The ADA (American Dental Association) has an informative website, Mouth Healthy, that provides information for consumers. A recent article there identifies the 6 worst habits that can harm your teeth:
If you have one or more of these habits, now might be the time to start working on breaking them.
On June 17 and 18, Jane and I traveled to Brush, Colorado to volunteer our time with Colorado Mission of Mercy (COMOM). From the COMOM website:
The Colorado Mission of Mercy (COMOM) is a large-scale dental clinic that is held annually in a Colorado community. With 125 portable dental chairs, dental services are provided to adults, elderly, and children, who cannot afford dental care. An outpouring of nearly 200 volunteer dentists from across the state – along with hundreds of dental hygienists, assistants, lab technicians, and a myriad of lay volunteers and other health professionals – work in tandem with community groups and agencies to better the oral health of individuals who come to the clinic. The COMOM mission is to provide quality dental services, at no cost, to individuals of all ages who cannot afford and access dental care; eliminating dental pain, promoting oral health, creating smiles, and providing oral health education.
I had two different volunteer assistants working with me while I saw patients this year, and Jane was in another area providing teeth cleanings. It’s a worthwhile event we try to attend each year.
Every year, Colorado Springs Style Magazine compiles a list of top dentists in Colorado Springs. Dr. Albers is honored to be recognized again this year as a 2016 Top Dentist. The magazine partners with the Colorado Springs Dental Society and a marketing firm to survey members of the Dental Society. Dr. Albers appreciates being recognized by his peers for the quality of his dental work. He spends many hours each year participating in multiple study groups, allowing him to keep abreast of the latest techniques in dentistry, and to work on complex cases with other study club members. These experiences impact the quality of care he is able to provide to patients, which is apparent to other dental providers in the community.
You can find the complete list of top dentists in the 2016 May/June edition of Colorado Springs Style Magazine. A biography for Dr. Albers can be found at p. 51 of the magazine.
Long time patients know that we are advocates of using electric toothbrushes. Research shows that people using a regular toothbrush will spend less than 40 seconds brushing their teeth, while most electric toothbrushes have timers in the 2 minute range. Electric toothbrushes also guard against over-brushing, the overly vigorous brushing of teeth, as the toothbrushes do all the work. While there are a number of different brands and types of electric toothbrushes, we have recently starting carrying one of the two top brands. If you aren’t already using an electric toothbrush, we highly recommend that you visit with our staff at your next visit about the pros and cons of using them.
Academy of Restorative Dentistry
Colorado Springs Study Club
These pictures are from the 2016 Chicago Dental Conferences I attended in February, including the Academy of Operative Dentistry and The American Academy of Restorative Dentistry meetings. These annual meetings, two days each, are filled with lectures, table clinics, and opportunities to visit with dental professionals from across the country and abroad. I participate in two study groups, one made up of local dentists, and one of dentists from several different states. The group shot shows members of the local group who traveled to Chicago. Continuing dental education is important to all of us.