Free Dental Care Day 2013

I admit I am a worrier.  I wondered how this year's Free Dental Care Day would be.  Would it be as successful as last years event?  Last year we saw 31 patients and did a lot of dentistry.

Well, I would like to report that this year's Free Dental Care Day was very successful also.

Of the four dental offices that offered free dentistry, two of them decided to do their services by appointment while the other two thought that using a first come - first serve basis would allow them to see more patients.

That was the way we did it last year and we decided to do it the same way again.

At the end of the day we were exhausted but very happy.  We considered ourselves very lucky to be able to provide very needed services to those that requested it without requiring anything in return.

Here is a picture of our caring team taken by our last patient before she left.

I have to point something out in this picture now.   That nice lady at the left is Lucy, the godmother of our oldest son.  She is an outstanding hygienist and a wonderful person, and she came all the way from Miami to provide much needed dental cleanings.  Thank you Lucy! You are the greatest!

Dr. Phil Kohn also joined us in the morning and we and the patients were extremely thankful for his help which made the morning run very smoothly.

I can't say enough about the girls in green in the middle.  

Jeannie, my love, I adore you for putting up with me at work and at home. I bet today brought back some memories from when you were a dental assistant for Dr. Higer 

Gladys, you are the greatest, all the patients love you.  I don't know how you did it, but you turned caos in the morning into an organized and very efficiently planned day for us.

And Marlen,  You are an amazing person.  You did not stop one minute, you made it look as if we had an endless supply of freshly autoclaved instruments, and then always ready to help chairside.

I hope the other offices had the same experience we did, and want to thank everyone for their participation. 

I know our contribution is insignificant compared to the need, but it made us feel good.

I would like to wish everyone happy holidays, health and prosperity for the new year.

Carlos Boudet, DDS

1840 Forest Hill Blvd. Suite 204

West Palm Beach, FL. 33406

Laser dentistry – A Better Modality, or a Gimmick?

 

I recently attended a local dental society meeting and as usual, I greeted and talked to many of my colleagues.  One colleague in particular which is a good periodontist started a conversation that made me feel good.  He said that he remembered a question that I had asked him several years ago at another meeting.  The question I asked him was, what was his opinion on the use of lasers to treat periodontal disease?  At that time there were very few, (maybe one) studies from a reputable source about the use of lasers, in the treatment of periodontal pockets in a non-surgical procedure.  I had bought an expensive laser and was very interested in the potential benefits to my patients, and anticipated that they would welcome the opportunity to treat their condition with advanced technology that could avoid the need to do periodontal surgery, promote shorter healing periods and cause less discomfort than the conventional surgical modalities.  He told me, that  he did not believe that lasers could be used as an alternative to surgery and he would need to see more proper studies before  he would consider purchasing such expensive equipment.  This time he said that he now was a believer.  His group had purchased the NdYag laser and “it had changes his practice”. 

I have been using the Er,Cr,YSGG laser for many years now and have seen excellent results with different procedures.  The laser allows me to do procedures such as crown lengthening without the trauma to the tissues of laying a flap and exposing the bone.  The ability to do this as a “closed procedure” means that the patient will experience less discomfort and will heal quicker.

 

Similar results are obtained for other surgical procedures, such as the removal of soft tissue lesions for biopsy, gingivectomies, second stage exposure of dental implants and treatment of localized periodontal pockets in patients with periodontitis.  In the case of patients with periodontitis, this minimally invasive therapy may require more that one visit over several months and excellent oral hygiene to treat the pockets.

In summation, Laser use in dentistry has not become widespread because of the high cost of the equipment (and maintenance) and misconceptions about the technology from lack of adequate studies in the literature, but new studies are being conducted and the advantages of this modality of therapy are already evident.

 

 

West Palm Beach Dentist   Carlos Boudet, DDS, DICOI
1840 Forest Hill Blvd, Suite 204
West Palm Beach, Florida  33406
Phone: (561) 968 6022

 Website: http://www.boudetdds.com

Implant Blog: http://www.palm-beach-implants.com

 

Painless Dentistry - Dentistry And It's Association With Pain

Dentistry (and the dentist) have always been associated with pain, and unfortunately, there has been good reason for it in the past.  History shows that local anesthetic Novacaine wasn't invented until 1905, so you can imagine going to the dentist and having a tooth pulled without anesthesia.  Many relied on alcohol and drank themselves senseless to avoid the pain of an extraction.

But I don't have to go that far back to recall tales of dental treatment without anesthesia.  The Castro Dictatorship in Cuba, my country of origin, started 54 years ago and has created a very low standard of living for the cuban people, where food, medicine and many other items are scarce, and although access to medical and dental care is free, many times the doctors and dentists lack the materials necessary for the procedure, and many procedures are done without anesthesia.  I feel sorry and have a lot of respect for my colleagues in Cuba that have to work under those conditions.

I recently answered a question from a young lady that had gone to the dentist (here in the US) and had experienced a lot of pain during a procedure.  She said that she needed a lot of work, and was asking for help in dealing with the pain that she anticipated from the remaining work.

I related to her my own experiences and how I was afraid of the dentist as a child and did not get any dental care until I was 15 years old and had a mouthful of cavities.  I also told her how in my dental office I make sure that I don't cause any pain during a procedure, whether it is my injections, extractions, a filling or surgery, I make sure that I don't hurt the patient, and I know that if I can do it, many dentists can do it too.

One of the keys to painless dentistry is taking your time and a good technique for giving injections.  Modesty apart, dentists can give better injections than physicians, and I know that if I take my time giving anesthesia and the liquid goes in slowly, I can give an injection without causing pain to my patient.  I think physicians and nurses are somewhat desensitized to pain.

Another key to painless dentistry is obtaining profound anesthesia. I  know that if I wait until the area is well anesthetized, I can do my work without any pain.

Dentistry has advanced to a point that, I feel confident that I can do almost 100% of my daily work without pain.  I know that there will always be exceptions, like the person that does not go to the dentist and waits until an abcess develops, and is swollen and in pain and just touching the area can cause pain, or a tooth so inflamed that may not be easily anesthetized, but fortunately those cases are not common.

The moral of this story is:  Don't be afraid to go to the dentist.  The majority of the work that we do is painless and you can be making your work more complicated and expensive by waiting while cavities get bigger. 

Don't be afraid to demand painless dentistry.

West Palm Beach Dentist   Carlos Boudet, DDS, DICOI
1840 Forest Hill Blvd, Suite 204
West Palm Beach, Florida  33406
Phone: (561) 968 6022

 Website: http://www.boudetdds.com
Implant Blog: http://www.palm-beach-implants.com

Teeth In One Day Using Dental Implants in West Palm Beach Florida

Dental implants are without a doubt, the best treatment option for persons that have lost their teeth and need to wear dentures.
If I had to say what is the biggest disadvantage of dental implants it would have to be the long waiting process while the implants fuse to the bone (osseointegration) which can be from three to six months.

New advances in dental technology allow the implant dentist to determine the bone available for the placement of implants using a ct scan, and to place the implants quickly and precisely using ct guided surgery.  Using this technology, the implants can be restored the same day of the surgery, and the patient can use them right away to eat a soft diet for the first three months.  At the end of the three month period, the temporary teeth are replaced with the final prosthesis.
Some of the advantages of the immediate load technique are listed below:

• Less Invasive than conventional implant surgery
• Needs minimal recovery time
• Avoids the need for bone grafting, in most cases
• Restores the ability to eat most foods
• Eliminates removable dentures
• Improves self-confidence and overall quality of life
• Cost effective when compared to 10 to 12 implants

For persons that feel  they could benefit from this type of work, but are afraid that the cost will be prohibitive, there is another alternative that is very affordable.

Mini implants are another category of implants that are immediately loaded and patients patients can reap the benefits of  mini implants to help hold a lower denture, the same day that they are placed.  Furthermore, due to the nature of the procedure, the dentist can charge a lot less for mini implants than for regular implants, usually about half the cost.

You might be concerned about the cost of the procedures and would like information about a payment plan. We can help you with that also. We can offer you short or long-term plans through Care Credit and CityBank.

If you have been struggling with loose or uncomfortable dentures and would like to learn more about how dental implants can help you be comfortable again with your mouth, please call our office at (561) 968 6022 for a complementary implant consultation where I will personally answer questions about your particular case.

West Palm Beach Dentist Carlos Boudet, DDS, DICOI
1840 Forest Hill Blvd, Suite 204
West Palm Beach, Florida  33406
Phone: (561) 968 6022

 Website: http://www.boudetdds.com
Implant Blog: http://www.palm-beach-implants.com

Can A Person With A Cardiac Pacemaker Have An MRI?

Can a person with a pacemaker have an MRI?

 I have had the need to research this question recently and, at the present time, the answer depends on several things that I will try to explain below:

Advances in technology and medicine have extended the life expectancy of our elderly population to an advanced age where many organs start to malfunction or fail, and the heart is no exception, so when the heart rate becomes too slow, cardiac surgeons install a pacemaker to give it a kick and increase the heart rate as needed. 

Pacemakers are commonly found in many of our senior citizens, and it is estimated that 75% of persons implanted with a pacemaker will need an MRI for some other part of their body.

Unfortunately, pacemakers are made of metal,  with metal leads and electronic components that are susceptible to electromagnetic fields and radiofrequencies, and MRI’s produce both of these which can cause a pacemaker to malfunction.

In the past, it was not recommended and adverse effects were seen such as misfiring and heating of the leads, so in order to be able to do necessary MRI’s in persons with a pacemaker, two things were developed:

•  The MRI-Conditional Pacemaker, a new kind of pacemaker that can be scanned by MRI’s of 1.5 Teslas or less.

• And a protocol for a “Safe Performance of Extra-thoracic Magnetic Resonance Imaging at 1.5 Tesla in the Presence of Cardiac Pacemakers in Non–Pacemaker-Dependent Patients”.

The protocol and guidelines to determine which patients can have an MRI and which should not is explained in more detail in this webpage from the Mayo Clinic:

http://www.mayoclinic.org/medicalprofs/protocols-for-MRI-in-pacemaker-patients-cvuv9n3.html

 well informed MRI department should be aware of this information.

I hope this information may serve as a quick reference to those researching this topic.

West Palm Beach Dentist
Carlos Boudet, DDS, DICOI
1840 Forest Hill Blvd, Suite 204
West Palm Beach, Florida  33406
Phone: (561) 968 6022

 Website: http://www.boudetdds.com
Implant Blog: http://www.palm-beach-implants.com

Answers To Dental Related Questions

About three years ago, I started answering questions related to dentistry in Yahoo Answers.  Many of the questions are posted by children to chat among their piers, but occasionally I see questions that deserve an answer and I try to help with mine.

Here is the answer to a question that I recently responded to from a twenty seven  year old young man who is about to loose a retained baby tooth in the smile area, does not know if the permanent tooth will come in  and is wondering what can be done.

Below is the answer to this young man’s question:

Hi John,
If you are 27 and still have a baby tooth it means that the permanent tooth never formed or it is impacted, and it will not come out on its own.
The fact that the tooth is loose tells me that you will not be able to save it even if you wanted to.
You don't say anything about what your dentist has told you, so I am assuming that you don't go to the dentist.
Your options are
1- To close the space with orthodontic therapy (braces), ….

You can read the full post in Yahoo Answers here: Yahoo Answers .  Like I said, I have been aswering questions for about three years so if you have a dental related question, you may be able to find the answer already posted there.  If you cannot find your answer there, please don't hessitate to call our office at (561) 968 6022, or if you prefer you can ask your question inthe comment box below or e-mail us at info@boudetdds.com and we will do our best to respond promptly. 

West Palm Beach Dentist Carlos Boudet, DDS, DICOI
1840 Forest Hill Blvd, Suite 204
West Palm Beach, Florida  33406
Phone: (561) 968 6022

 Website: http://www.boudetdds.com
Implant Blog: http://www.palm-beach-implants.com

Crowns Or Veneers In The Esthetic Or Smile Zone

Once in a while, I see patients in my practice that have been treated by a dentist and present with crowns that have been poorly designed, and shaped in a way that does not have the right contours, dimensions, or proportions, and when these are in the smile zone they can make a person’s smile very unattractive.

Usually there is a reason why the restorations were made that way, for example, a person with spaces between the front teeth may feel uncomfortable smiling, and request crowns or bonding to close the spaces.  Here is where your dentist’s training and artistic ability come in.  Your dentist can analyze the size of your teeth and compare them to “golden proportions” that are well documented to be very esthetic and determine if the person can close the spaces by making the teeth bigger or if the teeth are big enough and the space closure needs to be done with orthodontics.  Attempting to close the spaces by making the teeth bigger when they are big enough already can be a disaster and create a result that is not pleasing to the eye.

Another reason that dental work in the cosmetic zone can look bad is when the dentist fails to take symmetry into consideration.  For example, a case where the teeth on one side are made to look larger than the teeth on the other side.  This is very noticeable if the teeth in question are the two upper front teeth.  They should be identical to each other, and if one is longer or wider, it is very noticeable.

Sometimes the person has had some teeth extracted, and there is a natural tendency for the teeth to shift to close the space.  When this happens in the smile zone the teeth show canting, or an unaesthetic inclination, and any cosmetic work needs to correct the canting for the work to look good.

These and many other problems can be avoided by good planning on the part of the dentist.  If the dentist is changing the shape or the length of the front teeth, or correcting cosmetic problems it is important to use the concept of prototype temporaries. By creating the temporaries to incorporate all the features of the desired final restoration, the dentist (and the patient) can see how the final restorations will look, and if there are any issues or problems, they can be corrected in  the prototype temporaries until an acceptable result is achieved. 

Utilizing prototype temporaries takes more planning, and work on the part of the dentist, but it is a necessary step when solving problems in the cosmetic zone.

 West Palm Beach Dentist Carlos Boudet, DDS, DICOI

1840 Forest Hill Blvd, Suite 204

West Palm Beach, Florida  33406

Phone: (561) 968 6022

Website: http://www.boudetdds.com

Implant Blog: http://www.palm-beach-implants.com

Free Dentistry Or Dentistry At Reduced Fee Centers In West Palm Beach

Every day in our office we get calls that ask if we see patients under federally funded programs such as Medicaid, and although we did at one time, and were a Medicaid provider for many years, we no longer take Medicaid patients in our office.

The need to take care of the dental needs of patients with limited and low financial resources is still there, and there are several options available that offer free dental care, or dentistry at reduced fees to persons that need these services.

In an effort to guide these persons and make their search a little easier, I have attempted to provide a list of centers that provide dental care at reduced fees for the communities they serve.

For the sake of keeping the list small, It will only involve the area where I practice which is West Palm Beach, Florida.

Nova Southeastern University College of Dental Medicine

3200 S. University Drive

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33328

Phone: (954) 262-7500

Caridad Center Dental Clinic

8645 W. Boynton Beach Blvd.

Boynton Beach, FL 33063

Phone: (561) 853-1623

St. Mary’s Free Clinic

1200 E. Main St., Pahokee, FL 33476

Phone: (561) 929-2892

The Lord’s Place –Cafe Joshua Program

2808 N. Australian Ave.

West Palm Beach FL 33407

Phone: (561) 494-0125, Ext. 115

Palm Beach County Health Department Dental Clinic

 1150 45th St., Rm. D104

West Palm Beach, FL 33407

Phone: (561) 355-3082

Palm Beach County Health Department

Pahokee Dental Clinic

1200 E. Main St., Pahokee, FL 33476

Phone: (561) 924-0184

Palm Beach County Health Department

Lantana/Lake Worth Dental Clinic

1250 Southwinds Drive, Lantana, FL 33462

Phone: (561) 547-6811

Palm Beach County Health Department

Delray Beach Dental Clinic

345 South Congress Ave.

Delray Beach, FL 33444

Phone: (561) 274-3111

Palm Beach County Health Department

Riviera Beach Health Center

1150 45th St., Rm. D104

West Palm Beach, FL 33407

Phone: (561) 514-5540

C.L. Brumback Community Health Center

38754 State Road 80, Belle Glade, FL 33430

Phone: (561) 996-1636

West Palm Beach Veterans Administration Dental Clinic

7305 N. Military Trail

West Palm Beach, FL 33410

Phone: (561) 422-8262, Ext. 5675

Palm Beach State College Atlantic Coast Dental Research Clinic4200 Congress Avenue, Lake Worth, Florida 33461
Phone: (561) 868 3747

Samaritan Gardens Community Health Center

1101 S. Flagler Drive

West Palm Beach, FL 33401

Phone: (561) 366-1147

A minimum amount of information is provided, so interested individuals need to  ask any applicable questions such as eligibility requirements, patient populations served, types of services provided, age requirements, fees, etc…

Some of these centers provide free dental services, while others provide the services for a reduced fee.  This list is by no means complete, but if you are looking for these services in our area, I hope that you will find this helpful.

Best wishes,

West Palm Beach Dentist

Carlos Boudet, DDS

Phone: (561) 968 6022

1840 Forest Hill Blvd Suite # 204

West Palm Beach, Florida  33406

Website: http://www.boudetdds.com

Spanish website: http://www.palmbeachdentist.net

Implant Website: http://www.palm-beach-implants.com

Indestructible Crowns - Dental Crowns Guaranteed Not To Break!

Many people don't realize it, but our molars take quite a bit of pounding everyday when we eat, and if you are a clencher or grinder, the abuse doesn't stop there and continues for hours during the night.

It's a common occurence in dentist's offices.  You have a molar that suffered extensive damage and broke, but your dentist was able to save it by making and cementing a crown on it.  Even though the molar is in the back of the mouth, you can still see it, so when the dentist suggested a gold crown as the strongest option, you did not like the idea, and the next best choice was a PFM or porcelain fused to metal crown.

Generally porcelain fused to metal crowns have been the crowns most dentists have chosen for decades because they are strong and look like a tooth, but when the gums recede and the margins are visible they show a dark collar around the margin.  If that wasn't enough, in less than ideal conditions, they can break and the grey metal jacket under the porcelain can look very unesthetic.

In the majority of cases these porcelain fused to metal crowns last many years and don't break, but often in less than ideal conditions, one comes back broken.

Lucky for us that in the last five years, research in dental materials has produced a new crown called BruxZir made from a material called zirconia that is so strong that it is virtually unbreakable in the mouth.

The laboratory that developed it, is so confident in the strenght of the crowns they produce, that they created a short video clip to illustrate the comparison between the conventional porcelain fused to metal crown and a BruxZir crown.

Watch the video clip below, as it is self explanatory.

 

Incredible, isn't it?  Now we have a great option to protect the back molars that is strong and looks good too.  Oh, and due to the high price of gold, zirconia crowns are less expensive and save you money.

If you would like more information about BruxZir crowns that are guaranteed not to break, don't hesitate to call our office with a question, or to schedule an appointment.

West Palm Beach Dentist

Carlos Boudet, DDS

Phone: (561) 968 6022

1840 Forest Hill Blvd Suite # 204

West Palm Beach, Florida  33406

Website: http://www.boudetdds.com

Spanish website: http://www.palmbeachdentist.net

Implant Website: http://www.palm-beach-implants.com

 

Mini Dental Implants

Dentists have been placing dental implants very successfully for many decades.

The most common dental implants that dentists use are the root form implants. They are basically shaped like a screw, and are threaded into the bone to help hold a tooth replacement, or several implants are placed to help hold a denture.

Dental implants are made in many sizes and can be classified into two types according to their diameter:

·         Regular dental implants which have a diameter of 3 to 5 millimeters and wider (wider implants exist). 

·         Mini dental implants which have a diameter from 1.8 mm to 2.9 mm.

Today I would like to give you some information about mini dental implants.

Mini dental implants were first used as temporary implants, placed between the regular implants to help hold temporary teeth until the regular implants fused to the bone (oseointegrated) and were able to be used.  Dentists found that sometimes the temporary implants fused to the bone and were difficult to remove, so they started using them for retention of a lower denture and now it is a very successful procedure.

These are some of the advantages of mini implants:

·         Minimally invasive – Placed through the gums without surgery

·         Can be used in deficient bone – No need for bone grafts

·         Reduced cost – Usually half the price of regular implants

·         Only one visit required – Implants are placed and used the same day

Let me give you a brief description of the procedure used to help hold a loose lower denture.

The lower denture should fit well, if not, it needs to be relined to make it fit.

The dentist takes the necessary x-rays and records to evaluate the bone.

The day of the procedure 4 mini implants are placed in the front of the lower jaw.

The mini implants are placed through the gums without surgery (less discomfort after the procedure).

The denture is fitted with attachments that help hold it in place more securely.

The dentist checks the bite and the procedure is complete.

These are the main reasons our patients give us why they like the mini implants:

The lower cost.  It is more than half the cost of the procedure using regular implants.

No surgery.  Especially patients on anticoagulants that if removed would increase the risk of stroke.

Procedure done in one visit.  No need to wait several months for implants to fuse to the bone.

No bone grafting.  Often bone grafting is required for the regular diameter implants.

There is no need to suffer with a loose lower denture and messy denture adhesive anymore.

If you would like more information about mini dental implants, please call our office  at (561) 968 6022 and schedule a free consultation.

I will personally examine you and explain your options for your particular case.

Carlos Boudet, DDS DICOI
1840 Forest Hill Blvd Suite 204
West Palm Beach, Florida. 33406
Website: http://www.boudetdds.com
Implant Blog: http://www.palm-beach-implants.com