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Sept 15 and 16, 00
Dr. Peterson just completed two days of
training in composite materials and glass iomers at the West District Dental
Association held in Gering. He is anxious to incorporate some of these new
techniques and materials into his practice in order to offer better quality products
and services to you.
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Aug 19-20,00
Jacque Rogers attended a workshop in
Ogallala in Radiology. She completed this intensive two day work in
radiology and is now certified to take dental x-rays. She returned to our
office we new ideas along with her new skills!
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July 16-26, 00
Dr. Peterson and his family attended
a workshop in Tennessee presented by the Christian Dental Society.
Implantology, cosmetic dentistry, dental missions and treating planning were
some of the topics.
July 12, 2000
Dr. Peterson attended a hands on workshop
on Endodontics (root canals) given by the Creighton University School of
Dentistry in Bridgeport. You will see improvement in the equipment and
methods we use in this area.
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June 9,10 2000
Sharon Stricker attended the Coronal
Polishing course presented by Creighton University at Ogallala by Dr.
Howard. The goals of coronal polishing were for cosmetics, to reduce
plaque and smooth the tooth surface so the surface is less soluble to acids
attack. The particle size of the "polish" are so fine that the result
is a surface so smooth that it is said to be polished.
They covered
polishing materials, disclosing agents and technique. OSHA standards and requirements
were coved in order to practice top level infection control. Universal
precautions were stressed that all human blood and other potentially infected
materials are to be treated and considered as infectious. Dental water lines
were discussed with the conclusion that no ill health effects can be DIRECTLY
associated with dental water lines. Tooth anatomy and clinical parts of
the tooth were stressed. The effects of coronal polishing on teeth were
discussed.
She is now
certified to polish (clean) the crown portions of your teeth.
Congratulations Sharon! Well done!
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May 11, 2000
(OSHA Four Way Coding System)
The staff attended a workshop on OSHA
standards during this time. This workshop covered OSHA requirements
and Practical Infection Control. Some current facts presented is that an unvaccinated
dental personnel are three times more likely to be attacked by Hepatitis B than
the general population. The good news is there is a 90% recovery
rate from Hepatitis B due to current medications.
Hepatitis C is a virus
to be concerned about in all medical fields. 85% of those who acquire it
will get sick, there are no vaccinations or treatments to help those infected.
70% develop chronic liver disease. The current HIV epidemoiology is that 33
million people are infected with HIV, there are one half a million in the US
which is 1/100 people could have HIV/AIDS. The good news is there are no
documented HIV reports associated with dentistry. It is transmitted
through blood, semen, vaginal secretions and maybe even breast milk.
Factors that affect risk is the amount of blood and high titer of HIV. Our
standard of infection control standards are very high
at our office and we continue to strive to keep on improving the materials we
use and the ways we provide them to you.
May 5 & 6
Debbie, our patient
care coordinator just completed a two day workshop in Denver. This
workshop was "The Essentials Course" presented by Dentrix. This
is our office management software. She attended this course so she can
better serve our patients with quick and easy check ins and check outs; more
efficient chart updates and financial records. To learn more about our
dental office software visit: www.dentrix.com
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May 4, 00
Our whole staff
attended the traveling caravan Continuing Education Course offered by University of Nebraska at Western
Nebraska College. The topics offered where Amalgams, Mercury and Systemic
Health and Chemotherapeutics in Periodontal Disease. Here are the highlights from this informative
seminar:
The type of
mercury used in amalgams is elementary mercury. Most amalgam fillings
contain na of mercury. Seafood
contains the highest amount of methyl mercury. (The government recommends
you only eat one tuna sandwich a week!). Amalgam fillings last about 10
years; composite or tooth colored fillings last about 7-8 years.
The Canadian
Dental Association has made these recommendations: Amalgam fillings are not
advised for individuals with kidney problems, anyone with metallic devices
(braces) in their mouth ; pregnant women; anyone allergic to mercury and to find
alternative materials for use with children. The American Dental
Association states that amalgam fillings are fine for everyone except if you
have an allergic reaction to mercury. For more information on the ADA
statement on amalgams visit the American Dental Association's
If you feel your health
is affected by mercury please see your physician first to obtain a urine test
for mercury.
Here are
our plans of action to incorporate these changes into our practice to better
protect and serve you:
1. We have
hard surface floors so mercury will not be trapped in carpet fibers.
2. We recap
our amalgam capsules to prevent further mercury vapor exposure.
3. We use high
volume vacuum system to remove mercury vapor while working.
4. We use wet
environment and high volume vacuum to protect you from mercury vapor.
5. We properly dispose
of all used amalgam materials in closed containers.
6. Inform patients with
amalgam fillings to not chew allot of gum due to mercury release each time you
chew. If you grind your teeth at night this could lead to a higher
exposure of mercury from amalgam fillings. We recommend a nightguard to
prevent this.
7. Good office air flow for
adequate ventilation.
8. Leave dental gowns at work
and do not wear in public.
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Chemotherapeutic for Periodontitis
Periodontitis is
another name for gum tissue. Its warning signs are:
75 % off all
Americans have some form of gum tissue and do not realize it because in it's
beginning stages there is little discomfort. Periodontitis is when you
have gum tissue with pockets depths over 4 mm. A systemic antibiotic that works
well with root planning and scaling is tetracycline because it is concentrated
in the gum tissue to help reduce
pocket size, bone loss and tissue attachment.
Another
surprising fact was the use of NSAIDS (flurbiprofen) to reduce bone loss.
This is especially important for women in menopause who can develop osteoporosis
causing bone loss throughout the body including the jaw. Estrogen is
important to prevent or slow down this bone loss, reduce bleeding from the gums
and improve attachment levels.
The advantage of
local antibiotics is that it is site specific. Actisite works the best to
reduce pocket depths yet is expensive and difficult to place. Periochip
contains chlorhexidine and is easy to place yet once placed the patient must be
careful not to clean this site to vigorously. Atriodox is a gel of
metronidizole that is placed in the pocket and is effective at decreasing pocket
depth and increase attachment.
It was recommended to
use low dose tetracycline due to easy of use and low cost to patient along with
root planning and scaling in combination with an anti-inflammatory agent.
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April 11, 00
Our office did an OSHA update in the areas
of infection control, patient safety and equipment repairs. Goals were set
and each staff member is striving to incorporate these goals into daily
practice.
September 14, 2007
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