allow the gums to get healthy. In fact, many of you have heard me analogize it to removing a splinter—so the inflamed area can now heal. When that happens, just like in the splinter example, the swelling in the gums shrinks and they are now within the limits of home care procedures to maintain it.
One of the causative factors of gum disease is just plain old genetics. Some people are more vulnerable than others. Therefore, patients who have had deep cleaning must be seen by the hygienist more often to be sure gingivitis doesn’t return. Often, when the gums are deemed stable over a period of time, patients can get back to a twice-a-year schedule.
A FAQ is about coverage. Insurance companies will all cover the above procedure. If you have any further questions about deep cleaning, feel free to ask anyone in the office.
The Importance Of Negotiation
You may have seen this before. Or it may be new to you. Either way, we thought you’d enjoy this video of a man negotiating the cost of a root canal prior to his visit.
Watch the video: Negotiating with your dentist in a business like manner.
Offers
Because of the popularity of our ongoing offer, we’re extending it through the end of April. So if want to have your teeth white and sparkling this year, take advantage of our BRIGHT, WHITE OFFER –– Teeth Whitening for just $253 (normally $453).
And, as part of our “Refer A Friend” Program, if you refer someone to our office and they use our FREE WHITENING offer, they’ll pay just $367 for a comprehensive examination, cleaning, a complete set of X-rays, and FREE whitening (normally $453). That’s a savings of $200! And for referring someone, we’ll give you a Gift Card good for FREE WHITENING for yourself.
BOTH OFFERS EXPIRE MAY 15, 2009.
Rhymes with Gingivitis
Dental Trivia
The correct answers to patient Gil Zeimer’s February Trivia Quiz about TV programs about dentists were 1) Seinfeld; 2) Robert Wagner and 3) Bryan Cranston as Dr. Tim Watley.
The March/April Trivia contest focuses on questions about dental product TV commercials:
- Question #1: What’s the end of this 1950s/1960s TV jingle: “You’ll wonder where the yellow went when you… ______ ______ _____ ____ __________?” (5-word answer)
- Question #2: What was the name of the animated rodent who was the spokesman for Ipana?
- Question #3: What the name of the invisible shield that protected against tooth decay and bad breath by using Colgate?
- Question #4: Name the toothpaste: “______ has proven to be an effective decay-preventing dentifrice when used in a regularly applied program of daily professional care.”
- Congratulations to our February Gift Card winners: Robin D, Delores C., Chris D. and Roseann C.
MARCH/APRIL TRIVIA QUESTIONS:
The first three responses to correctly answer these questions will receive a Starbucks Gift Card.
RESPOND
© 2009. Financial District Dental. All Rights Reserved.
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