Elevating Periodontal Care: A Detailed Look at Our Approach to Perio Maintenance
As a periodontist, I often get asked, “What makes a “cleaning” appointment at your office different?” This is a great question, and although it may seem easy to answer, my answers often lead to a great discussion about why we do what we do. In this article, I will share the criteria I use in selecting instruments or protocols for my hygiene department.
Read MorePeriodontal Treatments for the Ortho Patient
Visual SRP: Using dental endoscopes to reduce the need for pocket reduction surgery
Patients with Periodontitis Nine Times more likely to Die after Contracting COVID-19
Why I became a Periodontist
Get Out of Your Own Way
In elementary school, testing identified me as “gifted,” a label that haunted me through middle and high school. I often struggled academically, particularly with writing, and I felt like a failure when I did not measure up to the “gifted” label pronounced upon me. After high school, I continued on to college, dental school, a GPR, specialty training, and finally an implant residency before I became a periodontist. Those years rack up to an impressive 13 years of schooling beyond high school. In hindsight, I can now see that my academic quest was in part fueled by my desire to prove that I could succeed academically in spite of feelings of failure and not measuring up that I had acquired as a teenager. Lurking just beneath the surface were beliefs about my own abilities such as self-doubt and fear that I had to overcome before I could truly succeed.
Read MoreEnding 2020 on a Positive Note
2020 has been a unique year, one that will remain stamped on our collective memories. The pandemic has brought with it challenges and blessings. As we wrap up the year, it is the blessings I wish to focus on.
Read MoreCounseling Patients about Chronic Inflammation and Periodontal Disease
Chronic diseases like heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, diabetes, and lung disease kill over 1 million Americans every year. Obesity was a contributing factor in over 520,000 American deaths. Rheumatoid arthritis affects 40 million Americans. Thirty million American men live with erectile dysfunction. Sixty-five million Americans have periodontal disease. Is there a link with all these conditions? Yes. The answer is chronic inflammation.
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