Fall 2006 Newsletter
Bartell’s BuzzThanks for a great year!
I want to take this chance to thank all of the patients and my amazing staff for helping to accomplish a successful transition. With approximately 170 years of combined dental experience in the practice and employees who have been with this practice for a cumulative 100 years, I am grateful to be a part of such an amazing team! As a team, we are continuing to keep up with the latest developments in dentistry by attending the Annual Texas Dental Meeting in San Antonio, participating in monthly Fort Worth dental study clubs, and having staff presentations from suppliers of new technology & products. We will continue to stay on the cutting edge of technology and keep you informed about new products and procedures we are using to provide you with the best available care. Please ask me or one of my team members if you have questions about new products or procedures you have heard about.
As some of you have noticed, Dr. Howorth has been out of the offi ce more this year, but he continues to work with me to continue quality care for you and your family. Our main concern is our patients and we appreciate your willingness to adapt.
As always, we appreciate the referrals of your friends and family . It has been a pleasure for my wife, Kim, and I to meet and develop relationships with wonderful people like all of you. Thank you for all of your support. I look forward to several years ahead with you! See you soon,
Ins and Outs
Although we are sad to see two of our fabulous hygienists leave this year, we are enthusiastic about the new direction their lives are taking. Kinsey Parker has decided to leave the dental fi eld and head to the corporate world working for Alcon. So far, she is enjoying the change and we wish her great success! Wynne Pool has decided to work closer to home now that her girls are school age and needing her more for activities. She has not slowed down a bit and is glad to spend more time with her family! We miss her and wish her the best! A big welcome to Amber Bolen who joins our team as a full-time hygienist! Some of you may have already met her and had the chance to experience how well she complements our team. She has a great heart and skilled hands which are crucial for the transitioning of Wynne & Kinsey’s patients. We are excited to have her and hope you see the positive influence she has with patients and the team.
Flouride Varnish
Dentistry is a constantly changing field that, fortunately, allows us to learn more all the time! As hygiene patients, some of you may have noticed that we now have a new option for fluoride treatments. We are introducing fluoride varnish to the protocol of some of our patients, replacing the traditional fluoride foam in a tray. As I am sure most of you have heard before, fluoride helps to strengthen the teeth and protect them against cavities. Fluoride varnish is a fairly new formulation of fluoride that actually sticks to the teeth, staying there for awhile and releasing fluoride into the tooth for up to 28 days. Varnish not only helps fight decay, but it actually helps patients combat cold sensitivity in areas of recession. As an off-label use, fluoride varnish may even help reverse areas of early decay. The procedure is simple. After your regularly scheduled cleaning, instead of the fluoride trays, your hygienist may paint on fluoride varnish. We try to use this method on patients that are most at risk for tooth or root decay and sensitivity. There is no gagging involved. There is no waiting 30 minutes to eat or drink. The varnish is thick and sticky and is painted on to tooth and root surfaces with a small brush similar to one in nail polish. The fluoride flows into all parts of the exposed tooth and root. It solidifies when it comes in contact with saliva, so very little is ingested, if any at all. This makes it perfect to use on small children. In fact there are many public programs, like Head Start in Dallas, that are trying to make varnish treatments available to the children it serves. It’s remineralization properties make it a perfect choice for people in braces and may help to prevent white spot lesions left behind by orthodontic brackets (along with good homecare, of course). Fluoride varnish may make your newly cleaned teeth feel a little sticky for a couple of hours, but the benefits definitely outweigh the tiny inconvenience of sticky teeth. It is white, so it doesn’t show up on the teeth after application. When you receive fluoride varnish, we ask that you avoid crunchy or hard foods for the rest of the day, and give it at least 10-12 hours before brushing. Sound great? It is!
MI Paste
For years we’ve been using fluoride treatment in office, and recommending at home treatment in certain situations as well. Fluoride is integral to the protection of teeth and prevention of decay by promoting remineralization. Read Amy’s article about the new brush on fluoride for a review of some of the benefits provided by fluoride treatment. Fluoride is only part of the picture, however. Healthy teeth need calcium, phosphate and fluoride. We are therefore pleased to introduce you to a new product that delivers the other ingredients in that triad. MI paste incorporates “a special milk-derived protein that can help replace lost minerals in teeth, make them stronger and helps protect them from decay and erosion”. There are so many reasons why we are excited about using MI Paste. Some of the benefits of this product include:
- Minimizing acid erosion
- Reducing occurrences of decay
- Diminishing decalcification in orthodontic patients
- Desensitizing exposed root surfaces or erosion areas
- Repairing enamel defects caused by Fluorosis
- And more…
6013 Wedgwood Dr. • Fort Worth, Texas 76133 • Office: 817-346-6411 • info@bartelldds.com
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