Dental Air Vac

Hello everyone!

Many people who come into our office for treatment ask, "What is THAT thing? It looks like an elephant!" Well, we thought we'd take this blog post to explain what THAT thing is!

This is our Dental Air Vac. You may be wondering what it is used for. Well, we use our Air Vac for many things, but primarily it's use is for safe amalgam removal. This vacuum has 3 filters in it to safely remove amalgam vapors from the air. First, it has a pleated pre-filter that is able to capture particulate down to about 7 microns. The second, and most important filter is the HEPA filter that is able to capture and contain particulate down to 0.3 micron. Finally, the last filter is a blended carbon filter and is specifically designed to capture and adsorb particulate finer than 0.3 micron as well as sub-micron odors and vapors. These filters are safely replaced every 3-6 months or 6-12 months, depending on the manufacturer's recommendations.

So what we do is we turn this filter on and bring the end of the "trunk" down close to the patient's nose and mouth. When we remove old amalgams, we use what is called a "rubber dam" and that prevents amalgam particles from being swallowed, while at the same time the Dental Air Vac is removing the harmful mercury vapors from the air. This is important because the mercury vapor coming off the tooth as it is being drilled is virtually undetectable to the naked eye, but it is the most harmful form of mercury, so having the vacuum filter close to the patient's face is extremely important, not only to you, but to us as well! We use masks, glasses and gloves, but we like to take the extra measure of protection to help our patients and staff.

This filter is also used in our office when we have patients who are chemically sensitive. We like to make sure all of our patients are well taken care of and are having their particular needs met. When someone comes to us with a chemical sensitivity, we can use this vacuum to clean the air before, during and after their appointment. Although we do not use harmful chemicals in our office, some of the the dental products we use have a scent to them, so this helps to pull away that scent before it reaches the patient's nose.

So next time you come in for treatment or for an exam, be sure to check out our Dental Air Vac! We are always happy to explain it's use to anyone who asks.

I hope you are all doing well!

Richard Stickney

Laser Treatment in Our Hygiene Room Pt. 3

Hello all! Hope you are all having a great week! Here's the final part of our 3 part blog about how we are using our dental laser in our hygiene room! Feel free to let us know what you think in a comment, or on our Facebook or Twitter! Enjoy.

We have begun a new treatment protocol for periodontal disease. In addition to analyzing bacterial samples with our microscope, we now are able to send saliva samples to a lab and see exactly which periodontal pathogens are present and in what concentration, and test for genetic susceptibility for periodontal disease. The sample collection in simple and non-invasive, it involves a 30 second swish with a small amount of saline solution. After analysis, the lab includes a specific antibiotic recommendation for treatment of those who have concentrations of harmful bacteria above threshold. As you know, Dr. Stickney is not in the habit of prescribing antibiotics, so this has been a new leaf for both of us to turn over. One great benefit is that since we know the exact bacteria causing the infection, we are able to target the bacteria with the most effective type of antibiotic available, instead of simply using a broad spectrum antibiotic and hoping it works. Knowing whether or not someone is more genetically prone to periodontal disease, it helps us gauge how proactively we need to address signs of disease. Once we have this information, we are able to plan out our course of action. For those who have results with bacterial concentrations above threshold, typically the treatment includes scaling and root planning, or "deep cleaning", performed in the middle of the eight-day antibiotic regimen. The purpose of this is to attack the bacteria systemically (with the antibiotic) and locally (with the scaling and root planing). The results that we have achieved with the combined antibiotic therapy and scaling and root planing have been amazing. It used to be that we didn't see this kind of healing and recovery unless periodontal surgery was performed. Being a minimally invasive practice, we are happy to have this option for those who show the need for it and are comfortable taking the eight-day course of antibiotics. For those who have results that are positive for harmful, disease causing bacteria but are below threshold, typically antibiotics are not recommended. In these cases the body's own immune system, along with proper professional dental treatment, should be able to overcome the infection. The laser can also be used in conjunction with this treatment protocol for those who would like an option other than antibiotics. You are welcome to have a look at the lab's website, they have great educational resources: www.oraldna.com


Again, we'd love to hear what you think!
Hoping you are all well,
Richard Stickney

Laser Treatment in Our Hygiene Room Pt. 2

As we brought out in our last post, there would be 3 parts to this topic of using the laser in our hygiene room. This is Part 2. Enjoy.


As some of you may have seen, we have a microscope in our hygiene room. We have been analyzing plaque samples that we collect from periodontal pockets, pockets that show signs of gum disease and inflammation. Signs of disease include pocketing of 4 millimeters or greater, inflammation, and bleeding. It is amazing to see how much bacteria is in even the tiniest of plaque samples. I haven't been this excited since my Microbiology and Histology courses in college! Some results have been surprising. For example one sample was from a moderately healthy pocket, three millimeters deep with only a little evidence of inflammation, but upon analysis of the plaque, there were harmful spirochetes evident on the slide. The spirochete family is a nasty one. This is actually the same type of oral bacteria involved in Alzheimer's disease, and here is a link that has research on this: Alzheimer's and oral bacteria
This bacteria is tissue invasive in cooperation with other bacteria, which means that it cannot only live on the surface of your gum tissue, but actually invade and live within gum tissue. It's DNA is found in artherosclerotic lesions of the aorta and is associated with pre-term low birth weight. Those are the systemic effects of this particular oral bacteria. Connections like these reinforce how important diligent daily flossing, proper brushing and regular professional dental care is when caring for our overall health. Those little bugs go non-stop. When I analyzed my own plaque sample and was thankful to see my white blood cells working hard to combat the bacterial onslaught. I felt such affection for the hard working little guys! It is amazing to see what goes on in our bodies without our being aware and how our own beautiful immune system is waging war on harmful microbes. It motivates me to do my part in supporting my immune system and my industrious little white blood cells.

Hope you enjoyed reading part 2 of this blog post! Stay tuned next Monday for the last part of this interesting subject!
Richard Stickney

Introducing: Laser Treatment in Our Hygiene Room

We are happy to be able to offer laser services in our hygiene room as well as Dr Stickney's treatment room. Our hygienist, Annika, received additional training in using our laser for the treatment of periodontal disease. She would like to share what she learned and how we are integrating this into our treatment.
This is Part 1 of 3 blog's we will do on this subject:

The course started with the physics of lasers and laser safety, and it always good to have those reminders. We went on to learn about all the applications of lasers in gum tissue treatment, from surgeries to biostimulation. We reviewed which types of procedures I am licensed to provide in the state of Washington, which include treatment of apthous ulcers (canker sores), herpetic lesions (cold sores/fever blisters), laser bacterial reduction, which reduces the amount of live bacteria in the mouth prior to cleaning. This helps to reduce the bacterial cascade that enters the bloodstream upon the manipulation of gum tissue during cleanings. Some types of oral bacteria are linked to upper respiratory tract infections, so it is a great tool to reduce the risk of spreading harmful bacteria to the rest of the body. We also learned the specific steps associated with laser assisted periodontal therapy, which is augmenting our periodontal disease treatment. Biostimulation means activation and regeneration of damaged cells. These non-active cells are stimulated and new cells are regenerated to get proper cell metabolism. This supports the function of the immune system and thus promotes the healing functions.
We are already implementing new treatment protocols in the office I am very excited to be able to provide these services. Our experience is that diseased gum tissue heals much faster and more completely after treatment with the laser. A simple topical anesthetic gel is all that is needed to prepare the tissue and treatment is typically very easy. In certain cases, we are adding laser treatment to our scaling and root planing (also called deep cleaning) procedures. The laser is not needed on every visit but it is wonderful to have such a practical tool at our disposal.


Stay tuned for the rest of this information in the coming week!
Hope you are all doing well,
Richard Stickney

Laser Dentistry

Hello!
We wanted to talk today about our laser and our continued success with using it. At this point, most of our patients prefer it to having anesthetic on procedures where we can use it. We use the laser for many different procedures including: decay removal, extractions, disinfection, root planning and scaling, gingivalplasty, gingivectomy, and biostimulation. We enjoy being able to use this helpful tool for periodontal and other surgical procedures. One of the advantages to using the MD Waterlase is that the recovery time for invasive procedures is less, and most of our patients report little to no pain after soft tissue procedures.

Here are some interesting comments that some patients have made about the Waterlase, taken from Biolase's official website. (http://www.laserdentistry.com/testimonials.html)

97% of patients who experience Waterlase treatment
would recommend it to their family and friends.

Richter 7 Survey
"I would definitely recommend it.
It was much easier than I thought it would be."
- S. Pruitt, California
"After having this procedure done with a Waterlase MD, I would never want to have another procedure done with your conventional drills, and knives, and sutures, and everything – there’s no need for it."
- M. Roybal, California
"Before, they would get me numb, they’d leave the room, and I’d be sitting there, waiting for myself to get numb, and then they’d come back. This, they started right up."
- T. Flagler Oregon
"I saw a Waterlase® dentist just this morning, after a seven-year absence from the dentist. I belong to an online community and happened to mention how much I despise the dentist. One woman had heard about the Waterlase® and suggested I look into it. I made an appointment and then paid the price for my procrastination--four cavities and one crown (for a horrendous root canal done previously--I've been walking around with a temporary crown for seven years!) Today I went in to have two of the cavities filled and the crown prepped. The dentist used the Waterlase® on both cavities and it was the procedure I've been waiting my whole life for!"
- S. Hogan, California
"You can just have your treatment done, no anticipation. So I do think it’s going to change how people feel about coming to the dentist."
- N. Seyler, Oregon
"I just wanted to comment on the Waterlase®. I lost a crown (pin and all) and figured that the tooth couldn't be saved and I'd have a painful procedure to look forward to. My dentist recently purchased a Waterlase®, I noticed it as soon as I sat in the chair. He asked me if I was willing to have him use the Waterlase to cut back the soft gum tissue so he could reattach the crown. I have to say, even though he said he's only been using it for about 3 days, I had no pain beyond that I get from flossing. It was a wonderful experience and I should know, I've had extensive dental work performed over the last 10 years. I still can't believe I came out of today's visit without any pain or numbness. Thank you Biolase!"
- C. Stevens, Colorado


I hope you are all doing well!
Take care,
Richard Stickney