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April 5, 2007

In this issue: Focus on the Doctors, National Facial Protection Month, GERD, Easter Egg Contest Our doctors were busy last year! Normally, we use this space in our newsletter to spotlight one of our team members. This month, against our doctors wishes, we want to brag about these amazing guys we work for, Dr. Smith and Dr. Roy. Just a few months ago, to end 2006 with a bang, Dr. Roy, after months of training, traveled to New York City to participate in the ING New York Marathon on November 5th. 4 hours, 28 minutes and 1 second later, he crossed the finish line with a smile on his face! Dr. Roy Traveling a different direction, Dr. Smith, along with two of our dental assistants, set off for Mexico for a week of dentistry in a somewhat different setting than we are used to! Check it out!  Dr. Smith April is National Facial Protection Month The dentists at 21st Century Dental advise kids to play it SAFE!!!  Wearing the proper protective gear can prevent almost all sporting injuries. Dental professionals take the opportunity during the month of April to advise young athletes to play it safe by wearing mouth guards and other appropriate protective gear when participating in sporting events!!  Find out more by clicking here. GERD  Gastroesophageal reflux disease, commonly referred to as GERD, or acid reflux, is a condition in which the liquid content of the stomach regurgitates (backs up, or refluxes) into the esophagus, and often beyond, into the oral cavity. The liquid can inflame and damage the lining of the esophagus, and can gradually erode the enamel surfaces of the teeth. What many people do not realize, however, and what some physicians fail to recognize, is the role of snoring and sleep apnea in the creation of GERD. If you have some of these symptoms, and have not had a dental health check lately, we would encourage you to contact our office for an examination.  In the meantime, you can read more about this condition on our web site by clicking here. And now for a chance to win an Olympus Stylus 410 Digital Camera  Find the dancing Easter Egg on our website www.21stCenturyDental.com and your name will be entered into a drawing for a digital camera. Just find which page the dancing Easter Egg is on; answer the quiz correctly; and email us your name, quiz answer and the tiebreaker guess to: contest@21stcenturydental.com Contest ends at 4pm on Thursday, April 12th. The winner must have been seen as a patient in our office during the last 18 months. One entry per family The winner must have an account in good standing with 21st Century Dental.

September 19, 2006

In this issue: Same Day Appointments, Orofacial Myology, GERD, Ancient Toothpaste, Win an iPod!, Spotlight on Helen, Wisdom Teeth Same Day Availability: Most of you are aware that we hold emergency times each day for our patients. But you may not know that we do the same for routine hygiene appointments. SO, if planning ahead is difficult for you and you find yourself with some extra time one day, give us a call and see if any of our last minute cleaning appointments are available. You may be surprised to find we can accommodate you! Orofacial Myology is the study and treatment of orofacial myofunctional disorders. These involve behaviors created by incorrect habits primarily involving the tongue and lips. A tongue thrust and thumb sucking (or digit sucking) are the two most common variations. Children as young as four years old (five is the best age) can benefit from an evaluation session to determine if any preventative steps may be prescribed. For thumb and finger sucking, this is a good age to begin, but not much success can be found starting earlier than 4. With tongue thrust habits, children of seven or eight years of age are often mature enough to receive complete training. Adults of all ages are capable of success in treatment for any orofacial myofunctional disorder. If you have a family member who would benefit from some therapy, you will need to contact our office at 972.255.3712 to set up an evaluation with Laurie Meyers, who is trained in orofacial myology. You may also email her at Laurie@21stCenturyDental.com to set this up or ask questions. She is eager to help. It's not NERD, but GERD. What does this stand for? Well, it's not pretty, but very important to understand. GERD is an acronym for gastroesophageal reflux disease. We usually check for this when you come in by looking for acid erosion on your teeth. However, in early stages, or in situations where the teeth have yet to be affected, this might not show up too well, so it's important to mention acid reflux to us if you know this is an issue. If you are taking prilosec, nexium, prevacid, pepcid, tagamet or any of the over-the-counter medications for heartburn or reflux, we are talking to you. What is not largely advertised is that GERD can be a side effect of poor sleep. This is just one more reason we ask about your level of energy and sleepiness when you come in to see us. We care about you, not just your teeth. Tidbit: What do powdered fruit, talc, honey, dried flowers, mice and lizard livers have in common? They have all been ingredients in ancient toothpaste and powder. Yum. Win a Video iPod! All you need to do is refer someone to our office, and your name will be entered into the drawing. Read more details here! Helen Brewer - Dental Hygienist -  is our spotlight employee this month. She brings a wealth of experience and maturity to our hygiene team all packaged in a sweet spirit and warm personality!  Not to mention her smile, her teeth are perfect; we're so jealous!  When not detoxifying gingival sulci (fancy dental speak for showing gum bacteria who's boss), she spends time being a sports agent and manager for Dimitrian, her wonderful son, supervising the logistics as he shuffles to and from junior high football games and school.  Proof of her astute mothering skills, she practices many of the technological advances that Robert Deniro utilized while watching his future son-n-law, Greg Focker, in the movie Meet the Parents.  Born and reared in Odessa, it's no wonder her son Dimitrian is a "natural" football player...credit Friday Night Lights, it's in his blood!  When not entertaining, cooking, or hanging out by the pool, she does her fair share of "hard time" volunteering with the PTA, locally.  A single mom, act fast fellas; she even likes watching football and fishing at her parents' lake house!!!!! When should wisdom teeth be removed? The following symptoms may indicate that the wisdom teeth have partially broken through the tissues, and should be removed before they become a problem.  Symptoms may include: pain infection in the mouth facial swelling swelling of the gumline in the back of the mouth In these scenarios, we will recommend removal of the wisdom teeth as early removal will help to eliminate problems, such as an impacted tooth that destroys the second molar. Third molar impaction is the most prevalent medical developmental disorder. Also, every year of one's life, the bone gets denser and can increase the complexity of the surgery. What is involved in the extraction procedure? Typically, the teeth are removed while the mouth is numb and patients are IV sedated by an in-house anesthesiologist.  For questions or concerns, please set up a consultation today.

June 6, 2006

In this issue: Win an iPod!, Snoring, Milk Shake Bar, Spotlight on Cameron New Family Member Win a Video iPod! All you need to do is refer someone during the month of June, and your name will be entered into the drawing. Read more details here! So why would a dentist be concerned about my snoring? Glad you asked. Basically, there are 3 reasons:  We can help Almost 50% of snorers have a form of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) OSA leads to weight gain, high blood pressure, diabetes, impotence, heart disease, headaches, depression and many other undesirable maladies.   How can we help? After a sleep study (we can help you there), if you do not have severe OSA, we could design an appropriate dental appliance that can improve your snoring and sleep apnea. Without going into much detail, you can visit this page on our web site to learn more. This might explain why we are having you fill out an Epworth Sleepiness Scale when you visit our office. We care about your overall health.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Belly Up!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Many of you have had the chance to experience our unique (that means no other dental office has it) Sports Milk Shake Bar. When you have anesthesia in our office, we do not want you chewing your tongue before the feeling returns, and your mouth might feel better with something cool going down, so we have 3 flavors of milk shake to choose from: vanilla, chocolate and strawberry. Cheers!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Crowning Achievement Cameron Caywood, sweet, tender, kind, humorous, and all joy to work with.  Nothing has changed since the day we first met her...Cameron still has the upbeat personality that everyone wants to share life with.  When she's not harassing her patients with an impressive array of hygiene utensils, or prime time TV critiques, she fancies disturbing the peace with her infamous Karaoke skills.  A boating and skiing adventurer, Cameron finally learned to ski with the rope-attached skis after only 8 or 9 summers of trying.  All jokes aside, she's an excellent athlete and a quick study of most athletic adventures.  A dog lover, when she's not "prime time star-commanding" her dual tuner DVR, her numero uno affinity is for her wonderful and hard-working hubby, Tracy.    It's our honor to spotlight and lift up the one her Granny calls "Cammy"!  Exciting News  We have a new family member...Allison Waldrum is joining the 21st Century Dental Family!  Sweet, positive, and uplifting, she dazzled us with her smile and impressive accomplishments.  We are proud of this addition to our already strong dental hygiene team.  A native of Irving, her family has deep roots in the Irving and metroplex area.  Engaged to be married soon, we are just one of her "new beginnings" at a most exciting time in her life.  For a hygiene visit with the newest family member, just ask for "Allison".

December 19, 2005

In this issue: New Years Resolution, Office Expansion, Spotlight on Dovie BREAKING NEWS...Capital One is currently offering our patients 18 month 0% financing on treatment over $1000. This offer will be through January 31st, 2006. Apply directly thorough Capital One. New Years Resolution - Stop Snoring! Do you know anyone that participates in this nightly activity? If it's you, why not give your spouse a Christmas present by telling them you will do something about it? Snoring occurs when the airway or passage through which you breathe becomes partially blocked. This can happen when your tongue falls back as you drift off into deeper sleep. As the diameter of the airway passage shrinks, throat vibrations begin, and snoring ensues.    In many scenarios, this compromise is minor and your body continues to get adequate amounts of oxygen, causing little or no harm, although discord with your bed partner is something different altogether. However, this is a red flag as it could be one of the early signs or a component of “ obstructive sleep apnea” (OSA). In fact, 40% of snorers have been shown to have OSA. Most all sleep apnea sufferers snore in between bouts of apnea, or oxygen interruption. Click here to read more! Expansion Many of you have noticed (or at least heard evidence of) the expansion to the west in our office. We mention this to our patient family for these reasons. We are creating a more relaxed and quiet section for your cleaning visits. We will have a special room designed to accommodate our snoring and sleep apnea patients as we diagnose and treat these unhealthy conditions. We will be more capable of handling same-day emergencies. Most changes in our office are a direct result of input from our wonderful patients, so please keep sending us your suggestions! Crowning Achievement Our spotlighted employee this month is our Financial Coordinator, Dovie Williams...not Debbie, not Dobie, but Dovie (dove-ee)  :-)  We all have fun with Dovie and the many overheard pronunciations of her name.  Dovie has a work ethic, discipline, and commitment to her job and team that is second to none.  Wearing many hats at the front desk, she is consistently the non-Doc "last to leave" most days...we often have to tell her to go home (now don't try to call and hire her)!  A sweet nature and big heart, she tries to take care and mother each of us.  Married to David, her soul mate, best friend, and #1 "picker-upper", she also has two wonderful children.  Her elder son, Randall, made us all proud by serving in Iraq this past year with the 56th Brigade of the Texas Army National Guard in Intelligence.  Since Randall is finally home from Iraq, Dovie is actually sleeping again.  Sacrifice definitely runs in the family.  Her second son, Ben, is 16 and loves customizing his truck.  It gives us great pride to have Dovie Williams as your coordinator, a friend to us all, and our exceptional teammate!

August 23, 2005

What’s New at 21st Century Dental?

Our Perio Laser!

Here at 21st Century Dental, we have always embraced a conservative approach to the surgical and non-surgical treatments for oral maladies and diseases. Adding to that philosophy, our new dental perio laser is another cutting edge, hi-tech advancement in the world of general and cosmetic dentistry that now allows us to treat soft tissue disease or provide cosmetic or functional surgical intervention with greatly reduced and often almost non-existent post-operative pain or sensitivity. It has proven to regenerate attachment and re-grow lost bone in periodontal diseases.

Why did we decide to add this technology? After years of research and watching the laser technology evolve and improve, we learned that we could provide many of the services we currently deliver in a better, faster, and more comfortable fashion. Where indicated, the Lares perio Nd:YAG laser allows us to deliver patient care in a way that few modalities can, and in a way we couldn't before.

Areas of Use:

• Aesthetics (cosmetic gum recontouring where applicable)
• Restorative
• Crown Lengthening and Impressions
• Periodontal Disease Therapy
• Palliative Treatment of Lesions - for example: mouth ulcers
• Treating Heart Disease and Stroke patients who were historically bleeding risks due to taking blood thinners such as: Aspirin, Heparin, Coumadin.

To learn more about this amazing technology, you can read more details on this page of our website.

Healthy Heart Month at 21st Century Dental

In September we will be sponsoring a Healthy Heart Month here at the dental office! We will be organizing a blood drive, giving away prizes in a drawing for patients who participate and educating ourselves as well as our patients who are interested about the link between periodontal disease and a healthy heart. If you would like participate in the blood drive, please contact Cami@21stCenturyDental.com, she'll get back to you with the details!

Crowning Achievements

Bright, warm, and welcoming, it's our distinct pleasure to spotlight Kristi "Bailey" Horn this month. She has a strong sense of responsibility, duty, and loyalty, and is driven by a need to deliver the tops in customer service to each of you! Fiercely loyal, Bailey offers a broad knowledge of the profession having started as an assistant in dentistry. A multi-tasker of enormous proportions, she's always on task whether it's assisting you with an appointment or utilizing her cross-training skills in the back.

The first bright and shining face you see when walking through the door, she can make appointments, check insurance benefits, track lab cases, manage the dynamics of the schedule, laugh at the Doc's bad jokes, and leap buildings with a single bound! Mother to her beloved Josh and new addition Chance, the sweetest and greatest sources of pride in her life, she also somehow finds time to pay proper respects to Kevin's (her wonderful hubby) strong commitment to the UT Longhorns football team.

Life wouldn't be normal for Bailey, the juggler, without all the balls in the air at once! Bailey is a team player and tireless in her attention to the details of delivering superior customer service. Pat her on the back next time you're in; we're all very proud of her!

And now for a chance to win $100 cash!

Last month our patients knocked themselves out trying to guess our twins and triplets in the office. Many did the research on our website to know that Avis was a triplet and we had some fun with those who guessed that monkey on the "Meet Us" page was the twin! The correct answers were Avis as the triplet and Christy as the twin! Congrats to Stephanie B. who got the closest on Avis' birthday (within a few days!) to win the Best Buy Gift Cards.

This month, to win the cash, it's all about Bailey, our featured team member. What East Texas town is she originally from? As a tiebreaker, what year do you think she graduated from high school?

Email your guess and tiebreaker to: contest@21stcenturydental.com

1. Contest ends at 4pm on Monday, August 29th.
2. The winner must have been seen as a patient in our office during the last 18 months.
3. The winner must have an account in good standing with 21st Century Dental.
   

July 19, 2005

What’s New at 21st Century Dental

For Your Health

Cracked Tooth Syndrome 

 Do you have a tooth that you tend to avoid when chewing? If you have looked closely in a mirror and can’t see anything wrong, and you are puzzled because your last checkup did not reveal any cavities, you may be dealing with what we call “cracked tooth syndrome.” 

Cracked tooth syndrome (CTS) is a very common problem that affects teeth that have large fillings in them, although the syndrome can also occur in teeth with no fillings at all.

What symptoms should you be aware of? Pain upon release of biting pressure is the most likely, although simply biting down (especially when biting on grainy foods) in “just the right spot” can be the first sign. Temperature changes that create this “zinger” can also be something to watch for, as well as sweet sensitivity.

Treatment can vary from a simple bonded filling (if the crack is shallow enough) to a cusp-protected restoration like an onlay or crown (if the crack is deeper) to root canal treatment (if the nerve has been involved) to extraction (if the crack actually splits the tooth). Obviously, if you develop any of the symptoms described, the sooner you can have us check that tooth out, the more likely the treatment can remain conservative. 

 Crowning Achievements 

 Our featured dynamic and top-notch personality to highlight this month is the one we affectionately call "The Sturgeonator".  Christy Sturgeon, our hygiene coordinator, bounds with energy and pizazz!  With us for the past 5 years and embodying a passion for clean teeth and a smooth running schedule, Christy coordinates all aspects regarding your periodontal therapy or preventive care (cleaning) appointments.  Mother to the Princess, 3 y.o. Katelyn, and the cerebral one, Dillan, whom all of his teachers just adore; she's very proud of those children!  Wife to David, the IT brains, hubby, and dad of the family, she has endless love and support to go around for everyone. 

 And now for a chance to win a $100 Best Buy Gift Card! 

 First of all, last month’s contest was close (How many Jimmy Buffet concerts has Kelly been to?). We had lots of guesses of 21 and 23 but the winning answer was 22! Congrats to Sam B. for his guess and for winning the DVD player. As luck would have it, Sam was actually here for a cleaning at the contest cut-off time so he got to take it right home with him!

Now for the new contest! Two people on our team are from multiple births, yes, we have a twin and a triplet working in our office. Name them correctly and you could win the Best Buy gift card. Read more about our team and the newest members at Meet Us . As a tiebreaker, give us their year of birth. 

 Email your guess and tiebreaker to: contest@21stCenturyDental.com  

                                     1.      Contest ends at 4pm on Monday, July 25th.
                                     2.      The winner must have been seen as a patient in our office during the last 18 months.
                                     3.      The winner must have an account in good standing with 21st Century Dental.

May 17, 2005

What’s New at 21st Century Dental?

Free wireless internet now available at 21st Century Dental

We have installed a hot spot in the office for those of you who can't leave your work at the office. The network is called FLOSS, and you can get the password when you come in, but it's something that follows the word "floss", so see what you can come up with!

For Your Health

Oral Cancer

30,000 Americans will be diagnosed with oral or pharyngeal cancer this year. It will cause over 8,000 deaths, killing roughly 1 person per hour, 24 hours per day. Of those 30,000 newly diagnosed individuals, only half will be alive in 5 years. This is a number which has not significantly improved in decades. The death rate for oral cancer is higher than that of cervical cancer, Hodgkins disease, cancer of the brain, liver, testes, kidney, or skin cancer (malignant melanoma).

The death rate associated with this cancer is particularly high due to the cancer being routinely discovered late in its development. Often it is only discovered when the cancer has metastasized to another location, most likely the lymph nodes of the neck. Prognosis at this stage of discovery is significantly worse than when it is caught in a localized area.

You may be unaware, but when you come in for a routine exam and cleaning, we do a thorough examination of the oral cavity, both visually and through palpation (feeling) of the nodes, glands, musculature and tissues. As some of you know, at times we will either perform a quick "brush biopsy" or schedule you for an "excisional biopsy" if we note a suspicious lesion. Rest assured, however, that your chances of receiving conservative treatment of any cancer found increase significantly with regular examinations.

Crowning Achievements

The Queen Mum of the practice, this month we are honored to spotlight Kelly Habben.  Holding the official title of "Office Administrator", nothing much goes through the business office without passing by Kelly, a tribute to her strong decision-making qualities.  She's great at keeping us all on point and organized, especially the docs. 

Married to the greatest man in the world, Tom, she is also Mom to her beloved Nick and Ryan.  Kelly has a great sense of humor and is a Parrothead of the highest order.  Having attended “way too many” Jimmy Buffet concerts to date, we can't help but wonder the correlative number in margaritas.  Armed with a really cool GPS unit, her hot hobby for the moment is geocaching with Tom.  She gets extremely excited about upcoming exploratory quests! 

Appreciative of the arts, Kelly recently took the prize of  Special Achievement in Pottery from a student competition at Northlake College, after investing many hours into the project.  With deepest sincerity, we delight in this or any chance to publicly thank and honor Kelly for the hard work and sacrifices made for you and us, on a daily basis.

Editorial Note: The Editor takes exception to the title “Queen Mum” but defers to a certain dentist who is exercising his right to free speech.

And now for a chance to win a Coby progressive scan DVD Player

If we ever wondered if our patients have tired of the chocolate chip cookies we serve, we wonder no longer! A huge chocolate THANK YOU to all of you who participated in our cookie flavor vote. With the largest vote turnout ever, the winner was……KEEP THE CHOCOLATE CHIP! We held a drawing with everyone who participated and our patient Allyson O. is enjoying her new DVD player.

Since we’re not sure if it was the prize or the cookies that drew such a response, we’ll try it again for another chance at a DVD player. This time, just guess how many Jimmy Buffett concerts Kelly has been to (see article above). If we have a tie we’ll contact the potential winners with a tiebreaking question.

Email your guess to and a tiebreaker: contest@21stCenturyDental.com

• 1.       Contest ends at 4pm on Monday, May 23rd.
• 2.       The winner must have been seen as a patient in our office during the last 18 months.
• 3.       The winner must have an account in good standing with 21st Century Dental.

April 7, 2005

What’s New at 21st Century Dental?

Well..maybe not new, but we want everyone to know that we are more than just a dental office!

• We offer notary service free of charge to our existing patients. Just call or email ahead and make sure that Kelly is available and she’ll be happy to help you out.
• Our photo-brushing contest is still going strong. Don’t forget to send in your picture. Check it out! photo brushing contest (Remember, this is to benefit the “Kids With a Smile” Foundation)
• We have your health in mind by having an AED (automated external defibrillator) in our office, as well as educated doctors and staff in its use.
• Did you know that you can have your website featured on ours? Just click here and give us your name, site address and a short description.
• Speaking of a fun website, check this one out! You can look at your house from a satellite
  http://terrafly.fiu.edu/

Crowning Achievements

In the spotlight this month, meet Jill Cruson.  Affectionately known as “The Real Deal”, she has 15 years experience with the practice, starting with Dr. Smith back when they were still foot-pumping the handpieces (editorial exaggeration). Married to Tommy for 12 years, she’s a highly devoted mother to the two most adorable children, seven-year-old Aubree (a Jill mini-me) and three-year-old Justin (a Tommy mini-me).  She has an extremely close relationship with her mom, who plays second mom to the kiddoes when Jill is taking care of all of us.  As a matter of fact, all the women in her family are extremely close.  

She loves potty training (NOT!), country music, country & western dancing, Celine Dion, craft shows, and gambling.  She’s also an incredible cook!  Assumed parallels:  We think she hears Celine wailing the Titanic theme song when the ship is symbolically sinking (as her “crafty” moves are failing) at the poker table.  This would all be soothed of course by a C & W heart breaker and a batch of homemade cookies. 

An Army brat born in Stuttgart, Germany, Jill has spent the majority of her life in Irving, TX.  She has the most lovely, calm, and soothing chairside manner.  Jill is extremely competent, highly skilled, and places a very high value on her dental care and the manner in which she delivers it.  Steady and reliable, she quietly goes about her business in the most professional manner.  Extremely loyal, her patients and our 21st Century Dental team love her…she makes us all feel at ease.  I think you’ll agree that we’re so glad to have Jill Cruson on OUR team!

And now for a chance to win a Coby progressive scan DVD Player

Congratulations to our patient Vanessa S., who won the $100 Best Buy gift card in the “guess how many pets we have” contest. Her winning guess was spot on, we collectively are the proud owners of 13 dogs, 8 cats and 1 bird! Way to go Vanessa!

This month it’s so easy. No guesses, no calculation, no research…just your vote! You may have enjoyed a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie when you have visited our office. This got us to wondering if it’s time for a “flavor change”. So send your vote and be automatically entered into a drawing for a DVD player. Here are your choices:

• Keep the Chocolate Chip!
• Chocolate Chip Walnut
• Oatmeal Raisin
• Butter Sugar
• Peanut Butter
• White Chocolate Macadamia Nut
• Turtle
• Rocky Road

So go for it and submit your vote to Mar2005contest@21stCenturyDental.com

1. Contest ends at 4pm on Monday, April 11th.
2. The winner must have been seen as a patient in our office during the last 18 months.
3. The winner must have an account in good standing with 21st Century Dental.

March 1, 2005

Relaxation Dentistry at 21st Century Dental

Fear and anxiety are two terms that are often used interchangeably, but there is a distinct difference. Fear tends to be a short-lived phenomenon that disappears once the threat or danger passes. Anxiety, however, is more of an internal emotional response, one learned from either personal negative experiences or second hand via the recounts of others. Both of these ignite your sympathetic nervous system, the "Fight or Flight" control center, once the threat presents or anticipation becomes overwhelming. Presto. You feel like a mess.

You become mad at yourself for the way you are feeling and the inability to control it. Do any of these sound familiar: sweaty hands, racing heart, feeling as if you'll hyperventilate, profuse perspiration, jitters, canceling appointments or never scheduling them because it is easier to suffer with the pain than face the anxiety. Whether the threat is real (fear) or perceived or anticipated (anxiety) does not make a difference, you will soon learn that we will treat you with the same compassion and care. Exhale, relax, you have come to the right place.

We are fully aware that many (that’s right, you are not alone) of you identify with these descriptions and desperately need us to give your fears and anxieties the same diagnostic attention as your cavities or smile. Hopefully, if this is what you need, we’ve already discussed it and you are being cared for in this manner. If you struggle with this and know that this is a barrier to proper oral health, please trust that we want to be your "light at the end of the tunnel" of dental anxiety.

We offer IV sedation, oral sedation (taking a pill), laughing gas, and/or any combination of those with local anesthetics. We will feature each of these options in more depth in upcoming e-newsletters. For now, our goal is to establish an environment where you feel comfortable asking us about the sedation menu if needed. Achieving relaxation is essential in any partnership we enter into with you as we strive for optimal dental health.

And now for a chance to win a $100 Best Buy Gift Card

Congratulations to our patient J.C. for winning the January contest. J.C.’s correct guess that our soda of choice is Diet Dr. Pepper brought him a Sharper Image gift card!

With the recent addition to our dental family of April Casanova (Dental Assistant), our team at 21st Century Dental has grown to 17! At home, we share our lives with not only our family but also our beloved pets. How many dogs and cats do you think we collectively share our homes with? Break it down, total # of dogs, total # of cats. As a tiebreaker, how many birds?

1. Contest ends at 5pm on Monday, March 7th.
2. The winner must have been seen as a patient in our office during the last 18 months.
3. The winner must have an account in good standing with 21st Century Dental.

So go for it and submit your guess to Feb2005contest@21stCenturyDental.com

January 31, 2005

What’s New at 21st Century Dental?

Invisalign® is the invisible new way to straighten teeth without braces. Invisalign® uses a series of clear, removable aligners to gradually straighten teeth, without metal or wires.

Invisalign® uses 3-D computer imaging technology to depict the complete treatment plan from the initial position to the final desired position from which a series of custom-made "Aligners" are produced. Each "Aligner" moves teeth incrementally and is worn for about two weeks, then replaced by the next in the series until the final position is achieved.

As an incentive, we have been provided with some new digital cameras to give away with each new case started. Even if you already have a digital camera, the Olympus D-580 4MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom would make a very nice second camera to play around with.

If you have any questions about this exciting new technology, just contact us for a free consultation (or send your friends who have some orthodontic needs). If you want questions answered prior to coming in, feel free to e-mail us at Invisalign@21stCenturyDental.com.

Crowning Achievements

Kristin Wallerstedt - Hygienist –The voice of reason and true (to the core) health nut of the bunch, Kristin enjoys cycling, sailing, rollerblading, hiking, backpacking, skiing, scuba diving, and traveling.  She may even have at least one scar for each interest.  Her most recent accomplishment involved miles of pavement and concrete, a lake called White Rock, and an enormous amount of sustained, low-grade pain. 

We’re proud to say, and it was no surprise to us, that Kristin conquered the White Rock Marathon in December 2004.  We haven’t heard what the next race or challenge will be, but stay tuned; it’s a new year for her so the next running or cycling challenge is surely looming.  Kristin is all about setting goals and then mowing them down, annually. 

In or out of the office, Kristin exemplifies leadership, discipline and commitment, which translate magnificently to a busy, growing dental practice.  The 21st Century Dental family is blessed and thankful to have an experienced leader of her caliber on our team.  A jovial spirit on the clinic floor, we all look to her for her guidance and she is a recurring hit with so many of you, our loyal clients. 

The love of her life and a man of equal caliber on all levels is Dr. Ken White.  A handsome face that many of you have met for root canal appointments, they share each other’s heart, a relentless passion for the great outdoors, and the next big challenge.  We are so proud of Kristin and hope you’ve enjoyed taking a deeper look inside the very special person behind the dental mask.

And now for a chance to win a $150 gift card to Sharper Image

You may have noticed that we keep a fridge in our business area stocked with sodas for our patients. The following sodas are offered: Coke, Diet Coke, Dr. Pepper, Diet Dr. Pepper, Sprite and Diet Sprite. Of these selections, there is a clear winner in popularity. So much in fact, that there is a friendly “challenge” from one of our doctors to the person in our office who orders the soda to NEVER run out of it! So here it is…guess which soda was the most popular in our office in 2004. As a tiebreaker, also guess how many of that soda we actually purchased. In the spirit of “The Price Is Right”, the person who gets closest without going over is the winner! The rules are simple:

• 1.       Contest ends at 5pm, Monday, February 7th.
• 2.       The winner must have been seen as a patient in our office during the last 18 months.
• 3.       The winner must have an account in good standing with 21st Century Dental.

So go for it and submit your guess to Jan2005contest@21stCenturyDental.com

October 27, 2004

We Have a Winner!

Congratulations to Tom S., who was the winner of our last contest. Many of you correctly guessed that 20% of orthodontic patients are adults!  Does this mean that adults have straighter teeth? Not at all!

Want Straighter Teeth?

Many adults have seen their front teeth become crowded and overlapped over the years. Some have spaces that have always bothered them. Some of you have even had orthodontic work in your teens, only to see your teeth revert back to their original state. There is exciting new technology available for these cases, and it's practically invisible. That's why it's called Invisalign, and it is now offered in our office. Not everyone is a candidate for Invisalign, but if you would like to come in for a free consultation regarding your needs, we will be happy to discuss your unique situation.

Reminders?

Many of you have received our automatic appointment reminders from SmileReminders. We realize that many of you don't require both an e-mail AND a text message. We now have the ability to block one or the other if needed. If you would like to only receive one type of reminder, please contact the office at info@21stCenturyDental.com <mailto:info@21stCenturyDental.com> and we will make the requested change.

Photo-Brushing Contest

Can we tap into your imagination? Do you like to have fun? We are betting that you are creative thinkers, and we would like to give you a chance to express your imagination in an exciting and zany way, while also benefiting a worthwhile charity!

Here's the skinny.  First, it's time to get out the camera and get the creative juices flowing.  Next, we need you to send us an originative and clever shot of yourself (or someone else) brushing your teeth! Now, this might seem a bit odd, but we must stress that we are not looking for boring, in-your-bathroom mirror shots. We want originality, pleasing scenery or anything that would cause us to say "Wow! Come look at this one, Laura!"

Brushing your teeth under the Arc de Triomphe? Using your Sonicare while running in the Boston Marathon? The ideas are endless, and we don't want to spoil anything you may be considering, so we will stop there.

We will take the 12 best shots and use them in our 2006 calendar, which will be sent to all of our patients, displayed on our web site and shown proudly in our office. You could be famous! The goal is for this to be an annual venture of shared fun between us and you, our inspired and beloved dental family.

There is also a very worthwhile charity, Give Kids a Smile <http://www.ada.org/prof/events/featured/gkas/index.asp>, which will receive a $5 contribution from 21st Century Dental for every entry sent in.

You have until October 1st, 2005 to get these to us, and we will try to send timely reminders as time goes by.

There is a complete list of rules and regulations on our web site here <http://www.21stcenturydental.com/contest/photo_brushing/pho to_brushing_contest.htm>.

Basically, this is what you will need to send, along with your photo:
Name of Photographer___________________________________ Name of Subject________________________________________ Email____________________Phone________________________ Photo taken in this location__________________________________ Approximate date of photo________________________________
Send your photos or questions to Photos@21stCenturyDental.com

September 1, 2004

Congratulations to Sean O, who was the $500 cash winner of our last contest. We want to thank all of you who took the time to complete the survey and give us your ideas, opinions, and overall feedback!

The Stork Has Been Busy

Housekeeping:  We’ve had some changes in our team over the past few months. Dr. Roy’s assistant Mandy left recently to be a stay at home mom, and while we miss her smiling face, who can really be sad when she’s living her dream?  Another favorite for many of you, our hygienist Holly who left last fall, delivered a healthy little boy in May. Holly relocated to Wichita Falls in support of her husband’s chiropractic practice and will also be a stay at home mom for the next few years. 

While we are on the subject of fertility and reproduction, we’re elated to announce that Bailey is winding up her fourth month of pregnancy!  Talk about impatience, she already wants to have that child (shh…don’t tell her she has 5 more months to go).  To add to Dr. Roy’s internal stress of assistants and pregnancy, Michelle came into work this week announcing that she is also pregnant!  So, congratulate Michelle and Bailey and console the doctors next time you’re in. 

Looking for Office Space?

The chiropractor who was next door to our office has relocated. He was subleasing from us, so we are looking for someone to take the space. Let us know if you know someone who might be interested. They would have wonderful neighbors!

New Faces

We are most pleased to announce two new additions to our team:  Avis Griffin and Charis Favors! You can read more about these delightful new members of our team on our website bio page.

New Procedures and Services

Drum roll!  We are proud to announce that we now offer Invisalign!  Invisalign can give you the beautiful, straight teeth you've always wanted.  It works through a series of invisible, removable, and comfortable aligners that no one can visibly tell you're wearing. Now you can smile more during treatment, as well as after.  Best of all, you take them out while eating, brushing, and flossing.  If you’ve been eager to obtain straighter teeth without wearing braces, please call and set up an appointment for an evaluation of your smile.  The average treatment time is about 12 months. For more information, check our website.

Another service now offered is called Extreme Whitening.  Essentially, it is best described as any normal in-office or home whitening procedure on steroids.  To summarize, this is the way to get your teeth as white as they can be.  If you want teeth whiter than this, porcelain veneers are the only option.  How well does it work?  Until now, we’ve never had an option to whiten tetracycline staining; yes, this whitening intervention is that good.

The Reason You Read This Newsletter

Now for the part you’ve been waiting for…it’s time to announce this month’s contest. With summer winding down and vacations ending, we decided to challenge you to a back-to-school related contest.   In honor of all the students who must start back, we will attempt to make students out of each of you with a pop test.  Let’s see if you still have it!

Nearly 5 million people in the United States and Canada are presently in orthodontic treatment. What percentage are over 18? Email your answer to Kelly@21stCenturyDental.com. The typical rules apply: you must have been seen as a patient in our office in the last 18 months AND your account with us must be in good standing. Contest ends at 5pm, September 8th.

The correct answers will be put in a drawing to win their choice of a Sony DVD/VCR combo or $150 in gift cards to either The Sharper Image or JC Penney.

March 4, 2002

Volume 1, Issue 1

To our wonderful patients ,

We would not bore you with details, except many have asked for them, so here they are. For those who do not know, USA Today (the newspaper) interviewed us, and reported on a new concept in dentistry (to some) called "spa dentistry" a few weeks ago. We placed a copy of the article on our web site, if you would like to read it.

As luck would have it (we prefer to think there was divine intervention), the producer of The Early Show on CBS with Bryant Gumbel and Jane Clayson read the article and called our office. She asked if they could come out and film a segment on "spa dentistry", and made us promise that if ABC or NBC called, we were to stall them.

Well, they sent a crew out a few weeks ago to film us in action, and they will be showing the segment (with 95% assurancy, they tell us) this Wednesday, March 6th, sometime during their show that airs from 7-9 AM CST. The show can be seen on Channel 11 locally.

We understand there will be other offices profiled as well, and we have no idea how much air time we will have, but what we DO know is that we would have been hung by the heels if we did not alert our friends to this. We will, of course, try to get a copy and place it on our web site for patients to view as we have done with the local news stories. (Editors note - it is now here)

Lastly, we want to thank our family of patients for allowing us to succeed in this way. With your many referrals and consistent desire for the best in dentistry, we have spread our wings and expanded the menu of amenities we provide. If you have not been by lately, just click the link to check out what we are doing for those who want to be pampered during their visits.

Oh, and by the way, there is no charge for these extra services. We just enjoy seeing you smile!