I’ve been studying how social media is changing the way business is done. Instead of being force fed information from an advertiser, the consumer is now turning more frequently to social media sites to see what others are saying about a service, company or product somebody is interested in. I’ve created a Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook Fan Page all under Chad DDS. Although I’m just a cosmetic and implant dentist in Riverside who’s trying to gain more exposure in the Inland Empire, these sites may allow me to reach and help other people beyond my practice’s reach. I’m planning to post more blogs on tips that people can implement at home to improve home care and some articles which may be relevant to others. It’s difficult to find enough time in the day to stay active in my social media sites between a busy practice, two young kids and a bunch of dental education outside the office but I’m going to try to stay active! If you have a chance, please stop by my homepage at www.iedental.com. I’m also trying to keep that page relevant with links to other sites with important information regarding a variety of topics.
I love technology. I really love technology when it applies to dentistry. It can really make things more efficient and precise for the dentist and can deliver better results for the patients. A few of the tech pieces I have at my Riverside dental office in the inland empire are the Periolase MVP-7 which allows me to do virtually pain free laser gum surgery for treatment of moderate and severe gum disease. The CEREC 3D allows me to deliver beautiful and mercury free ceramic restorations the same day via CAD/CAM technology. Who likes having temporaries in their mouths? Digital X-rays greatly reduce the amount of radiation exposure and improve diagnostic capabilities for the dentist. The Biolase Waterlase is a laser which lets me do many fillings without having to give shots. Oral cancer screening can now be done with the VELscope scanner which can pickup precancerous lesions in the mouth which is critical for survival for those who develop oral cancer. Early cavities that can’t be detected through traditional means can now be found with the DIAGNOdent laser detection tool. Computer aided implant surgery can be done with the Procera software from Nobel Biocare. We can also check the acidity of a patient’s saliva in seconds with a special measuring instrument from Carifree. We have four different types of dental lasers all with different purposes. As a high tech dentist with a focus on laser dentistry, come to Riverside California in the inland empire and see the difference that laser dentistry can offer.
Technology is improving the way we do dentistry today. One exciting application is in computer aided implant placement. By utilizing a CT scan and special software, a dental implant surgeon can virtually plan and place implants into a computer generated patient model before even seeing the patient in the office. One of the main benefits of this technology is for complex implant cases and for patients with minimal bone. When many implants need to be placed in order to secure fixed (non-removable) dentures or bridges, it’s important to have the implants as parallel as possible. Even for simpler cases, it’s nice for the surgeon to know exactly how much bone is available and to know where critical nerves are. Basically, the more information the implant dentist has the better he will be prepared for the actual surgery. I have the Procera software from Nobel Biocare which is the largest implant company in the world. In certain cases, I can even design the teeth ahead of time and place them onto the patient the same day the implants go in. I’ll talk more about this procedure in a later blog. As an implant dentist in the inland empire, I offer free consultations and have a complimentary DVD that features implants. Please check my website at https://www.iedental.com to see a link to an educational piece on implants.
You may have been told you need bone grafting for either a tooth extraction site or for implant placement and preparation. I’ve seen ads where they state that no bone grafting is necessary. While I understand that the thought of bone grafting is not appealing, it is vital for optimal results for many situations. For example, if an implant is placed in a site where the bone is lacking it can greatly impact the esthetics in a negative way. The implant crown may make the tooth seem much too long compared to the adjacent teeth or the gums may look discolored or misshapen. When the bone height is limited, a shorter implant must be placed which may affect the long term stability and success of the implant. Once a tooth is extracted, the vast majority of subsequent bone loss occurs during the first year. A bone graft can help slow down the bone loss in the area and help maintain the foundation in the area. There are three types of bone grafts which can be recommended. Firstly, autogenous bone is taken from the patient’s own body and is an excellent graft material. An allograft is taken from purified cadaver bone. A xenograft is taken from other sources, mainly bovine (cow) bone. An experienced implant surgeon will know when a bone graft is necessary and will definitely recommend it when necessary. As an implant dentist in Riverside, I give free consultations for implant and cosmetics for those that can visit my Riverside office.
I just finished a nine month implant course (Maxicourse) at Loma Linda University. Much of the course was review for me but I did learn quite a few new techniques in bone grafting, sinus grafting, special equipment and tools to improve surgical procedures, and a scientific review of success and failure rates of various implant treatments. The Maxicourse helped prepare me for the American Academy of Implant Dentistry associate fellowship exam. This is the second nine month advanced implant course I’ve taken so I felt fairly confident that this was the proper time to take the exam. Little did I know that my newborn son would be born two weeks early and that he would end up in the NICU for having excessively high bilirubin levels. I was counting on two solid weeks to finalize my studies in preparation for the exam but due to my son’s early birth and subsequent health issues, I got virtually zero final studying in. I must say that the test felt extremely difficult and that most people who took it did not feel good about it. I feel blessed and fortunate to have passed, especially considering the circumstances and lack of studying time. I guess experience counts for something! As an implant dentist in Riverside, I feel it’s necessary to continually study and take advanced courses to make sure I stay on top of the latest technologies and advances in implant dentistry. I also feel I owe it to my clients to stay as educated as possible to best help them.