Monday, November 29, 2010

Top 10 Critical Things You Should Know Before You Select A Sedation Dentist

Sedation dentistry is a great option for patients with dental phobias, patients requiring large amounts of dental work, and patients who just prefer to sleep through their appointment.  However, sedation is a powerful tool, and you don't want to entrust your safety to just anyone.  These guidelines can help you choose the practitioner who's right for you.

1)  Check the doctor's credentials.  Unlike other dental specialties (oral surgery, orthodontics, ect.) sedation dentistry is not recognized by the American Dental Association (ADA) as a specialty.  However,  sedation dentists receive certification through The University of the State of New York Education Department.  The sedation dentist should also be licensed through the New York State Dental Board.

2)  Investigate the doctor's training.  The best sedation dentistry practitioners didn't just go to dental school; they also completed extensive post-graduate training programs that focus specifically on issues of sedation dentistry.  In addition, the best dentists regularly attend continuing education classes to stay up-to-date on new procedures and materials.  Is the dentist a member of professional organizations such as the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD) which promotes quality continuing education courses to its members?

3)  Start with a consultation.  Going in for a consultation is a great way to learn more about a dentist and dental practice.  Consultations are generally inexpensive, and are sometimes even offered for free.  Talk to the dentist before you commit to anything.  Remember, it's your job to make an educated decision.

4)  Look for sedation experience.  Sedation dentistry is as much an art as it is a science.  In general, the more sedation dentistry that the dentist has performed, the more comfortable and safe will be your sedation dentistry experience.  And sedation dentistry is more than just the health of your teeth; the dentist should also consider the health of  your gums and supporting bone.

5)  Communication is key.  It's essential that you be able to talk to your dentist - and that your dentist will listen to you!  There's a lot of dialogue that needs to go into an individual long-term treatment plan.  If you feel bullied, pressured, or rushed, then that's probably not the right dentist for you.

6)  Review before and after photos and testimonials.  Take a look at the dentist's portfolio before you make up your mind.  What do patients report about their experience?  Pay specific attention to cases that are similar to yours.  Make sure that the photos are of actual work done by the dentist, not just stock photos.

7)  Don's pay too much - or too little.  Some dentist charge more marketing themselves as high-end cosmetic dentists offering Hollywood smile makeovers.  Other dentists try to make up for poor materials and shoddy work by offering low prices.  Beware of extremes.

8)  An honest dentist sets realistic expectations.  Watch out for doctors who promise more that they can deliver.  You want a dentist who will tell you what can and cannot be done for your smile.  You need to know how long the process will take, any complications that could occur, expected longevity of the restoration, and cost.  Get a written fee estimate.

9)  Technology is cool, but it's not the only thing.  A dentist with high-tech modern equipment like digital x-rays and intra-oral cameras is more likely to be up-to-date on modern techniques.  At the same time, however, don't let yourself be dazzled by a dentist's fancy tools; what really matters is that the dentist knows how to use them properly.

10)  A good lab technician is a valuable asset.  The dentist might decide on the treatment plan, but it's the lab technician who'll actually fabricate the porcelain veneers, crowns or dentures used to restore your smile.  Great dentists are proud of their lab technicians and the materials that they use.

We know that selecting a sedation dentist is not easy.  Here at Adult Dentistry of Rochester, we want you to know that you can contact Dr. Dulski personally with any questions or concerns at http://www.dulski.com/contact.html.

Tags: Sedation DentistryDental PhobiasSedation Dentistry, Sedation Dentist

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

What Does Dental Insurance Cover?

Dental insurance is a benefit plan, unlike your medical insurance.  Dental insurance is an agreement made between your employer and the insurance company to help pay for some of your dental needs.  The more that your employer pays for coverage, the lower your out-of-pocket expense will be.

The services covered by the policy are totally arbitrary and have no relation to the treatment that you need or want.  At Adult Dentistry of Rochester, Dr. Dulski's responsibility is to advise you what treatments are available and the risks and benefits of each.  Your insurance contract is designed by lawyers and accountants to control costs for the insurer.

We can only estimate your insurance benefit prior to service.  At Adult Dentistry of Rochester, we deal with thousands of plans and hundreds of types of treatment each year.  Most insurance carriers refuse to release the details of their plans.  They change policies and reimbursements constantly and without notice.

Occasionally, we are asked to send a written request to the insurance carrier for an estimate.  This pre-authorization is rarely required, despite contract language that is designed to suggest otherwise.  The process is so long and frustrating for patients that statistically nearly 70% of the planned treatment never gets done.  Plus, carriers rarely disclose what the actual dollar amount of the reimbursement will be.  Even after all that time and effort, the carrier is not obliged to honor the pre-authorization once treatment is completed.  That's why Adult Dentistry of Rochester does not submit pre-authorizations.  Honestly, if you can't afford the risk of the insurer not paying the estimated portion, then you can't yet afford to proceed with the planned treatment.

We are happy to process your paperwork for you.  To accept insurance, we ask you to keep a credit card on file.  Before treatment, we will approximate your coverage and ask for your estimated co-payment.  After insurance pays, we will credit or charge your card to reconcile the difference.  Whether your insurer pays some, all, or none of the estimated coverage, remember that you are ultimately responsible for payment.  To learn the financial options that are available at Adult Dentistry of Rochester to pay for your dental needs, visit http://www.dulski.com/affordable.html.

Tags: Dental InsurancePayment Plans

Monday, November 15, 2010

Conditioning And The Origin Of Dental Phobia

If you dread the dentist, then you are not alone. 50% of Americans are afraid of the dentist. How does this common fear of the dentist become the disabling disorder of dental phobia?

A dental phobia is a persistent and unreasonable fear that results in a compelling desire to avoid the dreaded object, activity or situation. There are three characteristics that distinguish a phobia from ordinary, everyday fears. First, you are persistently afraid of the situation over a long period of time. Second, you know that your fear is unreasonable, even though this recognition does not help to dispel it. Finally, what is most characteristic of a phobia is your avoidance of the feared situation. Being unreasonably afraid of something is not yet a phobia; the phobia begins when you actually start avoiding what you fear.

Only when you start to avoid that situation do you "learn" to be phobic. A cardinal principle in behavioral psychology is that any behavior that is rewarded tends to be repeated. Avoiding a situation you're anxious about is obviously rewarded - the reward being the reduction of anxiety. Each time you avoid the situation, the reward of being relieved of anxiety follows, and so your behavior gets strengthened and tends to be repeated. Your avoidance works very will in saving you from anxiety. Learning to stay away from a fearful situation because it is rewarding to do so is what constitutes conditioning by avoidance. Avoidance conditioning is the most critical process in the formation of any phobia.

The most effective way to overcome a phobia is simply to face it. Continuing to avoid a situation that frightens you is, more that anything else, what keeps the phobia alive. Having to face a particular situation you have been avoiding for years may at the outset seem an impossible task. Instead of entering a situation all at once, you can do it gradually in small increments. Here at Adult Dentistry of Rochester, we practice the process of desensitization, or exposure, which is the unlearning of the connection between anxiety and the dental experience. The goal is to unlearn the connection between a phobic situation and re-associate feelings of relaxation and safety with that particular situation. We can train you to relax and feel safe in response to the dental experience so that you will no longer feel anxious about it. Relaxation and anxiety are incompatible responses, so the goal of desensitization is to learn to remain in the phobic situation and be calm at the same time.

Exposure therapy demands a strong commitment on your part. If you're genuinely committed to overcoming your dental phobia, then (1), you'll be willing to take the risk to start facing the dentistry that you may have been avoiding for years, (2), tolerate the initial discomfort that entering the dental office, even in small increments, often involves, and (3), persist in practicing exposure on a consistent basis, despite probable setbacks, over a long enough period of time to allow your complete recovery. Generally, this takes from six months to two years. If you're ready to make a genuine commitment to real-life desensitization, then you will recover from your dental phobia.  For practical, step-by-step directions for mastery of these techniques, refer to Dr. Edmund Bourne's, The Anxiety And Phobia Workbook.  For Dr. Dulski's help overcoming dental anxiety and phobia at Adult Dentistry of Rochester, visit http://www.dulski.com/oral.html.

Tags: Dental PhobiaDental AnxietySedation Dentistry

Friday, November 12, 2010

Tooth-Colored Fillings

Thanks to advances in dental materials and techniques, tooth-colored ceramic-polymer composites now substitute for the black mercury-metal amalgams of the last 150 years.  These tooth-colored fillings not only look like natural teeth, they are bonded to the tooth with dental adhesive to seal out leakage and decay.

Composite fillings are a mixture of glass or quartz filler in a resin medium that provides the tooth color.  Composites provide good durability and resistance to fracture in small-to-medium-size restorations.  Less tooth structure is removed in preparing the tooth for restoration, resulting in conservation of tooth structure and strength.  The strength of a filled tooth is proportional to the percentage of remaining tooth structure.  For larger restoration, crowns are placed to restore the tooth to its original strength to resist fracture under the load of chewing forces.

Several factors influence the performance, durability, longevity, and cost of dental restorations.  At Adult Dentistry of Rochester, Dr. Dulski evaluates the patient's oral and general health, the components used in the restorative material, where in the patient's smile the restoration is to be placed, and the direction and force of chewing forces that the restored tooth will bear.  To help you decide which restoration is right for you, visit http://www.dulski.com/restorative-dentistry.html.

Tags: AmalgamsSilver FillingsCompositesTooth-Colored FillingsCosmetic Dentistry

Monday, November 8, 2010

Digital Imaging

At Adult Dentistry of Rochester, we feature some of the most advanced equipment and procedures available.  Our intra-oral digital cameras produce high-resolution images of your teeth and gums for a more thorough evaluation to better help Dr. Dulski devise appropriate treatment.  The biggest hurdle for patients to accept treatment is that they do not understand their condition.  With our intra-oral digital cameras, patient education is simplified by being able to help patients see what Dr. Dulski sees.

Digital imaging has also revolutionized the making of dental X-ray imagesX-rays have long been used to detect dental cavities and damage below the gum invisible to the eye.  The difficulty has been reading the negative image produced on conventional dental film.  Adult Dentistry of Rochester uses a Computed Dental Radiography System which captures the image utilizing a digital sensor and displays the image on a computer screen.  The digital image is instantaneous and can be magnified and enhanced for improved diagnostics and patient education.  This new system requires 90% less radiation than the old film X-rays, and can magnify the image up to 300 times.  Now it's as easy as reading a photograph.  When Dr. Dulski discusses something that he sees in your mouth, you'll be able to view it right along with him.

Finally,  Adult Dentistry of Rochester couples these images with our digital patient education system that displays a menu of video presentations that gives you valuable information on today's latest dental techniques to correct any dental problem.  It's 21st-Century dental care that revolves around you and it's available at Adult Dentistry of Rochester.  To learn more about this advanced technology, visit http://www.dulski.com/dental-technology.html.

Tags: Digital Dental X-raysIntra-oral Camera

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Choosing A Dental Crown

Dental crowns are applied to strengthen a weak, decayed or fractured tooth.  Dental crowns can also cover dental implants.  When a broken or decayed tooth does not have enough healthy structure to support a filling, you may need a dental crownDental crowns can be made of different materials.

Porcelain dental crowns are ideal for front teeth due to their natural tooth color.  Porcelain fused-to-metal crowns combine the esthetics of a porcelain outer surface with the strength of a metal core and are used primarily on the back teeth to withstand the increased forces of chewing.

In the United States, all metals used in dental crowns and implants must get the approval of the FDA.  In recent times, some imported dental crown were found to contain lead.  Patients are therefore advised to check with their dentist to learn if FDA materials are being used in their restoration.

Our office uses a local dental laboratory in Seneca Falls, NY, BonaDent, which guarantees that all of your restorations whether crowns, bridges, implants, partial dentures, or complete dentures, are made in the United States.  Some labs in the United States ship work overseas to reduce the cost of materials and labor.  Our exclusive use of BonaDent ensures you that all materials used to fabricate your restoration comply with all federal guidelines.

We also guarantee that every restoration is made using FDA registered materials for your safety, health and well-being.  Our practice is committed to providing you with the highest quality restorations made in the United States by American workers.  To learn more about our commitment to you and the local community, visit Adult Dentistry of Rochester at http://www.dulski.com/restorative-dentistry.html or visit BonaDent at http://www.bonadent.com/.

Tags: Dental CrownsPorcelain CrownsPorcelain and Metal Crowns, Dental Implant

Monday, November 1, 2010

Non-Surgical Periodontal Treatment

Periodontitis is a destructive inflammatory disease leading to the decay of gum and bone supporting the teeth.  This destruction is attributed to the development and maturation of a bacterial plaque or biofilm.  The maturation of this biofilm in the sulcus between the tooth root and gum results in an increasing prevalence of particularly virulent bacteria triggering inflammation and the resulting tissue destruction which is periodontal disease.  With the progression of periodontal disease, there is an accumulation of mineralized deposits of bacterial plaque called calculus which contributes to the progression of the disease.  The removal of calculus and its associated bacterial plaque is critical to treatment success.

Several factors increase the risk of periodontits.  Tobacco smoking is the number one contributing factor, followed by diabetes.  These factors compromise the immune response of the individual which can promote the progression of the disease.   Non-surgical periodontal treatment is the primary therapy for restoring the health of periodontal tissues.

Plaque removal is the ultimate goal of therapy.  Beyond the removal of plaque on the crowns of teeth during a routine hygiene cleaning appointment, non-surgical periodontal treatment  removes the bacterial deposits along the root surfaces by scaling and root planing for a successful treatment.

Studies strongly support both manual and ultrasonic scalers to remove deposits below the gum.  Local delivery of antibiotics as an adjunct to the gold standard of scaling is moderately supported.  However, the use of lasers to treat diseased root surfaces as an alternative to scaling is questionable.

Treatment success is dependent on sufficient cleansing of the root surface to allow for the return of tissue health.  The healing response requires the diminished presence of bacteria and their toxins, the resolution of inflammation , and the reattachment of gum and bone to the root surface.  The clinical end-points of non-surgical periodontal treatment are reduction of sites with bleeding on probing and reduction of probing depths.

It appears that studies strongly support a non-surgical initial periodontal therapy,  and that probing depths greater the 6 mm following non-surgical therapy may benefit from a surgical approach.  The optimal outcome rests on prevention and early detection and treatment of periodontal disease to maintain healthy roots in supporting gum and bone.  To learn more about non-surgical periodontal treatment as a treatment option, visit www.dulski.com/gum-disease.html.

Tags: PeriodontitisPeriodontal DiseaseBacterial PlaqueCalculusNon-Surgical Periodontal TreatmentTreatment of Periodontal Disease