Cleveland Smiles Blog

Learn More About the Odyssey Navigator Diode Laser

Cleveland Smiles — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 10:00:56 +0000

We’ve had a number of patients ask about our new Odyssey Navigator Diode Laser and how we are using it. It is being used for procedures like gum contouring (you can see before and after photos here), crown lengthening (to give us more tooth structure for retention of materials), and even removal of mouth sores and mucoceles. It is virtually painless, there is little to no post-treatment sensitivity, and the area heals beautifully, regardless of the procedure undertaken. We would be glad to show it to you or demonstrate it for you. It is truly amazing and is one more example of the strides being taken in dentistry to make your dental treatment experience as pleasant and successful as possible.

How Often Should Dental Xrays Be Taken?

Cleveland Smiles — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 09:00:59 +0000

In the news of late was mention of the use of dental xrays and the frequency with which they should be taken. We recommend having cavity detecting bite-wing radiographs and periapicals done once per year, and a full set of radiographs once every three years (which we do on both my own family, staff, and myself).

Please remember that we always use a lead shield over the body, which includes a thyroid collar. Additionally, we use digital xrays, which have 90% less radiation than conventional radiographs. The amount of exposure has been compared by scientists to less than 3 minutes in the sun! Environmentally, the digital xrays save on the waste produced by conventional radiographs, as there is no lead foil, cardboard, or developing and fixing solution released into or on top of our earth.

If you have any specific question on this or any other subject, please let me know through phone call or through our website, www.ClevelandSmiles.com.

It’s Been a Busy Month: Grandchildren & Television Appearances

Cleveland Smiles — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 17:03:51 +0000

It’s been about a month since my last blog post. Since then, we have been busy awaiting the birth of our first grandchild. Well, on March 29th, Owen Cooper Veltri was born at 7 pounds, 6 ounces; Owen, our daughter Stephanie, and our son-in-law Jeff are all doing well. Many of you have sent messages and cards, and we are all very appreciative.

We’re back to work and enjoying every minute of it. Last week, April 12th, we had Joe Cronauer from WKYC’s ‘Good Company’ in our office for a visit, which he showed on the morning show. In addition, our waiting room was featured on the program back in March. Get a tour of the waiting area in the video below:

Also, speaking of TV segments, we focused on dental implants on the Golden Opportunities segment on Sunday, April 8th. You can view that segment below. Thanks for watching!

Cleveland Smiles Awarded Angie’s List Super Service Award

Cleveland Smiles — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 08:00:31 +0000

Our practice was recently identified as a Super Service Award winner on Angie’s List, which highlights exemplary care in businesses, not limited just to dentistry. Only 5% of the Angie’s List participants receive the designation, so we are especially proud of our ClevelandSmiles staff!!

Additionally, we are one of only three offices to get a “Top Dentist” recognition in Cleveland, Ohio. It can be found online on both “Top Dentist” and ‘Everday Health.” Once again, I have to thank our staff for their help in achieving this award.

Importantly, both of these milestones came through our patients giving reviews of our care on these sites. Please continue to support our work, and if there are areas that need improvement, please don’t hesitate to let us know so that we can make every experience even better (but in a kind way, you know how sensitive we are….)!

Teaching Area Dentists About Cadent Itero

Cleveland Smiles — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 08:00:42 +0000

We recently gave a class to about 25 Cleveland dentists and dental assistants at the Dental Ceramics laboratory and training center in Richfield. The course centered on the use of the Cadent Itero digital impression system. It really is state of the art and is quickly becoming the standard of care in dentistry when taking impressions for dental veneers, crowns, and bridges.

We got wonderful reviews of the course and hope to bring this technology to other practices in this area of the country, as well as Northeastern Ohio/Cleveland dental practices.

New Smile Update Newsletter Coming Soon!

Cleveland Smiles — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 08:00:15 +0000

Look for our Winter/Spring Smile Update newsletter in the next few days. We’ve highlighted our 35 years of dental practice and the changes that have occurred. Additionally, we have some wonderful comments/testimonials by our patients, one of which noted, following extensive dental treatment, dental implants, and porcelain veneers, “Life is better when you can smile without hesitation!….now I’m a brighter, more personable version of myself.” Those words are especially gratifying to my staff and me!

If you have any ideas for the ClevelandSmiles future newsletters, please let us know!

EMax Porcelain Veneers

Cleveland Smiles — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 21:07:56 +0000

After doing a WKYC Channel 3/Golden Opportunities segment on veneers, I had a lot of questions about the strength of the new porcelain veneers we are using. Our primary material, in both veneers and crowns, is called EMax, developed by the Ivoclar company (their USA headquarters are in Buffalo, New York, which I visited last year). Because of the improved strength (3 to 4 times stronger than previous porcelains), we can make today’s veneers .3 to .5 mm in depth (like a contact lens). This allows for more conservative tooth preparations and greater natural translucency!

All of these improvements make for a more natural and beautiful restoration, and, more importantly, a more natural and beautiful smile!!

Watch Our Television Appearances Online

Cleveland Smiles — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 08:00:15 +0000

I was recently asked by a new patient if there was a way to view some of our recent segments on WKYC/channel 3’s “Golden Opportunities.” She said that she had “discovered” us by watching the show last week and appreciated that we were giving out education in dentistry that could not be found anywhere else on television. She wanted to learn more than she had gotten on that one segment.

In fact, there were a number of ways to see our appearances on previous shows, both from “Golden Opportunities” and the weekday show “Good Company.” They can be found here on our website, on the Cleveland Smiles Facebook Page, www.GoldenOpportunities.tv, www.WKYC.com/GoodCompany, the Cleveland Smiles Channel on YouTube, and in our office by slipping in a DVD into our new flatscreen TVs (all you have to do is ask)!

Cleveland Smiles Named a Top Dentist

Cleveland Smiles — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 08:00:00 +0000

We were recently named one of the “Top Dentists” in Northeast Ohio. We were listed on the “Top Dentist” website as one of the three recommended offices for dental care in Cleveland. Please check it out, and let your friends and colleagues know as well. We are always here for you – and for them; we welcome your referrals – and send you a Starbucks gift card as our way of saying “thanks.”

All of us here at www.ClevelandSmiles are gratified by your support; it is, indeed, a team effort!!!

Happy New Year!

Cleveland Smiles — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:51:42 +0000

Happy New Year to all of our patients, colleagues, friends, and followers!!! We hope that you had a wonderful holiday season – but even if you never made it to the “ball drop” at New York’s Time Square, make sure that you don’t drop the ball on your dental treatment this coming year, 2012.

We have a number of new techniques and products that we will be “featuring” in 2012, both dental and non-dental. Included among them are Oraverse (that reverses the numbness from injections), nitrous oxide (laughing gas for patients with dental anxiety), thinner and stronger porcelain veneers (both Lumineers and Dental Ceramic veneers), and even an iPad for the reception area!

It is our intention that these and other innovations will keep you smiling all year long!