Quick Responses to Common Concerns
It’s important to us that we answer your questions both thoughtfully
and conveniently. That’s why we’ve selected a few of the most commonly
asked ones, and posted them here with our answers. If you have concerns
not addressed here, however, please feel free to contact us for more information!
How do I know when it’s time to come in for an
appointment?
Actually, there’s no set answer to this question. In our practice, we
believe in proactive dentistry: dentistry that prevents trouble by taking
aggressive steps toward health prior to the appearance of disease or decay.
One way to carry this out is to establish reasonably short visit intervals
on an individualized patient basis. If a person has excellent genetics,
a past history of diligent, effective home care, and an absence of oral
health concerns/disease, the interval may be up to six months. On the
other hand, someone with a history of structural, decay or disease-related
problems is better off to have a professional preventive ’maintenance’
exam and cleaning much more often.
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Will I be charged if I cancel an appointment?
In order to run our office efficiently and effectively, we do our best
to see patients in a prompt and timely manner. And we expect the same
courtesy from them. If some unforeseen circumstances prevent you from
making it to your appointment, and you do not cancel at least 24 hours
ahead of time, we’re limited in our ability to offer that time slot to
another waiting patient. We charge in cases where this occurs.
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What do I do if I have an emergency, but the
office is closed?
Simply call our answering service and they’ll contact Dr. Fisher
immediately. He’ll return your call, listen to the details, and
arrange to see you if necessary.
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How can I safely whiten my teeth?
We offer a revolutionary one-hour in-office whitening program, using
the Rembrandt® system. With our careful, professional monitoring and
the advanced product formulation, we are able to whiten most patients’
teeth from 8-10 shades as viewed on our dental shade chart…all with
little or no sensitivity or
cumbersome, time-consuming at-home sessions. Check out
our Update on Dental Health practice newsletter
for more information and a special offer!
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What precautions do you take to ensure patient
safety and comfort?
Our entire practice team is well-versed in state-of-the-art sterilization
techniques designed to ensure patient safety. This goes beyond wearing
gloves and face-masks to prevent passing germs, but includes using disposable
or single use products wherever possible, and sterilizing all instruments
in a specialized autoclave. Further, when it comes to your physical comfort,
we’ve established high standards as well. For example, we’ve developed
an injection technique that is so gentle it’s nearly imperceptible to
the patient; and we have nitrous available for situations when a patient
requires anxiety relief.
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What makes you different than any other dental
practice I can visit?
In short, we believe in the value of excellent dentistry, and we believe
it’s our calling to provide it for our patients. Therefore, our entire
staff shares a long-term commitment to our patients’ health and well-being.
This commitment forms the basis of our motivation as we strive for excellence
in service, excellence in providing treatment, excellence in follow-up
care, and excellence in teamwork within our staff’s various roles.
As a patient, we think you’ll notice a difference in your experience
here as a result of these core values. For example, we spend a great
deal
of time with you, gaining a comprehensive understanding of your dental
condition and of your personal preferences for your health. We educate
you with clear, understandable facts about our findings, using tools
such
as the Intra-Oral Camera to help you see what we see and make informed
decisions based on that information. We make it a point to be considerate
in every way possible: we won’t keep you waiting for your appointment,
we provide convenient evening appointment times twice a week, we set
aside
time daily to see emergencies, and we follow-up by making a personal
phone call to you the evening after many significant procedures.
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My gums bleed after I brush. Is this something
to be concerned about?
Bleeding gums are definitely something to be concerned about. Typically,
this condition can be caused by any of the following: improper, rough,
’scrubbing’ instead of gentle, circular brushing motions; using a hard-bristled
tooth brush instead of a soft one; plaque and/or tartar build-up, both
above and below the gum line; or gum sensitivity due to gingivitis or
periodontal disease. Often, we find chronic gum disease to be the culprit.
Therefore, your best and safest solution is to contact our office for
an evaluation appointment.
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Crowns, veneers, onlays, and inlays, …how can
I learn more about these procedures?
With today’s technology, materials, and advanced techniques, we have
many options for restoring weak, broken, chipped, discolored, and/or crooked
teeth…bringing them back to their original shape and function. For example,
we can apply an all-porcelain crown, somewhat like a “cap”
or “thimble” that covers the entire outside of the problem tooth.
Crowns are also helpful to cover large areas of decay after they’ve been
filled. Or, for large decayed or damaged surface chewing areas requiring
restoration, we can apply a protective covering/filling or onlay
made of either precious metal, porcelain, or composite resin material,
thereby adding strength and preventing decay. If you need fillings, we
can use porcelain inlays instead of silver amalgam… thus strengthening
the tooth and protecting it against further fracture. Similarly, we can
restore cracked, discolored, crooked or otherwise unattractive front teeth
to pretty, natural shapes and shades by applying paper-thin porcelain
veneers to the fronts. If you’re interested in finding out more
about these procedures, just come on in for a consultation and we’ll evaluate
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