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    Isolite: Better Isolation = Better Dentistry

    blog High_tech_dentistry Isolite
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    It is my privilege to announce that all of our dental treatment rooms are now equipped with the new, Isolite dry-field illumination technology!

    All over the U.S., high-tech private dental offices are implementing Isolite dry-ifeld illumination technology in an effort to take the dental care they provide to the next level, and our office is now part of this new, emerging trend.

    Better Isolation = Better Dentistry.  Better isolation means I can provide better, faster, safer and more comfortable dental treatment to my patients, compared to the old way of providing dental care.  This means our patients have shorter, more comfortable dental visits and find themselves returning to their daily activities much sooner than it used to be possible.

    At the heart of the Isolite system is the soft, flexible, non-impinging single-use mouthpiece that suctions saliva while it retracts and protects the tongue and cheek.  The mouth piece also provides bright, shadowless LED illumination, making it much easier to see the teeth compared to relying on a traditional dental light alone.

    Even dentists need fillings!!  I personally had the Isolite used on me during the replacement of two of my old fillings in November and I was thrilled with how comfortable the Isolite is for the patient!  My recent dental procedure went by way more quickly and comfortably than any of my previous visits!

    I look forward to using emerging dental technology, like the Islolite, to provide my patients superior dental care now and in the future.
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    Phillips releases Sonicare Kids toothbrush

    blog Home Care Tips For Children Sonicare
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    Here's some good news for parents who are at their whits end, trying to get their kids to take the time to brush their teeth twice a day.  Phillips recently released a Kid version of its famous Sonicare toothbrush! 

    No, this toothbrush won't automatically make your kids want to brush their teeth, but its kid-friendly features increase the chances that little ones will enjoy brushing frequently and that they will learn good brushing techniques gradually: this toothbrush was specifically designed to help kids develop better brushing habits. 

    The new Sonicare Kids Toothbrush has several very nice features that I'll summarize here.
    • KidTimer helps to increase brushing time - Increases brushing time over the first 90 days of use toward the minimum of 2 minutes
    • Age-appropriate brush heads sizes
    • 2 Kid-friendly power modes deliver a gentle, effective clean
    • KidPacer delivers fun and engaging musical tones - Fun sounds encourage kids to brush the front and back of both upper and lower teeth
    Some parents ask me if the imitation electric toothbrushes that you can purchase at the local drug store are a suitable alternative to the more expensive Sonicare Kids Toothbrush...  In my professional opinion, although a child or an adult can can do a terrific job with even a manual toothbrush, a premium grade product like a Sonicare brush is most likely going to help your kids do an even better job of cleaning their teeth and caring for their gums.

    Helpful Links:
    Sonicare toothbrushes can be purchased at Costco, Wal-Mart and online at Amazon.com.  Here are some links that may help:
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    No more bare walls!

    blog Copia Art Misc. Off Topic
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    My wife, Tessa, and I were doing some window shopping at Stoneridge Mall recently, when we came upon some interesting, crisp and fresh artwork at the Copia Art booth.  To this post, I've attached some pictures of the kind of artwork we were looking at.  It didn't take too long for us to decide to get some of the artwork for the office; we've been displaying out bare walls for a bit too long, don't you think?  :-)  Next time you are at our office, you'll see the few pieces of artwork we decided to put up and we really hope you enjoy it! 
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    I'm not sure how long the Copia Art booth will be as the Stoneridge Mall, but they also have a website you can visit to see all of their offerings.  Here's the link: http://www.copiart.com
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    Thoughts on Bottled Water

    blog Bottled Water
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    It seems like only yesterday that the water bottle craze broke out...  Whether you were one of the early adopters or someone who insisted they'd never be caught drinking bottled water, I post these thoughts for you to consider because the bottled water craze is far from over. 

    There has been a lot of progress made with respect to bottled water.  For example, gone are the days when water bottles were made of so much wasted plastic they were almost bullet proof.  Gone, too, are the days when bottled water  was so over purified that all the good and important minerals and electrolytes you would expect to find in natural spring water were zapped right out of it.

    Water bottle Craze 2.0 is certainly upon us now, with Pepsi and other companies coming out with water bottles made of 20% less plastic and with Glaceau coming out with it's vitamin-enriched Vitawater.  (Soon the marketplace will start offering vitamin-enriched carbonated beverages like Diet Pepsi Plus! Now that's a scary thought!!)

    Personally, I think drinking bottled water has its place.  There are times when drinking tap water is not convenient or nearly impossible, like when you're in a car, on an airplane, or just on a walk around the neighborhood.  On the other hand, tap water is plumbed into our homes and businesses for our drinking pleasure and comes to us at a fraction of the cost of bottled water.

    When considering drinking bottled water, it's important to think about the following:
    • Does my bottled water have the the electrolytes and minerals my body needs?  - If you are drinking distilled water or the labeling on the bottle doesn't make it clear to you what is in and what's left out of the water, it's best to call the manufacturer.
    • Is my bottled water providing me with an adequate amount of the anti-cavity ion called fluoride? - Again, if you don't know, call the manufacturer.
    • Are my children drinking too much bottled water without supplementing their electrolyte and fluoride needs?
    • Am I drinking from the new kind of water bottles that are made of 20% less plastic?
    • Am I recycling my water bottles?
    If you are interested in additional information on drinking bottled water, you are welcome to read the PDF below, called "Facts about Bottled Water"; it was put out by the ADA and emphasizes some additional other important points.

    Additional Study:
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    ADA Seal: What you need to know

    A.D.A Seal blog Home Care Tips
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    When you find the ADA Seal of Acceptance on a dental product such as a toothpaste or mouthwash, you can be certain that the product meets or exceeds the American Dental Association's standards of quality, purity, safety and effectiveness. 

    From its inception the ADA has sought to protect consumers by placing great emphasis on dental product safety and efficacy.  Although dental products are monitored and regulated by the FDA (Food & Drug Administration), the standards of the ADA exceed those of the FDA.  That is why it is possible to find FDA-approved dental products like toothpaste that do not have the ADA Seal of Acceptance.

    A manufacturer who applies for the ADA Seal must do the following:
    • Supply objective data from clinical and/or laboratory studies in compliance with ADA guidelines that support the product’s safety and effectiveness
    • Submit ingredient lists, labeling claims and other pertinent product information for review and approval
    • Provide evidence that manufacturing and laboratory facilities are properly supervised and are adequate to ensure purity and uniformity of the product.
    In skimming over the bullet list above, it's easy to miss some critical things that make products with the ADA Seal outstanding.  Take for instance the following features of a product like a mouthwash you may be considering purchasing: Safety, effectiveness, purity, uniformity.  These are all characteristic that you would want in a mouthwash, right?  That's why it's important to pick the product with the ADA Seal, because you can be certain those features will be in the product you buy.  Products that do not have the ADA Seal of Acceptance have not gone through extensive clinical and/or laboratory testing in the way that products with the ADA Seal have.

    Think back to the bullet list above: do you remember that part about the "review and approval" of "labeling claims?"  The fact that the ADA monitors and verifies labeling claims is tremendously important to you as a consumer!!  It means that what the product is advertised to do for you, it will actually do!  Another way of putting this is that the dental product manufacturer cannot lie to you about how wonderful their product is; what you read on the labeling is true.

    So, next time you're choosing between similar dental products, remember that the ADA seal ensures that the product is not only pure and safe, but also that it does what it claims to do on the packaging.