Better Choices for Your Health

Like many families, ours are always looking for new ways to lead healthier, more ecologically conscious and natural lives.  As a practice, we take steps both large and small to make our care as safe and non-invasive as possible.  We continually make substantial investments in new technologies to provide the most advanced treatment options, including the use of lasers, mercury-free materials, digital x-rays, and the least invasive options for routine care.  In smaller ways, we also work to reduce our environmental impact and provide a natural and safe environment for our patients and staff.  (One staff favorite is our own weekly in-office yoga session.)  Above all, we provide the high level of care to all of our patients that we would require for our own families.    

As always, if you have questions about any of our products or services, please do not hesitate to ask your doctor for more information.  You can reach Dr. Blair Waldron directly by email at blairwaldron@mac.com. 

Mercury-free Materials
Traditional dental fillings ("amalgams") are conventionally made with a combination of metals such as silver, nickel, and paladium.  These fillings are often called "silver fillings" and contain trace amounts of mercury.  Although the actual health risk of mercury in dental materials is still considered low (or non-existant) by most dental professions, many patients prefer to avoid metal fillings to eliminate any potential risk of their mercury content.  In addition, the mercury-free fillings are also aesthetically pleasing, because they are tooth-colored and blend into the surrounding tooth naturally.  For these reasons, we are glad to provide our patients with mercury-free options when choosing dental materials.

Digital X-Rays
Because our practice has invested in a digital x-ray system, your exposure to radiation is up to 90% less than traditional x-ray systems.  In addition, our use of digital x-ray files means that fewer resources are used to print copies of your films. And, if your treatment requires coordination between your doctor and specialists, your x-rays can be quickly and easily sent electronically to your specialists, saving you time and reducing the need for multiple x-rays at different offices. 

Paperless Records
To reduce our environmental impact and to provide the most efficient and accurate care for our patients, we have moved to a paperless office system.  We invested to have all of our patient records transferred to an electronic format, and we have taken all necessary steps to protect the confidentiality of our patient data.  By using paperless records, we are able to very quickly communicate with insurance companies and specialists, and in so doing provide you with a high level of service.

Lasers
Our doctors are formally trained to use lasers for many specialized purposes, such as the removal of soft tissue, contouring, and the treatment of mouth sores (including cold sores or "aphthous ulcers").  The primary advantage of this technology is the precision afforded by the laser.  The more exactly the doctor can remove tissue, for example, the less trauma to the gums, teeth, and mouth.  Overall, by allowing the doctor to work in a highly precise manner, the specialized use of lasers can reduce your healing time.

Hygiene Options
After the hygienist has examined your teeth and removed plaque, your teeth are polished for stain removal and overall cleaning (and that "just had my teeth cleaned" feeling!). In addition to the traditional paste polish, we also offer ultrasonic and baking-soda spray polishing.  If you are interested, feel free to ask your hygienist for more information.