Up and Running
Here we go! Its opening day for us here at Ascent Dental Group. We are finally up and running! Its been a very long year for me and with tons of hard work, I have finally created a dental office I have always dreamed of having. After graduating dental school in San Antonio, TX, (2004) I decided to stay in San Antonio and work for a dentist as an associate. Things soon slowed down and the dentist could not keep me busy. After about 4-5 of these associate rotations with different dentists, I decided I needed a change! Having no kids, no wife, or nothing to hold me back, I moved to Colorado in Feb. of 2006, (why? skiing, mountain biking, hiking, rafting, etc!) and started working for a private group office. As an independent contractor to this office, I was the only dentist in the office and was not any ones understudy anymore. I worked here for 2 and a half years. Finally, it came time for me to make a decision, the owner wanted me to buy into the office and I had decided not to, that I could establish a better office. After about a year of looking at rental spaces, spaces to buy, existing dental offices for sale, I decided to build my own and start from scratch. Not an easy road to take by any means! I picked the Cherry Creek area, because it was a central location in Denver, and my fiance and I live in a small condo in the area. (If your wondering, I am getting married Sept 19, 2009 hopefully in the mountains). Why the Ascent Dental Group name? I pondered many many names, and everyone had their own opinion! I wanted an (A) for alphabetical purposes and top listings, I also wanted something mountain related, Ascent – like ascending a mountain. Group? Well lets just say I don’t want to be by myself forever, this implies future growth. In May of 2008, I signed a rather scary (lengthy and pricey) rental agreement and dug in. No, literally I dug in! The space I rented needed a decent size remodel, so I put on some gloves and started tearing down the walls, ripping up the floor, and hauling the demo trash down to the dumpster. Before I knew it, I had done the demolition to this space all myself! Construction commenced and finally finished (the contractor also allowed me to paint, to save money of course, so I enjoyed hours of painting fun!) If you have ever done any construction then you are aware of all the problems that can come up. Then the shopping began! (And of course more “sign your life away”, loans for dental equipment, working capital, computers, etc.) I have hit every store in Denver I think to find the best deal for decorating, office supplies, furniture, etc. Long story short, this summer (2008) has been a wild ride with architects, contractors, dental equipment salesmen, marketing reps,bankers, loaners, lawyers, CPA’s, plumbers, electricians, HVAC guys, landlords, store reps, dental material reps, employee interviewing, Craigslist, logo designers, you name it! I have learned so much this summer of 2008 by being so involved with this project and the decisions/ it required. Now we are open, and now I am learning patience! Its been somewhat slow, but we are getting some people in. Its so exciting to see peoples faces when they come in the office! They are excited about seeing a TV above the chair, a couch in the reception room and the numerous other details I have put into the place to make your visit more comfortable. I think of this place as a result of all my past growing pains, from all the dental offices I worked in and for, a collaboration of all the ideas I have seen from these offices. My enjoyment is getting to treat you, its even more enjoyable when I hear you say you had a great experience. See you in the chair. (remember I even splurged on the massaging one)
Oral Cancer / Velscope
Most of us are familiar with cancer. Its crossed our path in one way or another during our lifetime. We don’t necessarily know why we get it but unfortunately it happens. We don’t know why we get it but we do know how. Cancer (all forms) is mainly caused by problems with cell replication. Daily our cells which form our tissues undergo death and replication which is all a very complex process involving many stages that have to work precisely. Tissues with higher than normal replication cycles include but are not limited to: skin, breast, GI tract, genital, oral. Lets take this discussion and focus on oral. Oral tissues involve tongue, lips, mucosal lining of mouth (including hard and soft palate), salivary glands, tonsils, beginning of throat. Daily, we eat and drink, most of us three times a day or more. What do we eat or drink? Everything and anything. Sometimes we don’t even know whats in the food we eat or the things we drink. The things we place in our mouth sit on our tongue, our oral tissues, or teeth. Things we place in our mouths can be cold, hot, spicy, salty, sweet, acidic, basic, and even toxic! As you can see the tissue in our mouth undergoes many cycles. Daily we loose and rebuild cells in our oral tissues at a higher rate that other parts of the body. Just like other types of cancer, oral cancer has a good prognosis if detected early. For years dentist have detected oral cancer, but have detected it when they could visibly see it. Once you can visibly see oral cancer its likely to be in a lower prognosis. (stage 3 or 4) Until 5 years ago, there was no other way for dentist to detect oral cancer other that visibly. Gynecologist detect cancer with a pap smear, but dentist never had a pre-visible diagnostic attack on cancer until now. Enter the Velscope. The Velscope is a light that shines on the tissues and fluoresces normal tissue green. If the tissue does not fluoresce green, it needs to be looked at in greater detail. This technology allows dentist to actually look into tissues in greater detail and detect cancer in earlier stages. This technology is also moving to the gynecological circuit as they are hoping to reduce pap smears. (After all a pap smear caused you to rebuild cells that just got scrapped off) Is this light safe? Completely! Its not a laser, its a normal light that is taken at a different spectrum to allow fluorescence. Since the Velscopes introduction, oral cancer is quickly on the rise. I believe this is due to dentists being more aware and easily being able to detect it. We have elected to participate in this brilliant Velscope technology. Everyday we learn something new and things seem to always change. It is my job as a clinician to keep you informed. Till next time…. Have a great day!
Most Dental Problems are Silent
Daily, I get asked from patients, if I am not having pain, why do I have to get a filling? Like cancer and heart disease in the body, most dental problems are silent. Lets look at a few silent dental problems. Cavities When a cavity starts to hurt, that is when it is almost too late to just simply do a filling! Cavities do no hurt until they get close to the nerve in the tooth. The tooth has 2 layers to protect the nerve, the enamel and the dentin. The enamel is one of the hardest elements of the human body, its amazing to think microscopic bacteria can destroy it. Once the bacteria sets up in the dentin of the tooth, the tooth can literally become an eggshell and still look like nothing is wrong. The longer the bacteria sit inside the tooth, the more they destroy by their acid secretion/waste. The bacteria work their way through the dentin to the nerve. This is when pain can start. By then, the nerve has bacteria in it and an infection develops at the root tip of the tooth. The only way to save this tooth now is a root canal and crown, when a filling would have been more simple and cost effective. The assumption is if the tooth doesn’t hurt, it doesn’t need to be fixed Gum Disease Gum Disease is bacteria, plaque and tartar, that develops under the gums. The bacteria also secrete a substance that can kill and destroy bone structure around the teeth. As painful as that sounds, it can present no pain. With destroyed bone around the teeth, teeth can eventually get lose and fall out. Generally, this process can take 5-15 years, but can also happen rapidly, depending on diet, hygiene, bacteria levels in the mouth, etc. Existing Root Canals Once a root canal is completed, there is no more nerve in the tooth. At the bottom of the tooth (the root tip) is where a infection can set up. Bone doesn’t have nerves like tissue does, so therefor if there is an infection underneath a root canal, it can’t be felt. Once this gets to a large level, prognosis of retreating the root can decrease. Implants Dental implants can get gum disease around them and fail as well. Anytime a dental implant becomes loose, its a failure. So, the point of this blog is for me to show you examples of why and how most dental problems are silent. After any dental work is completed it should be checked yearly with an x-ray. The more dental work you have completed, the more work it takes to keep the work lasting. Don’t take chances and see a dentist routinely, so we can get to the problem, before other major problems creep up on you.
To know or not…
Today I had to go to the Dermatologist to get some bumps on my thighs that had developed over the last few years The Dermatologist thought they were lipomas (a non cancerous tumor that is made up of fat) It was optional to get them removed, they were not hurting, but I didn’t want to take any chances. (In my business, just because it doesn’t hurt doesn’t mean nothing’s wrong, so I took the same philosophy in this situation ) It had taken me 8 months to get in and get this done. It was mainly fear that held me from not going in for so long. So, I can understand why people take their time and don’t go into the dentist right away. So, today I was on the end of the needle, scalpel, stitches, etc. I have to admit, I can give shots with no problem, but when it comes to taking them, I am terrible at it. Needless to say, the procedure went well and was way less than my mind had conceived with worry. When getting stuck (the only part of it I felt), I was glad to know when it was coming. I am not sure how all people feel about this. Some people seem to want to know, some don’t. I myself like to know, so in that split second, my mind can prepare my body to feel something. Let me know what you like. See you in the chair.
What do you look for in a dentist /dental office?
I am from a smaller oilfield/cotton town in west Texas (Big Spring, TX). At age 22, moving to San Antonio, TX from Lubbuck, TX, for dental school was a shock to me. I always thought city folks were “out to get me and take my money”. Now, I am smack dab in the middle of Denver, a large city, which I have learned to love. I have poured everything (my life) into my office to make it the best experience for my patients. I try to think of any and every way to make patients visit to the dentist as comfortable as possible. I go to bed, thinking about my patients comfort and ways I can make it better and ways I can Be better.I have had a few complaints from patients from small towns, that I am out to get them. HA! Interesting? How did I end up on the other side of the fence? I am just the same small town guy who wants to have a close knit group of folks I take care of. I want people to view me as their dentist and appreciate the relationship. I love being a part of peoples lives and viewed as being a friend. A few generalities, I have learned about practicing in the city: Lots of price shoppers looking for the best “deal”, people come and people go (usually back to their small town), people are in a hurry and don’t take time to relax, people are more tech savoy and know their research, people have to find the answer from other sources, there are LOTS of other things out there to spend money on. With that being said, I do have wonderful patients and look to build and grow with more! So…My question is….what do you look for in a dentist? Everyone is different and has different needs…. See you in the chair.