With the pandemic and lockdown here in Ontario just dragging on and on… It can really drag one down pscyhologically, mentally, and emotionally.
I listened to a great podcast that may just help you shake off that funk! The video is below.
Electric Toothbrush vs Regular Toothbrush
We Have Re-Opened
Happy to announce that Thessalon Dental has re-opened under the new guidelines issued by the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario.
See the previous article for an explanation of how your visit will be a little different from past visits. What hasn’t changed is our commitment to providing you with the best dental care we can!
COVID-19 and Safety In the Dental Office
The RCDSO has issued new guidelines for dentists to re-open. The guidelines may be subject to change at any time as Covid-19 ebbs and flows in the community.
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In anticipation of re-opening very soon, I wanted to share some thoughts and advise you of changes in how we operate Thessalon Dental.
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As someone who has had two bouts of pneumonia, industrial exposure to asbestos, and having had a lung biopsy, I can assure you that health and safety in the dental office is at the forefront of my mind.
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How we operate our office will change. This is mandated by the regulatory body.
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All appointments must be made by telephone. We are not allowed to accommodate walk-ins.
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If on the day of the appointment you are experiencing any cold or flu-like symptoms, fever, new or worsening cough, please call the office to reschedule your appointment.
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We will schedule appointments in such a way as to minimize the number of people in the office at all times.
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For everyone's protection, our door will remain locked at all times. We will open, and close the doors for you.
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Every patient must answer screening questions before booking an appointment, and will be re-screened on the day of their appointment prior to physically entering the office.
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Prior to entering the office, you will be asked to wash your hands with soap and water. You will be asked to do so again when you leave the office.
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Do not bring a child with you to the office unless that child has an appointment.
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No one is to have someone accompany them into the office unless absolutely necessary. Anyone entering the office will be required to wash their hands with soap and water before and after the appointment. The person accompanying a patient must wear their own mask at all times while inside the dental office. We will supply one if you do not have your own. Please advise us in advance if you require someone to accompany you.
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Unfortunately, due to the new guidelines and protocols, we cannot see family members back to back. Only the person being treated will be allowed into the dental office at any given time.
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Due to increased time demands for protocols between patients, our daily capacity to see patients is substantially diminished.
By taking these mandated steps, we can help keep everyone safe while providing the quality dental care you've come to expect from our team at Thessalon Dental!
Sincerely,
Dr. Thomas Detert, Kim Langevin, RDH and Kari McKinnon
The Complete Exam - Your Key to Optimal Oral Health
by Dr. Thomas Detert
April is Oral Health Month.
Quite often, oral health is a very neglected component of one’s overall health. That is, until, something goes wrong.
A tooth may start to ache, a filling my fall out, or your child may fall and break a front tooth. Then oral health becomes a priority.
There is a growing body of scientific evidence that demonstrates a strong correlation between your oral health and your general overall body health. Put another way, the health of your mouth is not isolated from the rest of your body.
That is why we recommend a complete dental exam, aka the “New Patient Exam” for all our patients. The complete exam is the key that unlocks the door to achieving optimal oral health.
The Complete Exam
The complete exam is the appointment where you establish yourself as a patient of the dental practice. The dentist and his/her dental team gather up all the information that they need to properly assess your needs and recommend appropriate treatment.
We allocate a significant amount of time to this visit.
At this visit you can expect:
the opportunity to discuss your concerns and treatment goals
discuss your medical history including current medications
discuss your dental history including any problems or concerns with previous treatment
a thorough oral exam and oral cancer screening
a TMJ screening
pertinent dental x-rays
a tooth-by-tooth exam for wear, cracks, decay, bone loss, mobility, failing dental work and infection
The Treatment Plan
Once all the information is gathered, the dentist will then explain any findings. From there, treatment options to correct any problems and/or address any of your concerns will be discussed. The pros and cons of the treatment options will be discussed including expected longevity and costs.
A preventative plan to maintain your oral health will be recommended.
A word about dental x-rays.
Dental x-rays are a vital part of the complete exam. Up-to-date x-rays show the dentist a great deal about your teeth including:
health of the bone supporting your teeth
screen for dental decay between teeth and underneath existing fillings
how deep a cavity or filling is in a tooth
root anatomy and proximity to other structures
infection in the bone
Summary
Having practiced dentistry for quite some time now, I can confidently say that the complete exam is the most important visit I ever get to have with my patients.
From the patient, I learn who they are and what they want. From the exam I learn what’s going on.
The patient learns about me, my practice style and treatment philosophy.
After presenting the findings, and options, together we decide upon the best possible treatment. The best treatment isn’t necessarily the most expensive — it is the best options for you based upon your needs, wants, and budget.
You Hate Flossing But...
Let’s face it.. very few people like to floss.
It takes time. It’s finicky. It can be hard to do around bridges, and between very tight teeth. Often, we leave it to the end of the day when we are tired and just want to get to bed.
Like any other beneficial health practice (such as eating right, or exercising), it takes time to turn a new chore into a habit.
If you consistently push yourself to floss once a day, at a specific time every day, after 21 days, you should have developed flossing successfully as a habit.
Many of us go out of our way to buy an electric toothbrush. But did you know that even the best electric toothbrush, used effectively, only removes 60% of plaque and food debris from your teeth. The other 40% can only be removed with proper flossing technique.
So why is flossing so important?
Flossing is the only effective way of removing bacteria, plaque, and food debris from between your teeth. If not removed, the bacteria between your teeth will ferment the food debris producing an acid that damages and eventually destroys the enamel, dentin and cementum of your teeth.
Flossing is also vital to disrupting the bacterial beneath your gum line that cause gum disease.
To quote one of my mentors, “You only have to floss the teeth that you want to keep”.
Does It Matter What Floss I Buy?
Overall, what really matters is that you choose to floss. The effectiveness between different types of floss is not particularly significant. In the dental aisle of any pharmacy, you can find a number of floss types and flossing aids such as floss holders.
I would recommend trying different types of floss until you find one that works for you. Don’t buy the cheapest stuff available as the very cheap floss tends to be more prone to tearing and breaking. This is especially true if you have very tight contacts between your teeth.
So How Do I Floss Properly, Anyhow?
To answer that question, watch this short video on YouTube. It shows the basics of effective flossing.
Oral Health and Dental Insurance
A recurring challenge in the dental office is addressing patients’ expectations of their dental insurance benefits.
In Canada, and our province of Ontario, the vast majority of residents enjoy the benefits of universal healthcare. Universal healthcare was established through various acts of legislation within Canada and by individual provinces. 1966 is the generally accepted start date of federally mandated universal healthcare.
The glaring omission from universal healthcare was, and continues to be, dental healthcare.
The reasons for this omission included the belief that oral disease was largely preventable by the individual, and that community treatments such as water fluoridation would be sufficient.
Employee benefit plans also started in and around the 1960s. Most employers purchase a plan from an insurance company with benefits that usually include some dental coverage. Plan maximums have rarely increased, yet premiums have gone up significantly since then. Many plans still limit coverage to $1000 per year.
In 1960, $1000 went a long way for dental care. Today, that maximum should be $8490 if it kept up with inflation.
Dental coverage is very limited by a number of factors including
annual maximums
co-payment requirements
deductibles
frequency limitations
repayment schedules that do not cover full cost of service
little or nor coverage for major work such as dentures, crowns, bridges, implants, etc.
The above limitations are all cost-containment measures to maximize dental insurance profitability.
Today’s dental plans are not intended to cover advanced procedures or major oral health rehabilitation. If you are lucky, your plan may include partial coverage for 1 crown or bridge, subject to all sorts of conditions and limitations.
Most often, plans cover routine dental cleanings, basic fillings, and extractions.
Quite often, I see patients who have, through a number of circumstances (poor professional advice, limited finances, or other pressing demands), neglected their oral health and now need help that exceeds the scope of their dental plans.
At Thessalon Dental, we will always be happy to pre-authorize any dental treatment you need, and help advise you to minimize your out-of-pocket costs. However, your oral health needs may easily exceed today’s dental insurance plans.
November 2nd marks 6 Months!
November 2, 2018 will mark Thessalon Dental’s 6 month anniversary!
It certainly has been an exciting time for us at Thessalon Dental. 6 months has just flown by!
During that time, our practice has grown. We have welcomed nearly 100 patients to our dental family.
Kim, Kari, and Tom would like to thank everyone for their support in choosing Thessalon Dental as their oral health care provider. We couldn’t have done it without you!
Now Open
Setting up a dental office from scratch posed many challenges. Some we knew, some surprised us! But we made it! And Thessalon Dental is now open.
Currently, we are seeing patients on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. As the practice demand grows, we will be adding Thursdays in the future.
There's no need to drive out of town -- give us a call or drop us an email!
New Patients are welcome!
Almost there!!
The dental suite at 333 River St building (Thessalon Medical Centre) is taking shape. The last pieces of equipment are arriving and set to be installed the week of April 11th.
Looking forward to opening soon!
Coming Soon... THESSALON DENTAL
The dental suite at 333 River St, in Thessalon is undergoing a transformation. Kim Langevin, a dental hygienist practicing in Thessalon since 2017 has teamed up with Dr. Thomas Detert, from St. Joseph Island. In spring 2018 full dental services will be available in the newly formed Thessalon Dental (besides Thessalon Medical).
Thessalon Dental will offer a wide range of services including check ups, cleanings, fillings, tooth whitening, cosmetics, and more.