Posts by: Downtown Dental

If you haven’t heard, the theme our staff has adopted for 2013 is staying healthy from head to toe and we’ve worked hard to keep that pledge going throughout the year. What’s been so inspiring is that many of you have joined us in making that commitment in your own lives from keeping your heart healthy through regular dental visits to running a half marathon. As we reach the halfway point in the year, we started to brainstorm some ways to keep our commitment level up while celebrating all of the incredible ways you’ve joined us thus far…. What better way to celebrate and encourage others than with a party? A BE WELL Party, in fact. As a way to encourage the entire downtown Nashville community to join our commitment to stay healthy from head to toe, we’re bringing in a host of local vendors for a night of food, entertainment, and healthy living education. On Thursday, August 1st from 5:30 pm -7:30 pm, we’ll host an evening for you stop by our office and enjoy food, drinks and music…
  • Nashville Running Company will be there to help runners find the right type of shoe for their style and discounts to get your run off on the right foot.
  • Massage Therapist Jules Saunders will be there to help relieve all the stress you’ve been building up with free massages.
  • Third and Church Healthcare will be there to provide you with resources to stay healthy throughout the upcoming months including free B-12 shots for our first 75 guests.
  • Nashville B-Cycle will be there to showcase how you can stay healthy and have fun all at the same time along with membership discounts.
  • We’ll be showcasing our new Waterlase iPlus Laser if you haven’t had a chance to see it in action.
There will also be a drawing for a new iPad mini for those that RSVP and attend the event. The more co-workers and friends that you bring, the better chance you have of winning! Complimentary food will be provided from Wrapper’s Delight, brews from Jackalope Brewery, and wine from Midtown Wine & Spirits. Finally, Josh Roberts will be be there to provide live entertainment. What should you do next?
  1.  The first thing you should do is RSVP.
  2. Immediately after you do that, don’t forget to mark it down on your calendar. You can walk, bike, or jog to our offices after work (and get extra points for staying healthy) or public parking is available underneath the Justice A.A. Birch Building.
We hope you’ll join us as we celebrate staying healthy from head to toe with a night of food, drinks, and inspiration with your friends and co-workers For more details or RSVP information, you can contact us here.
Over the past few months, we’ve been rolling out a few of our favorite features of our new Waterlase iPlus Laser Dentistry option. Today, we want to take it a step further to talk about a dental procedure that no one likes to discuss… surgery. When most people think of gum surgery, there are three words that come to mind: gross, ouch and no! Despite the fact that this surgery is necessary to prevent further issues or pain, many are hesitant to get the work done because of the anesthesia shots, the dreaded scalpel for removing tissue and stitches. How we're removing the stress from gum surgery:  We want to remove those three words with our laser dentistry option! With the Waterlase iPlus laser, gum surgeries usually require only topical anesthetic, no stitches and little to no post-operative pain. This means that you can get rid of the potentially harmful dental diseases without skipping a beat in your daily routine - healing faster without the set backs from shots or pain. Now that it's stress free, what work can be done? Downtown Dental offers laser dentistry treatments for the following common types of gum surgery:
  • Ulcers or canker sore removal: If you know someone who deals with canker sores, you know how annoyed they can be. Fixing this issue has never been easier.
  • Gingivectomy: What used to be the painful removal of overgrown or unsightly gums around teeth can be done without any shots or temporary swelling.
  • Frenectomy: This complicated procedure helps countless children who suffer from speech problems or from spacing between the teeth. It removes part of the of cheek, lip or tongue muscle attachments. In the past, this meant an in-depth and invasive surgery that typically leaves patients with uncomfortable stitches and after-effects of anesthesia. Laser dentistry allows our team to perform the procedure quickly and more comfortably.
If you’ve been putting off gum surgery or a different dental procedure offered with laser dentistry, what are you waiting for? The pain-free future of dentistry is available in Downtown Nashville and we’d love for you to finally take care of the gum issues that have been prevented you from staying healthy from head to toe. You can schedule an appointment or call our office today to learn more about how our laser dentistry option can make your next trip to the dentist more enjoyable than you ever thought possible.
One of the most common misconceptions about pregnancy is that it’s unsafe to visit the dentist while you’re pregnant. Over the years, people have assumed that visits to the dentist could cause issues with a pregnancy through the various x-rays and procedures. In all actuality, scheduling an appointment with your dentist is one of the most beneficial things you can do for you and your baby during pregnancy. While it’s important to work with a dentist who you trust and one that’s well informed on the proper treatment options for expecting mothers, visiting the dentist to ensure you’re taking care of your teeth during pregnancy is extremely important. To help combat some of the misconceptions, here are three primary reasons expecting mothers should visit the dentist during pregnancy. Hormone levels can cause Periodental Disease. During pregnancy, your progesterone hormone levels are on the rise, which can cause your gums to have a weird response to plaque bacteria -- a lot more plaque buildup than normal. Often times, the build up causes gums to become more tender, swell or even bleed. If left untreated, build up can lead to a more serious condition known as Periodental Disease. At Downtown Dental, all of these issues can be treated with our pain-free, laser dentistry option, making dental care even easier for soon-to-be moms. Cleaner teeth can reduce pregnancy issues for moms. Research shows that appropriate and timely care for dental issues during pregnancy can significantly reduce the risk of adverse pregnancy issues, such as preeclampsia, for expecting moms. By visiting the dentist to remove all the excess bacteria that commonly builds up during pregnancy, you can lower the risk of any possible pregnancy issues you experience that are common if left untreated. Taking care of your teeth helps you take care of your baby. Poor dental care has been linked to premature births and may interfere with a baby’s development in numerous studies. Clean teeth not only help prevent possible issues for moms, it also reduces the risk of premature birth or low birth weight for your baby.   As an expecting mom, this is one of the most special, yet crucial, times of your life and we’d love to do our part in helping ensure you and your baby are staying as healthy as possible. If you’re wondering what kind of dental work is safe to have during pregnancy, know that cavities and root canals can and should be treated to reduce the risk of infection. It’s also important to note that as an expectant mom, the best time to schedule your appointment to do these procedures is during your second trimester. In your third trimester, you may have a harder time staying comfortable during a long dental appointment. Hopefully, this post clarified any misconceptions about visiting the dentist during pregnancy. If you’re interested in scheduling an appointment as an expecting mom, please feel free to give us a call or let us know when you schedule an online appointment.
One of the most common conditions dentists see is Periodental disease, a malady that is responsible for more tooth loss than any other dental issue. In its early stage, called gingivitis, bacteria begins to invade the space between your teeth and your gums. If left untreated, the bacteria will slowly destroy the gum attachment and bone holding your teeth in place, most commonly known as gum recession. From there, gingivitis can take on an even more serious form, called periodontitis, which is a condition that causes the leaves the whole crown of the tool and a portion of the root surface visible. In any form, Periodental disease makes cleaning and everyday hygiene difficult and is often the major cause of bad breath and tooth loss.

How Periodental disease has been prevent and treated in the past…

If you’ve ever had a dentist or dental assistant pull out a sharp, hook-like instrument and start scraping at your teeth and provide local antibiotic treatments to reduce the infection, you’ve experienced the traditional way to treat Periodental Disease. One experience of having bacteria-built up removed from below the gum line with a sharp, painful, scaling instrument is enough to make people want to never visit the dentist again. This is a dilemma both dentists and patients have had to live with for decades. While the procedures are invasive, time consuming, and painful, they’re absolutely necessary to keep your teeth clean and healthy. For years, patients have been reluctant to schedule a dentist appointment even though they notice signs of Periodental disease because they know that the treatment is going to be painful. By being able to safely eliminate the bacteria at the first signs of infection (bleeding and swollen gum tissue) we can often avoid these invasive procedures.

Downtown Dental’s Laser Treatment solves the dilemma…

We recognize that many people are hesitant to treat this issue because of their past experiences, which is why we’ve committed to offer pain-free dentistry in Nashville through Laser Dentistry. As one of our Laser Dentistry Treatment options, Downtown Dental can remove all the excess bacteria from your gums more efficiently, and usually without the pain of injections. In short, Laser Periodental Therapy works by emitting energy from our Waterlase iPlus Laser has the power to remove build up and effectively destroy all of the bacteria in the pocket between your tooth and your gums. Not only does this minimize the need to pull out the painful scraping tools, it also prevents the need for the series of anesthetic injections before the procedure or any post-op pain afterwards. By incorporating our new Laser Treatment option to remove bacteria and build up along the gumline at the first signs of infection, before more invasive cleaning procedures are required, Downtown Dental is able to offer a safer, more effective treatment for our patients. Laser Bacterial Reduction is a more effective and more comfortable way to treat Periodontal Disease and we are excited to offer this amazing capability to our patients. If you’ve been waiting to take care of the excess bacteria build up along your gum line because of the painful, invasive treatments of the past, get in touch with us. You can ensure that your next trip to the dentist is more convenient and pain-free than you ever thought possible by scheduling your appointment with our Laser Dentistry Option.

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A few days ago we announced Downtown Dental now offers WaterLase iPlus Laser Dentistry which provides injection-free, pain-free dentistry for many of our procedures including fillings, whitening and gum disease prevention. Since our announcement, we’ve heard from several patients who are excited to try the new procedure at their next visit. Not surprisingly, many of them have asked the same question, “So how does it work?” At the same time, we realize that some of you might be skeptical of the pain-free WaterLase iPlus Laser. Today, we are providing a quick reasoning of how and why it works.

How the WaterLase iPlus Laser anesthetizes a tooth:

To understand why most dental work is painful, we must first understand how pain impulses work. Any pain you experience is caused by an electrical impulse that moves through nerve fibers from the source of the pain to your brain.  This impulse is a result of different ions moving into and out of the nerve fiber cells through gates.  When something hurts, the gates open, ions move, and the pain impulse starts. One way the WaterLase iPlus Laser prevents pain is by it's energy temporarily closing the ion gates.  If the ion gates cannot open, no impulse can travel to the brain to be perceived as pain, thus providing anesthesia.

The WaterLase iPlus Laser avoids contact and friction.

While the Laser provides a natural anesthetic, it also helps prevent pain and shots with a new, frictionless method. A normal dental drill works with friction, which causes heat and triggers pain. This leads to painful visits to the dentist and/or visits that leave your mouth feeling number after receiving anesthetic shots. The WaterLase uses a unique, powerful interaction of the patented YSGG laser wavelength along with trademarked water/air spray that cuts, etches and shapes target tissues without contact to remove tooth structure and decay. This means there is no heat, friction or pressure to cause the nerve to fire an impulse to your brain. Here’s a look at how it works: Laser   The procedures can be done painlessly with no anesthetic. Because there is no friction, there is no pain or reason for anesthetics. Because the laser acts as an anesthetic, there is usually no need for a shot, which means leaving the doctor’s office without any numbing. Its non-contact method will guarantee you won’t feel any pain even after the procedures is finished. If you want to know why we’ve invested in the future of pain-free dentistry, read this. If you want to make sure the WaterLase iPlus Laser is used during your next dental appointment, simply let us know when scheduling your next appointment. For more information on WaterLase and how it works, click here.
It’s not surprising that the main reason people don’t enjoy going to the dentist are the drills and shots. In fact, the piercing whine, unnerving vibration, and uncomfortable pain of dental drills and shots have prevented people from properly taking care of their teeth for decades. Because we know that stress and anxiety can prevent patients from seeking the dental care they need, it has always been our goal to offer the most comfortable and pain-free dental experience possible. Today, we are delighted to announce a new option that will make a pain-free dental visits a reality for all of our patients... Downtown Dental is one of the first dentist offices in Nashville to offer WaterLase iPlus Laser Dentistry, the most advanced and effective laser dentistry option in the world! This new technology allows Dr. Clark to offer injection-free, pain-free dentistry for many of our procedures including fillings, whitening and gum disease prevention. How will this innovative technology benefit our patients? Here are seven reasons you’ll want to try our new WaterLase System. What are patient’s that have dental work done with the Waterlase iPlus Laser saying?  We think you’ll be impressed with their testimonials. As we’ve mentioned before, our goal is to do more for the people in Nashville than just protect your smile, we want to make sure you’re able to live a long and healthy life. If you want to make sure your next dentist appointment is done with the Waterlase iPlus Laser, let us know. The future of pain-free dentistry has finally made it to Nashville and we can’t wait to see the smile on your face after you give it a try.
As part of our effort to stay healthy from head to toe, we wanted to take some time this month to talk about heart and dental health. A few months ago, we shared two unconventional ways to commit to total body heath. Instead of spitting out statics from the latest studies, here is how and why taking care of your teeth help keep your heart healthy. How does taking care of your teeth affect your heart health? Understanding the connection between heart and dental health isn’t complicated. Most people know if you don’t take proper care of your teeth, diseases such as tooth decay and gingivitis develops. Also, you probably know that if you don’t regularly floss, your gums can become sore bleeding can result. Studies have shown the bacteria you’ve built up from poor dental habits can make its way into your blood stream. Traveling through the rest of your body, the bacteria can provoke inflammation or cause clogged arteries. Over time, these issues can develop into more serious problems. Why does it matter? Over time, the issues caused by bacteria in your blood stream can contribute to heart disease or other heart related issues. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the U.S. According to the American Heart Association, an estimated 2,600 people in the U.S. die of heart disease every day. That's an average of one death every 34 seconds. In short… By not taking care of your teeth and gums, you’re ultimately opening yourself up for the potential to be diagnosed with heart disease or other heart related issues if dental bacteria enters the blood stream. It is evident from research that the two are directly related. How do you prevent this from happening? While regular dental exams and cleanings are necessary to remove bacteria, plaque and tartar and detect early signs of gum disease, you can play a major role in preventing bacteria build up: • Brush for two to three minutes twice a day with fluoridated toothpaste. Be sure to brush along the gumline without using too much force. • Floss daily to remove plaque from places your toothbrush can’t reach. • Use a mouth rinse to reduce plaque up to 20 percent. • Eat a healthy diet, low in refined sugars, to provide essential nutrients (vitamins A and C, in particular). • Avoid cigarettes and smokeless tobacco. At Downtown Dental, we want you to have more than a nice smile; we want you to live a healthy, vibrant life. That’s why we’re committed to total body health. Join us in staying healthy from head to toe and taking care of the most important part of your body: your heart.
Earlier this month, we announced that our staff at Downtown Dental is committed to running the Music City Half Marathon as a way to commit to total body health and raise support for St. Jude Heroes. To help you join our cause, we’re rolling out a partnership and promotion with Nashville Running Company to give current and potential Downtown Dental 200 reasons to join in on staying healthy! Screen shot 2013-02-12 at 10.35.49 AM To help Nashville residents stay healthy from head to toe, we’re partnering with Nashville Running Company to offer 15% OFF and the opportunity to win an exclusive $200 gift card to anyone who schedules a new patient appointment or refers a friend to Downtown Dental from now until the end of April! Whether you’re one of the 30,000 people training for the Country Music Marathon or Half Marathon or you’re just looking to stay active during the winter months, investing in good running or walking shoes is important. However, most of us aren’t racing to buy new running shoes, even if we are preparing for a race. This is the perfect excuse to give us a call whether you’re a businessman who works downtown looking to beat your personal record for the half marathon or you just moved downtown and are looking for a new dentist. How can you tell what Country Music Marathon finishers are Downtown Dental patients? There are a couple of ways: 1) They’re part of Downtown Dental’s St. Jude Heroes Team! 2) They’ll be the ones with the fresh new kicks and white smiles in the pictures at the finish line…

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Whether you’re running in the Country Music Marathon or not, we hope you’ll join us as we continue to promote healthy living from head to toe and support St. Jude’s and support our St. Jude Heroes T as we raise support for St. Jude's lifesaving mission of finding cures and saving children. New patients can click here, call 615.254.1393, or email us to schedule your appointment today. Current patients can receive the exclusive discount when their referral mentions their name while scheduling their appointment. Are you running the Country Music Marathon or Half Marathon? If so, leave us a comment below!
Last month we shared how to proper dental hygiene can improve your overall health and wellbeing. This idea of total body health has helped our team to set goals and work alongside our patients in staying healthy from head to toe.

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As a way to commit to total body health in 2013, our team has decided to run the St. Jude Country Music Half Marathon this April. In the past, we’ve enjoyed watching marathoners and half-marathoners run by our offices as they head down the home stretch of their runs. If you’ve never cheered on runners for the Country Music Marathon, it’s quite the spectacle. But this year, we thought, “What better way to stay healthy from head to toe than by running it ourselves?” What started out as an idea turned into reality after we did a little more research… As we were checking out the details, we learned that giving back is a big part of the Country Music Half Marathon. The Country Music Marathon has partnered with St. Jude’s to allow participants to create St. Jude Heroes Teams as a way to improve the treatment of childhood cancer and other deadly diseases through its groundbreaking research. After working alongside patients and downtown residents to collect over 1,000 canned goods for Second Harvest Food Bank at the end of 2012, we realized that registering our team was a no brainer! St. Jude Along with our goal of running the half marathon, we’re launching a Downtown Dental Heroes Team to raise funds to support St. Jude's lifesaving mission of finding cures and saving children.   Join us in giving back and staying healthy from head to toe... We we’re so grateful for our friends and patients supporting Second Harvest Food Bank back in November and December. Because you love to help others as much as we do, we thought that this was the perfect opportunity to combine staying healthy with giving back. We hope you’ll join us in training, running and raising money for the St. Jude's children's hospital. By joining the Downtown Dental Team, we can work together to raise thousands of dollars to help children in need, all while staying healthy and having fun along the way! CMM 2
Health & Smiles If you're like us, you're shocked at how quickly the middle of January arrived. It seems like just yesterday we were counting down the last seconds of 2012 and ringing in the New Year. Now, Target it already selling swimsuits in stores! Weren't we also just deciding our New Year's goals? While you may have made several resolutions for various areas of your life, we think it's safe to say that one of those areas is probably related to your health. In fact, the most common resolution Americans made in 2013 was to eat healthy and exercise regularly.

We care about more than just your teeth.

Our staff's commitment to educating and advocating our patients to their best advantage doesn't stop with your pearly whites. We believe committing to total body health will help our families, patients, neighbors, and, frankly, the city of Nashville live fuller, richer lives!

But, before you hit the play button on Physical by Olivia Newton-John, let us share two other ways you can commit to total body health in addition to hitting the gym this year from our area of expertise: your teeth.

Maintaining a clean mouth can keep your body healthy. There are several studies showing good teeth do more than keep dental bills low - they can help protect you from a whole host of health problems.

Clean teeth can help prevent heart disease.

This study published in the British Medical Journal analyzed data from over 11,000 adults. It determined that participants who reported brushing their teeth less frequently had a 70% increased risk of heart disease versus those who brushed twice daily.

Clean teeth can keep your lungs healthy.

Could proper dental hygiene help you to breath better? Possibly so. Another study published in the Journal of Periodontology uncovered a suspected link between periodontal disease and pulmonary disease (such as pneumonia and acute bronchitis).

As you continue to achieve your 2013 healthy goals, don't forget that your teeth can play an important role in your overall health throughout the year.

Stay tuned over the next several months as we partner with our patients and downtown Nashville to help them commit to making 2013 the healthiest year yet.