All dentists, hygienists and dental assistants are required to take regular continuing education in order to maintain a license. At Douglas Dental we take that requirement very seriously. We see the benefit of continuing education for gaining information on new techniques and finding “pearls” that can help us improve the patient experience and outcomes of […]
Author: Dr. Dwight Rastetter
Tooth Pain Emergency!
When toothache pain strikes, most people’s first thought is to call a dentist. Unfortunately, there is an increasing trend for people to visit the Emergency Room (ER) for toothache pain. The American Dental Association recently reported in their newsletter that “The deterioration in private and public dental benefits coverage for adults has clearly created significant […]
DOES MY INSURANCE COVER THAT???
When we propose treatment for a patient, the most common questions we get are “Will it hurt?” and “Does my insurance cover that/How much will it cost?” Well, in regards to the first question, we use all resources available to make all procedures comfortable. This includes topical/local anesthetics, Nitrous oxide (laughing gas) and various other […]
Tooth Sensitivity
Most people have experienced tooth sensitivity at some point in their lifetime. The causes of tooth sensitivity vary. One of the most common causes is recession of the gum tissue with root exposure. Gum recession can occur as a result of normal oral hygiene such as brushing. If the tissue is thin in certain areas, […]
News on Dental Decay
WHO Channel 13 here in Des Moines recently did a segment on dental decay. The basis of the story was that a patient had gone to a dentist and was told they needed 12 fillings. This person then obtained a second opinion and was told that no fillings were necessary. The segment was fairly well […]
What have we been up to?
Douglas Dental had some activities over this past weekend worth mentioning. Jane attended the Star of The North Dental Meeting in Minneapolis. Along with attending lecture classes, she spent considerable time on the exhibit floor checking out the latest and greatest dentistry has to offer. Some of the newest trends in dentistry are the use […]
Wasabi Chi
My daily schedule is often unpredictable. Most days I have time to grab some lunch, but often just something at my desk between patients. If I do have time to get out of the office, I have found a new lunchtime favorite. Wasabi Chi is located just to the east of my office on Douglas, […]
Dental Amalgam
Recently Dr. Oz had a segment on his show addressing the use of Dental Amalgam. Amalgam is a mix of metals that when combined are initially soft and pliable but after time, set and become very hard. The controversy with amalgam is that it contains mercury. This is the reason Dr. Oz recently looked into […]
Soda is Now the Most Consumed Beverage in the US
Soda is now the most consumed beverage in the United States. The average American consumes over 40 gallons of soda per year. This staggering amount of soda intake has obvious health consequences ranging from obesity to osteoporosis. From a dental perspective, the deleterious effects of high soda intake can be devastating. The acidic nature of […]
That Oral Surgeon in Oklahoma
There was an article recently released about an Oral Surgeon in Oklahoma. The article tells of numerous violations of infection control procedures by him and his staff. The violations resulted in possible exposure of hundreds to thousands of patients to blood borne pathogens. Obviously there is no excuse for such disregard for infection control. It […]