January 6, 2009

In this issue:

* Loyal Patient Rewards - Great Bonuses For YOU!

* Dental Implants - Are They Right For You?

* Periodontal Disease - A New Treatment To Smile About

 

Loyal Patient Rewards - Great Bonuses For YOU!

You may have gotten a letter from our office recently outlining a terrific new perk for our patients called "Loyal Patient Rewards."  What is it?  It's a plan that offers great discounts on thousands of items, from restaurant gift cards to travel. And, the best news is... you already qualify!

In a nutshell, here's how it works. As a patient, you now have an account, complete with a password and user ID outlined in the letter you received. $250 has already been deposited in your account, just for being our patient! Each time you have a service performed in our office, you are given more points, and you automatically get 50 points per month whether you come in to see us or not!

Now, the fun begins. Log on to www.loyalpatientrewards.com and sign in. Then, you can see the superb discounts you can receive by purchasing items from your loyal patient rewards account.

Our office team is so excited to offer you this money-saving plan. Ask them about it the next time you come in for treatment.  Happy shopping!

 

Dental Implants-Are They Right For You?

Thanks to the field of oral implantology, or dental implants, a new standard of care has emerged and teeth can now be restored for both functionality and aesthetics. Dental implants can also help people with increased chewing capacity, and improved speech in addition to their appearance.

Tooth loss can result in shrinkage of gums and jawbones, and up until recently there were many folks with partial tooth loss who could not live normally. Dental implants and oral rehabilitation has opened the doors and mouths with increased treatment possibilities for many patients. Let’s face it – we need our teeth for chewing functionality and to eat, not just for looks.

Dental implants rely on the bone for support and are substitutes for natural tooth roots. If you are missing one or more of your natural teeth, oral implants might be the right solution for you. The chance for implants to integrate can for example be jeopardized by the presence of intra-oral bacteria and inflammatory reactions. People with adequate bone level and density who are not prone to infection and can maintain the best oral hygiene would be good candidates for dental implants.

There are varying types of implants that are available but the basic definition is that it is a device, or fixture, that is surgically placed into the jaw bone to replace one or several lost roots of teeth. Dental implants are designed to replace the root of a tooth. Implants are the surgically placed part which goes either into, or sits on top of the jawbone, while the actual tooth or teeth that go on top of the implant(s) are referred to as the prosthesis.

There are basically two distinct phases to the implant procedure, including a surgical phase, and a prosthetic phase. The surgical phase includes all that’s concerned with getting the implant into or onto the bone and getting it ready for the prosthetic phase. The prosthetic phase includes putting a single tooth or teeth on top of the implant(s). After the implant is placed into the jaw bone, a process that is called “osseointegration” allows the bone to grow and tighten around it. This process takes a few months, but after it has integrated with the bone successfully, the next phase can begin.
The second procedure includes a metal attachment that is placed to the implant onto which the final restoration replaces the missing tooth. Once the third part or the crown is screwed onto the abutment, the dental implant is complete.

If you are missing one or more of your natural teeth, no matter what age you are, dental implants may be your best solution. They are a long-lasting and pleasing alternative to missing teeth.

Periodontal Disease-A New Treatment To Smile About

We get so many questions and comments about the "Health Talk" articles that appear each Sunday in the News Herald!  In cased you missed it, here's one that was published  November 2, 2008. It  details why a newer treatment for periodontal disease is giving us one more thing to smile about.

Dr. Carosello 11-2-08 Health Talk

Q:   I read in your column several months ago about a new, non-surgical way to treat periodontal disease. At the time, you had just started to use it. I need treatment for gum problems. Now that you’ve seen it in action, does the new treatment work?

A:   You are referring to Perio Protect™, an at-home patient treatment system for periodontal disease. It is simple, doesn’t require a lot of time, and is a painless way to treat this common and potentially destructive mouth disorder.

  With Perio Protect ä , a patient gets custom-molded trays and very small amounts of bacteria specific medicine. These trays help to create a “positive” pressure to overcome the flow of fluid coming out of the infected gum pockets. This allows the medication to reach to the deepest areas to kill the bacteria causing the infection . The dentist designs a program specifically for each patient, and these medicine-containing dental molds are taken home and worn by the patient for a specified time each day. As progress is made, the amount of time and the frequency with which the dental trays are used is modified. 

We have been using this system for about six months and have been amazed at the results we see in our office. With periodontal disease, the gums become loosened from the teeth. We measure the defect created in millimeters. We have seen most “gum pockets” return to normal levels. Exceptions have been severely damaged areas, but we have usually seen these areas become more stable. The advantage is the general dentist can work together with a periodontal specialist to treat these spots as effectively as possible. A procedure called scaling and root planning, as well as laser treatment can also be used in our office if needed.

 

Perio Protect™ certainly isn’t a magic wand, but it does seem to help kill a significant percentage of the harmful bacteria that cause the periodontal disease. This in turn can provide the needed boost to help the area heal. The procedure is not right for all patients, and some may clearly require more complex procedures.

 

Have a great day!

Stephen T. Carosello, DDS

 

Stephen T. Carosello, DDS
9500 Mentor Ave Suite 280 - Mentor, OH 44060
ph: 440-352-2887
email:info@carosellodds.com