Dr. Kim’s Blog
According the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, it is estimated that 1.5 million people experience intimate partner violence each year. The American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry’s Give Back a Smile program heals some of the most devastating effects of intimate partner violence by restoring the smiles of adult women and men who have suffered damage or lost their smiles at the hands of a former intimate partner or spouse.
The mission of this charitable arm of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry is to assist in rebuilding the lives and dignity of survivors of domestic violence through compassionate cosmetic dental services and support programs. The program provides restorative and cosmetic dentistry in the smile zone at no cost to the qualified survivors through a nationwide network of volunteer cosmetic dentists and a support team of dental laboratories and dental manufacturers.
Dr. Okamura and team are proud to be a part of this amazing program. The Give Back a Smile (GBAS) program began in 1999. Since that time, the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD) member dentists, dental laboratories and other dental professionals have volunteered their time and expertise pro bono to restore the damaged smiles of more than 1,100 survivors of intimate partner violence to the value of more than $10 million.
If you know of someone who could benefit from this program, I have provided a link: http://www.aacd.com/index.php?module=cms&page=616 . The GBAS patient application can be found on this page.
Fairly regularly, we hear someone comment, "My gums always bleed", or, "My gums have bled all of my life!" Our response is: "Wow, that's a big deal. You've had that problem all of your life?" I hope that if you thought bleeding gums were a normal thing in the past, you now know that gums should never bleed when you brush or floss them (unless you just accidentally cut them with your dental floss).
The truth of the matter is, not only are gums not supposed to bleed unless injured, they also are supposed to be a light pink shade of color--not hot pink, not red, and not shiny. Some call the color of healthy gum tissue 'coral pink.' (A notable exception to this is that some people with naturally dark skin pigmentation will have melanin pigmentation on their healthy gums.)
Healthy, pink gums enhance the appearance of your smile just as much as whiteness of teeth. It may not be as readily apparent to onlookers exactly what your smile is so attractive, but it is a fundamental way people see your smile as beautiful.
Notwithstanding all the health benefits to having no active gum disease in the mouth, getting pink gums is a great way to create a youthful, sexy smile! If you have noticed your gums are not pink, contact Dr. Okamura to see how we can help you get them looking pink and lovely!
Over the years we've been improving smiles, we've focused on the teeth. It's amazing how much a whitening procedure or a set of cosmetic porcelain veneers can improve one's smile. Now, it's time we take improving smiles one giant step further - with Botox Cosmetic.
What is Botox? Botulinum toxin A (Botox) is a protein extract from a bacterium that has has been used in clinical trials since around the 1950's. In 1989, the drug was FDA approved for use in several different medical therapies. By 2002, it was FDA approved for cosmetic use. Botox works by relaxing the treated muscles, so that they do not pull on the skin with as much force, which over time creases and folds the skin, forming wrinkles. Botox lasts approximately 3-6 months, after which time patients gradually return to their original state of wrinkling. Long term, regular use of the product obtains the best results. It is a tested, safe product with a good track record.
Botox can also be used to treat TMJ, or jaw joint pain. It is an FDA approved initial therapy for treating migraines. There are lots of useful applications.
Dr. Okamura is fully licensed and trained to administer Botox, and she is a member of the American Academy of Facial Esthetics. If you have been wondering just what Botox can do for you, come in and consult with us.
(Botox and Botox Cosmetic are registered trademarks of Allergan Corporation)When a tooth is decayed, split, or damaged to a point that simply replacing the defective part with a filling would not work well or last very long, a crown is recommended. Many people today have one type of crown or another.
Crowns have been around for a long time. The ancient Etruscans are acknowledged by many historians as the fathers (and perhaps mothers) of dental crowns. They used gold to fashion new teeth that were superimposed over the old, broken ones. Examples of their work dates back to 166 of our Common Era.
Although gold is still a much-used material for crowns, many people today are looking for an option that more closely reproduces the natural tooth look. Therefore, engineered ceramics and various resins are widely used in making crowns today.
Some of the latest and most reliable materials in use today include crowns that are milled or pressed from a very hard, dense material, such as lithium disilicate or zirconia. After the base is made, in some instances, dental technicians add layers of advanced ceramics to further reproduce the look of a tooth and match the surrounding dentition. The result is a very durable, visually-pleasing tooth that only an expert could discern from a real tooth.
A custom-made dental crown today not only looks beautiful but should last a long time. If you're looking for a durable, attractive replacement to a broken or badly decayed tooth, come see how we can help you improve your smile with crowns.
If you are one of the many people who have employer-sponsored dental benefit plans, you are fortunate. Having one of these plans can greatly reduce your dental bill. These plans are arranged by your employer and an insurance company to cover some of your dental expenses. The original idea behind many of these plans was that if employees had regular checkups at the dentist, they would miss fewer days due to dental emergencies, such as abscesses and toothaches. Most dental benefits plans, therefore, cover just enough to get your teeth cleaned twice per year, and perhaps a little more to cover a few fillings or a crown.
Many people think of dental benefit plans the same as medical insurance, but there are many differences. There are almost no dental plans that are comprehensive in coverage, or in other words, cover every dental expense at 100%. The vast majority of plans cover what your employer pays for, not what your dentist recommends. Therefore, your dentist may recommend treatment that exceeds what your dental benefits cover.
Where the confusion often arises is when an insurance provider considers a treatment fee to be more than "the UCR", or "usual, customary and reasonable." Many of these UCR fees are set arbitrarily by the insurance companies and do not reflect what are actual customary fees for the selected services in the area. These pre-set amounts often do not adjust for inflation, and insurance companies are not required to tell you how they determine their UCR's. Considering this, just because your bill shows you were charged for more than the UCR determined by the insurance company does not mean you were overcharged for the procedure.
It is the dentist's responsibility to discuss with you all of your treatment options, even ones that are not well covered by dental benefit plans. It is up to you to decide which treatment option is best. When deciding on treatment, always remember to consider what is best for your long-term health, and try not to be tempted to settle for only what your insurance will pay. As with many things in life, the least expensive option is often not the best one--and it could prove to be more expensive in the long run.
Feel free to ask us options for financing treatment that is beyond what your insurance will cover. You'll find that there are many affordable choices.
