I spent the last two days attending Esthetic Professionals 10th Annual Update course. This is the third or fourth Esthetic Professionals update course I have attended. It was highly informative on the latest and greatest in dental technology and materials. Also, I had the pleasure of hearing Dr. Bill Dorfman speak as well as a dental materials educater from Loma Linda School of Dentistry, Dr. Brian Novy.
The most exciting new technology presented at the meeting is 3M ESPE's new digital scanner called the LAVA COS. The scanner can image a tooth in the mouth that has been prepared for a crown. The scanner is a mix between a video camera and a still picture camera. It moves around like a video while at the same time plotting 20,000 picture points. These picture points are so accurate that the image can be used to fabricate a model that can be used to make the final crown restoration.
Dr. Bill Dorfman spoke about an electronic oral cancer detection system call VELscope. Apparently, the light emitted from the Velscope shows any cancerous or precancerous lesions as black tissue. Twenty-five percent of oral cancers occur in people that have no obvious risk factors such as a history of smoking or excessive alcohol consumption.
Dr. Brian Novy presented some convincing clinical work he has done to remove decalcified white spots caused by braces. The treatment for the white spots involves wearing custom plastic trays that are similar to bleaching trays, along with a calcium-phosphate-fluoride paste called MI paste. These trays are worn for about a month and the white spots nearly disappear.
It is always fun to learn about new technologies and procedures. The hard part is deciding which technologies to bring back to your office.
Kari Ann Hong, DDS
1000 Newbury Road, Suite 190
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
www.familycaredentists.com
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Conquering the two year old patient
In the past two weeks I have seen three patients in the two year old age range. The biggest challenge with patients in this age group is getting them to open their mouths and to stay open while you look in their mouth. I asked my son's pediatrician the other day why it is that one and two year olds don't like to open their mouths. His response was that the mouth is the one thing a child that age can control. Apparently you can put your fingers in the child's ears and eventually they will open their mouth to get you to remove your fingers. While this trick might work for the pediatrician that is just trying to take a quick look in the back of the throat, it doesn't work so well for the dentist that needs to evaluate 20 individual teeth.
Back to my story... I saw three such patients recently. The first one was a girl that was turning two in a couple of weeks. She didn't want to have anything to do with me and refused to even open her mouth. The second child I saw was a girl that had just turned two. I tried a different approach with her. First, my assistant found a cartoon on television for the girl to watch. Then I had the mom hold the daughter in her lap while we counted the mom's teeth. After we counted the mom's teeth, the little girl wanted her teeth counted as well. While counting the teeth I am able to evaluate each individual tooth for cavities. By two years of age nearly all twenty of the baby teeth have erupted. If cavities are present at this age, then they are either visually evident or are apparent when touching the tooth with a dental explorer (an instrument with a pin like end).
The third patient I saw was a three year old boy. In his case both the cartoon trick and counting daddy's teeth worked. As a three year old there was a little bit more comprehension of what was going on and I was able to polish his teeth as well.
Fortunately, in all three cases the children's parents were doing a good job assisting with the brushing and none of the children had any cavities. When kids this age do get cavities the only way to treat them is to either wait until the child is older (like age four or five) or to treat them while the child is under anesthesia. The best thing for the two and three year old patient is cavity prevention!
Kari Ann Hong, DDS
1000 Newbury Road, Suite 190
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
www.familycaredentists.com
Back to my story... I saw three such patients recently. The first one was a girl that was turning two in a couple of weeks. She didn't want to have anything to do with me and refused to even open her mouth. The second child I saw was a girl that had just turned two. I tried a different approach with her. First, my assistant found a cartoon on television for the girl to watch. Then I had the mom hold the daughter in her lap while we counted the mom's teeth. After we counted the mom's teeth, the little girl wanted her teeth counted as well. While counting the teeth I am able to evaluate each individual tooth for cavities. By two years of age nearly all twenty of the baby teeth have erupted. If cavities are present at this age, then they are either visually evident or are apparent when touching the tooth with a dental explorer (an instrument with a pin like end).
The third patient I saw was a three year old boy. In his case both the cartoon trick and counting daddy's teeth worked. As a three year old there was a little bit more comprehension of what was going on and I was able to polish his teeth as well.
Fortunately, in all three cases the children's parents were doing a good job assisting with the brushing and none of the children had any cavities. When kids this age do get cavities the only way to treat them is to either wait until the child is older (like age four or five) or to treat them while the child is under anesthesia. The best thing for the two and three year old patient is cavity prevention!
Kari Ann Hong, DDS
1000 Newbury Road, Suite 190
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
www.familycaredentists.com
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Grandma- The Obiturary
Mildred Bernice Carnot was born on August 24, 1928 in Hemingford, Nebraska to Louise and Emil Nekuda. For the first twelve years of her life Mildred lived on a farm with her parents that was owned by Mildred's maternal grandparents. When Mildred started kindergarten she didn't speak a work of English as the Czech language was the only thing spoken at home. Mildred spent a lot of time on the farm with her maternal grandmother, Marie (Stumf) Vorovka, and her uncle George Vorovka who was only six years older than her. Mildred's one sibling, Arline, was born when Mildred was seven years old.
At the age of twelve, Mildred and her family moved from Hemingford, Nebraska to Santa Monica, California where her father had the opportunity to work as an electrician. Mildred attended Santa Monica High School and graduated in 1946. After high school Mildred worked in the Santa Monica High School office. World War II ended in December of 1946. Soon after the war ended Mildred met her future husband- a World War II veteran, Jerry John Carnot, at a Czech dance function in La Crescenta. They were married in March 21, 1948 in Santa Monica California.
Mildred and Jerry lived near the USC campus after they were married while Jerry completed his accounting degree. While Mildred was pregnant with their first child, they built a house together in Sherman Oaks, California where they ended up living for the next 42 years. Mildred was on bed rest for the latter part of her pregnancy and was unable to be apart of the daily decisions being made at the house. On one occasion when she was able to make it over to see the house, she found out that her father-in-law had vetoed her decision to have a sunken living room. Apparently, Jerry, his father, and brothers did much of the work on the the house themselves and made some executive decisions without consulting Mildred, which made her quite upset. Mildred and Jerry's first born, Candis, was born on September 7, 1951. They went on to have two more children- Karen on August 6, 1953 and Robert on May 20, 1958.
Over the years Mildred held a number of jobs to bring in extra income for the family. Her next door neighbors the Shroeder's had a dime store that she worked at when her kids were little. When her daughters entered high school Mildred worked at a local elementary school, Dixie Canyon Elementary, so she would have extra money to send her girls to college. In her 50's Mildred worked for Sol Saks, the writer for the television show Bewitched, managing his checkbook and taking notes for him in long hand. She also volunteered at the Los Angeles Zoo.
Mildred traveled all over the world with Jerry, but her favorite place to vacation was in Yosemite where her parents owned a cabin in Wawona. Mildred used to say that when on vacation in Yosemite that time would stand still for her. She loved the peacefulness of the pine tree cover in the forest and the sound of the river flowing near the cabin.
Mildred and Jerry had a large social network of friends which included people they met in the Czech community, neighbors in Sherman Oaks, and parents of their children's friends. They played golf, had bridge parties, saw performances at the Hollywood Bowl, traveled, and had holiday parties with their friends.
In 1993 Mildred and Jerry sold their house in Sherman Oaks and moved to Newbury Park, California to be closer to Mildred's mother. Mildred started to show signs of memory loss as early as 1996. She couldn't remember how to make foods she had always made with ease, she would re-tell the exact same story within a five minute time frame, and her personality started to change. By her 50 year wedding anniversary with Jerry in 1998, Mildred was no longer the same person. Alzheimer's Disease was diagnosed in 2001. In all the years that Mildred had her illness, she did maintain a very sweet and loving personality. She was never angry or cross, despite her frustrations to communicate and make sense of what was happening to her.
Mildred was a soft and kind hearted soul. She was fond of classical music, playing the piano, Scrabble, card games, golf, tennis, cooking gourmet meals, decorating for the Christmas and Easter holidays, keeping her house super clean, and spending time with her family and friends. She was the parent her kids would go to when they wanted something. She would find a way to help them get what they wanted. As a grandparent, Mildred was a wonderful caregiver, generous, fun-loving, and always up for an adventure. As a daughter, Mildred looked after her mother and even after her illness she had some trustworthy helpers in her husband and daughter Candy to carry out her wishes.
Mildred is survived by her mother, three children, three grandchildren and one great-grandchild. After Mildred's husband Jerry passed away in July 2005, Mildred attended the Methodist Church in Thousand Oaks with her daughter and son-in-law most Sundays. Despite the fact she had limited verbal communication and memory these past three years, she was still able to say the Lord's Prayer during Sundays services. We pray that she is in a better place now and that she will rest in peace.
Kari Ann Hong, DDS
1000 Newbury Road, Suite 190
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
www.familycaredentists.com
At the age of twelve, Mildred and her family moved from Hemingford, Nebraska to Santa Monica, California where her father had the opportunity to work as an electrician. Mildred attended Santa Monica High School and graduated in 1946. After high school Mildred worked in the Santa Monica High School office. World War II ended in December of 1946. Soon after the war ended Mildred met her future husband- a World War II veteran, Jerry John Carnot, at a Czech dance function in La Crescenta. They were married in March 21, 1948 in Santa Monica California.
Mildred and Jerry lived near the USC campus after they were married while Jerry completed his accounting degree. While Mildred was pregnant with their first child, they built a house together in Sherman Oaks, California where they ended up living for the next 42 years. Mildred was on bed rest for the latter part of her pregnancy and was unable to be apart of the daily decisions being made at the house. On one occasion when she was able to make it over to see the house, she found out that her father-in-law had vetoed her decision to have a sunken living room. Apparently, Jerry, his father, and brothers did much of the work on the the house themselves and made some executive decisions without consulting Mildred, which made her quite upset. Mildred and Jerry's first born, Candis, was born on September 7, 1951. They went on to have two more children- Karen on August 6, 1953 and Robert on May 20, 1958.
Over the years Mildred held a number of jobs to bring in extra income for the family. Her next door neighbors the Shroeder's had a dime store that she worked at when her kids were little. When her daughters entered high school Mildred worked at a local elementary school, Dixie Canyon Elementary, so she would have extra money to send her girls to college. In her 50's Mildred worked for Sol Saks, the writer for the television show Bewitched, managing his checkbook and taking notes for him in long hand. She also volunteered at the Los Angeles Zoo.
Mildred traveled all over the world with Jerry, but her favorite place to vacation was in Yosemite where her parents owned a cabin in Wawona. Mildred used to say that when on vacation in Yosemite that time would stand still for her. She loved the peacefulness of the pine tree cover in the forest and the sound of the river flowing near the cabin.
Mildred and Jerry had a large social network of friends which included people they met in the Czech community, neighbors in Sherman Oaks, and parents of their children's friends. They played golf, had bridge parties, saw performances at the Hollywood Bowl, traveled, and had holiday parties with their friends.
In 1993 Mildred and Jerry sold their house in Sherman Oaks and moved to Newbury Park, California to be closer to Mildred's mother. Mildred started to show signs of memory loss as early as 1996. She couldn't remember how to make foods she had always made with ease, she would re-tell the exact same story within a five minute time frame, and her personality started to change. By her 50 year wedding anniversary with Jerry in 1998, Mildred was no longer the same person. Alzheimer's Disease was diagnosed in 2001. In all the years that Mildred had her illness, she did maintain a very sweet and loving personality. She was never angry or cross, despite her frustrations to communicate and make sense of what was happening to her.
Mildred was a soft and kind hearted soul. She was fond of classical music, playing the piano, Scrabble, card games, golf, tennis, cooking gourmet meals, decorating for the Christmas and Easter holidays, keeping her house super clean, and spending time with her family and friends. She was the parent her kids would go to when they wanted something. She would find a way to help them get what they wanted. As a grandparent, Mildred was a wonderful caregiver, generous, fun-loving, and always up for an adventure. As a daughter, Mildred looked after her mother and even after her illness she had some trustworthy helpers in her husband and daughter Candy to carry out her wishes.
Mildred is survived by her mother, three children, three grandchildren and one great-grandchild. After Mildred's husband Jerry passed away in July 2005, Mildred attended the Methodist Church in Thousand Oaks with her daughter and son-in-law most Sundays. Despite the fact she had limited verbal communication and memory these past three years, she was still able to say the Lord's Prayer during Sundays services. We pray that she is in a better place now and that she will rest in peace.
Kari Ann Hong, DDS
1000 Newbury Road, Suite 190
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
www.familycaredentists.com
Monday, September 15, 2008
Grandma
My grandma, Mildred Carnot, passed away last night after a long battle with Alzheimer's Disease. She was eighty years old. She is survived by her mother, sister, three children, three grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
When I was growing up my grandparents lived in Sherman Oaks in a two bedroom house they built themselves in the early 1950's. Their home always felt like a second home to me. I could probably build a cardboard replica of their house I knew it so well. Down to the magnolia tree in the front yard, the sycamore tree in the backyard, the rose bushes the bordered the front windows, the hydrangea plant that screened the neighbor's door, the banana bushes on the side of the house, the tomato plants and zucchini bushes in the garden in the summer, the lime tree, the brick patio that defined the back courtyard, the real stone fireplace that covered an entire 12 foot wall in the den, the green 50's tile that covered the kitchen counters, the bathtub in the "kid's bath," and the dual sided furnace heater that heated the entire house.
I have so many fond memories of spending time with my grandparents. My parents would drop my brother and I off for weekend visits quite often. Also, we would spend one week every summer with my grandparents at their vacation home in Yosemite.
My grandmother was an amazing cook. My two favorite dishes were her buttermilk pancakes and her chicken matzo ball soup. However, she made much more elaborate meals for family gatherings. Basically there wasn't ever anything she made that I didn't want to eat.
My grandma taught me many things. She loved card games- pinochle, war, bridge, hearts, and gin rummy. She was an avid golfer and tennis player. She had an extreme fondness for animals. She sewed and knitted. Best of all, my grandma was fun loving and innovative in her approach to entertaining us grandkids. I remember one summer when my grandparents had purchased a new Maytag washer and dryer. Grandma let us decorate the boxes the machines came in and we slept in them one night out on her back patio. When we were in Yosemite she was constantly coming up with art projects that used either fallen tree wood or stones from the river. It was in Yosemite that she taught me how to knit and where I had started to knit a baby blanket for my cousin that is now 16 years old. I never finished the blanket, but I still have the squares I started then, and I still remember how to knit.
I last saw my grandma at her assisted living home about a week ago. It was so sad to see her at the end of her life, totally unable to move or think. I visited her that day with my mom, my great-grandma (her mom) and my 15 month old son. My mom was calm and collected, my great-grandma wanted to sit by the bed and hold her hand, my son walked around the room wanting to touch all of the electronics, and I sat in a chair and cried uncontrollably. I couldn't even say goodbye. It has been a long, difficult journey to see my grandmother deteriorate the way she has over the last 10 years.
My son has been an amazing life force during this difficult time. He is so full of life and love and joy. He seems so unaffected by the sadness that surrounds him. Perhaps the most precious moments though are to see my mom with him and to know that my son will get to know his grandma the way I got to know mine.
Kari Ann Hong, DDS
1000 Newbury Road, Suite 190
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
www.familycaredentists.com
When I was growing up my grandparents lived in Sherman Oaks in a two bedroom house they built themselves in the early 1950's. Their home always felt like a second home to me. I could probably build a cardboard replica of their house I knew it so well. Down to the magnolia tree in the front yard, the sycamore tree in the backyard, the rose bushes the bordered the front windows, the hydrangea plant that screened the neighbor's door, the banana bushes on the side of the house, the tomato plants and zucchini bushes in the garden in the summer, the lime tree, the brick patio that defined the back courtyard, the real stone fireplace that covered an entire 12 foot wall in the den, the green 50's tile that covered the kitchen counters, the bathtub in the "kid's bath," and the dual sided furnace heater that heated the entire house.
I have so many fond memories of spending time with my grandparents. My parents would drop my brother and I off for weekend visits quite often. Also, we would spend one week every summer with my grandparents at their vacation home in Yosemite.
My grandmother was an amazing cook. My two favorite dishes were her buttermilk pancakes and her chicken matzo ball soup. However, she made much more elaborate meals for family gatherings. Basically there wasn't ever anything she made that I didn't want to eat.
My grandma taught me many things. She loved card games- pinochle, war, bridge, hearts, and gin rummy. She was an avid golfer and tennis player. She had an extreme fondness for animals. She sewed and knitted. Best of all, my grandma was fun loving and innovative in her approach to entertaining us grandkids. I remember one summer when my grandparents had purchased a new Maytag washer and dryer. Grandma let us decorate the boxes the machines came in and we slept in them one night out on her back patio. When we were in Yosemite she was constantly coming up with art projects that used either fallen tree wood or stones from the river. It was in Yosemite that she taught me how to knit and where I had started to knit a baby blanket for my cousin that is now 16 years old. I never finished the blanket, but I still have the squares I started then, and I still remember how to knit.
I last saw my grandma at her assisted living home about a week ago. It was so sad to see her at the end of her life, totally unable to move or think. I visited her that day with my mom, my great-grandma (her mom) and my 15 month old son. My mom was calm and collected, my great-grandma wanted to sit by the bed and hold her hand, my son walked around the room wanting to touch all of the electronics, and I sat in a chair and cried uncontrollably. I couldn't even say goodbye. It has been a long, difficult journey to see my grandmother deteriorate the way she has over the last 10 years.
My son has been an amazing life force during this difficult time. He is so full of life and love and joy. He seems so unaffected by the sadness that surrounds him. Perhaps the most precious moments though are to see my mom with him and to know that my son will get to know his grandma the way I got to know mine.
Kari Ann Hong, DDS
1000 Newbury Road, Suite 190
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
www.familycaredentists.com
Monday, June 16, 2008
Wedding Season
My husband was the best man for one of his dear friends in Scottdale, Arizona this past Saturday. A wedding is always cause for pictures and I took quite a few of the wedding party. Since I am in the teeth business I have a tendency to study smiles. One of the first things I notice in a picture is whether or not the subjects in the picture are showing their teeth. Many times when people are embarrassed about their appearance of their teeth, they purposefully smile with their lips closed. The next thing I notice in a picture is the color of the teeth and the last thing I notice is alignment of the teeth.
I was pleasantly suprised that for the most part the wedding party all smiled with their teeth showing. The one thing that would have really enhanced the pictures is whiter teeth. There are so many different whitening products on the market it is tough to know what to do for whiter teeth.
My recommendation is a new procedure called Deep Bleaching. It is lifetime bleaching with definite whiter and brighter results. What makes it different than other types of bleaching is that the bleach product is kept refrigerated from the manufacturer and it is a combination of in office and take home bleaching trays. The entire process takes two weeks from start to finish and only requires one night of touch up once a month thereafter. Deep bleaching is more costly than other forms of bleaching, but it has definite measurable and lasting results!
Kari Ann Hong, DDS
1000 Newbury Road, Suite 190
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
http://www.familycaredentists.com/
1000 Newbury Road, Suite 190
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
http://www.familycaredentists.com/
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Community College
My dental assistant is taking classes at the local community college. She is working towards becoming a hygienist. It is the end of the semester and she had a performance for her tap class on Monday night.
I never had the pleasure of attending community college. I went straight from high school to UCLA. While at UCLA I was totally focused on the technical- math and science- classes. The only "fun" classes I took were Women's Studies and English literature. Also, I was so focused on my studies that I rarely carved time out for any exciting social experiences. I do regret not having more diversity in my undergraduate coursework!
It was so much fun watching the different classes (ballroom, jazz, ballet, impressionist) perform. Community college is a great way to get general education credits out of the way and to try out new things, all for minimal cost. I noticed there were some much older students in a couple of the classes...
Kari Ann Hong, DDS
1000 Newbury Road, Suite 190
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
www.dentist4smiles.com
I never had the pleasure of attending community college. I went straight from high school to UCLA. While at UCLA I was totally focused on the technical- math and science- classes. The only "fun" classes I took were Women's Studies and English literature. Also, I was so focused on my studies that I rarely carved time out for any exciting social experiences. I do regret not having more diversity in my undergraduate coursework!
It was so much fun watching the different classes (ballroom, jazz, ballet, impressionist) perform. Community college is a great way to get general education credits out of the way and to try out new things, all for minimal cost. I noticed there were some much older students in a couple of the classes...
Kari Ann Hong, DDS
1000 Newbury Road, Suite 190
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
www.dentist4smiles.com
Monday, May 12, 2008
Baby Dental Care
My son is nearing his one year birthday now and has four teeth. I take Wednesdays off from work and use that opportunity to take my son to a Park District Baby 'N Me class. The babies in his class range in age from 9 to 15 months. Recently, some of the other moms have asked me if I see children and at what age they should start seeing the dentist.
Yes, I do see children in my dental practice. According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, babies should start seeing the dentist at 1 year of age. Dental care for babies is all about prevention and informing parents about how to care for their children's teeth. The most important thing to know for babies, in regards to teeth, is that putting a baby to bed with a bottle or breast milk can cause serious tooth decay. So once a baby has teeth, on demand middle of the night feedings and falling asleep with a bottle should be eliminated.
The funny thing is that even though I know middle of the night feedings should be eliminated, it has only been in the last two weeks that I have stopped nursing my son in the middle of the night. So for about two months of my son having teeth, I didn't follow my own dental advice. Fortunately, he isn't showing any signs of tooth decay!
Kari Ann Hong, DDS
1000 Newbury Road, Suite 190
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
www.dentist4smiles.com
Yes, I do see children in my dental practice. According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, babies should start seeing the dentist at 1 year of age. Dental care for babies is all about prevention and informing parents about how to care for their children's teeth. The most important thing to know for babies, in regards to teeth, is that putting a baby to bed with a bottle or breast milk can cause serious tooth decay. So once a baby has teeth, on demand middle of the night feedings and falling asleep with a bottle should be eliminated.
The funny thing is that even though I know middle of the night feedings should be eliminated, it has only been in the last two weeks that I have stopped nursing my son in the middle of the night. So for about two months of my son having teeth, I didn't follow my own dental advice. Fortunately, he isn't showing any signs of tooth decay!
Kari Ann Hong, DDS
1000 Newbury Road, Suite 190
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
www.dentist4smiles.com
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Disneyland and the California Dental Association
Every spring the California Dental Association holds a dental vendor show at the Anaheim Convention center. This year the convention is this first weekend in May. The dental association offers discounted Disneyland tickets as part of the convention. I took Friday off so that I could take my family to Disneyland and California Adventure. We then stayed at the Disneyland California Grand Hotel so I could go to the convention today.
Both the amusement park and the hotel offer quite a lesson in consumerism. First of all, I was suprised at the large number of families with young children that visit the park and stay at the hotel. Even with my convention discount for the Disneyland tickets and hotel, it was a costly two days. In addition to the tickets and hotel cost, there is the eating out and Disneyland merchandise expense. For a family of four it probably costs nearly $1000 to spend one weekend at Disneyland and California Adventure.
Kari Ann Hong, DDS
1000 Newbury Road, Suite 190
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
www.dentist4smiles.com
Both the amusement park and the hotel offer quite a lesson in consumerism. First of all, I was suprised at the large number of families with young children that visit the park and stay at the hotel. Even with my convention discount for the Disneyland tickets and hotel, it was a costly two days. In addition to the tickets and hotel cost, there is the eating out and Disneyland merchandise expense. For a family of four it probably costs nearly $1000 to spend one weekend at Disneyland and California Adventure.
Kari Ann Hong, DDS
1000 Newbury Road, Suite 190
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
www.dentist4smiles.com
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Care to Share?
I am always looking for ways to grow my practice. A while ago I had a practice consultant tell me that internal marketing is always the most effective way to get new patients. Internal marketing has many facets, but is primarily based on treating the patients you have so well that they can't help but talk about you to their friends and family.
Thus, we do our best to treat our patients the way we would want to be treated. In my office, that means scheduling individual appointment times for each patient so that patients are never made to wait. I diagnosis based on the patient's wants and I assist the patient in making informed decisions on their proposed treatments. I have surrounded myself with friendly staff that have a similar mindset and go out of their way to assist our patients with everything from pain management to financing options.
To reward our patients that do refer their friends and family we have started a program called "Care to Share." Each month we have a drawing for two $50 gift baskets. For the month of April we are giving away Dodger tickets. Both the person that referred the new patient and the new patient are entered into the drawing. It is our way of saying thanks for thinking of us. Also, we give every referral source two mann movie tickets, each time they refer a new patient.
We implemented the Care to Share program this past November and so far so good. We have seen an increase in our word of mouth referrals from our patients.
Kari Ann Hong, DDS
1000 Newbury Road, Suite 190
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
www.dentist4smiles.com
Thus, we do our best to treat our patients the way we would want to be treated. In my office, that means scheduling individual appointment times for each patient so that patients are never made to wait. I diagnosis based on the patient's wants and I assist the patient in making informed decisions on their proposed treatments. I have surrounded myself with friendly staff that have a similar mindset and go out of their way to assist our patients with everything from pain management to financing options.
To reward our patients that do refer their friends and family we have started a program called "Care to Share." Each month we have a drawing for two $50 gift baskets. For the month of April we are giving away Dodger tickets. Both the person that referred the new patient and the new patient are entered into the drawing. It is our way of saying thanks for thinking of us. Also, we give every referral source two mann movie tickets, each time they refer a new patient.
We implemented the Care to Share program this past November and so far so good. We have seen an increase in our word of mouth referrals from our patients.
Kari Ann Hong, DDS
1000 Newbury Road, Suite 190
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
www.dentist4smiles.com
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Sleep and Babies
Time Magazine online published an article today on "How Not to Get Babies to Sleep." My husband lovingly emailed me the link to the article this morning. This article is particularly poignant to me right now since I haven't slept much lately. My son is ten months old today and he has slept through the night only once in ten months.
According to the article, "Every new parent knows how difficult it can be to get a fussy baby to sleep, but new research suggests that a parent's best efforts may only be exacerbating the problem — and that inadequate sleep in childhood can have long-lasting health effects. "It is very hard to let your child cry it out when they are toddlers," says Dr. Elsie Taveras of Harvard Medical School, referring to parents' tendency to pick up their children or bring them into the family bed to help them sleep. "But if you approach it differently — 'I am not even going to start my child making these sleep associations' — it's much easier to prevent [future problems]."
It is wonderful to know that in addition to the fact I am struggling with making my son sleep in his own bed, through the entire night, I now need to worry about the long-lasting health effects of his poor sleep habits. Before my son was born I swore I would encourage good sleep habits and that he would be sleeping through the night in no time. I read Baby Wise and Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Baby. In line with the thinking in those books I have tried to be consistent with a bedtime, nap times, and feeding times. I have tried a bedtime routine of bath time, reading, and feeding. I have let him cry himself to sleep since he was three months old.
The problem seems to be when he wakes up at 1, 2, 3 or 4 in the morning and I am totally exhausted. My first inclination is to feed him. Although at this age I don't think he is really hungry in the middle of the night. Sometimes I let him sleep with me in an effort to get some sleep myself. I feel like I am doing everything wrong when it comes to getting him to sleep through the night. At this point in time I think I am almost encouraging the night time waking because I am SO attentive to his needs.
Kari Ann Hong, DDS
1000 Newbury Road, Suite 190
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
www.dentist4smiles.com
According to the article, "Every new parent knows how difficult it can be to get a fussy baby to sleep, but new research suggests that a parent's best efforts may only be exacerbating the problem — and that inadequate sleep in childhood can have long-lasting health effects. "It is very hard to let your child cry it out when they are toddlers," says Dr. Elsie Taveras of Harvard Medical School, referring to parents' tendency to pick up their children or bring them into the family bed to help them sleep. "But if you approach it differently — 'I am not even going to start my child making these sleep associations' — it's much easier to prevent [future problems]."
It is wonderful to know that in addition to the fact I am struggling with making my son sleep in his own bed, through the entire night, I now need to worry about the long-lasting health effects of his poor sleep habits. Before my son was born I swore I would encourage good sleep habits and that he would be sleeping through the night in no time. I read Baby Wise and Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Baby. In line with the thinking in those books I have tried to be consistent with a bedtime, nap times, and feeding times. I have tried a bedtime routine of bath time, reading, and feeding. I have let him cry himself to sleep since he was three months old.
The problem seems to be when he wakes up at 1, 2, 3 or 4 in the morning and I am totally exhausted. My first inclination is to feed him. Although at this age I don't think he is really hungry in the middle of the night. Sometimes I let him sleep with me in an effort to get some sleep myself. I feel like I am doing everything wrong when it comes to getting him to sleep through the night. At this point in time I think I am almost encouraging the night time waking because I am SO attentive to his needs.
Kari Ann Hong, DDS
1000 Newbury Road, Suite 190
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
www.dentist4smiles.com
Saturday, March 29, 2008
How to choose a dentist
My husband and I recently had to find a contractor in Portland, Oregon, while we live in southern California. Since we didn’t have the benefit of having a word of mouth referral, we turned to the internet to search for one. I happened upon a web based company that acts as a referral source for contractors. The referral company gave me the contact information for three supposedly “pre-screened” and “excellent” contractors. In the process of speaking with one of those contractors I asked how he became part of that company’s referral network. He said that he had to pay 50 dollars for each referral that was sent his way. So, if a contractor pays to be part of a referral network, then are they truly prescreened and excellent at what they do?
After my experience of looking for a contractor, I started thinking about how I would choose a dentist if I was new to an area and had no idea where to go.
There are a couple of ways I would not look for a dentist. For instance, I would not even bother to contact a dental referral service such as 1-800-DENTIST. To be a prescreened member of that service, the dentist pays nearly $2000 per month. Also, I don’t think I would look in the phone book due to the limited amount of information in a print ad.
The first thing I would do is an online search for local dentists in my area, using a search engine such as Yahoo local pages, google, or superpages. Then I would look over the websites of the various dentists that came up in my area. Most websites provide a pretty good look and feel of the dentist, the practice scope, hours office is open, emergency patient information, insurance plans accepted, and payment plans.
All 50 U.S. states individually license their dentists. In California you can do a search on the dental board’s website for a dentist’s license. The website will tell you how long a dentist has been licensed, the status of the license, and if there are any outstanding complaints against them.
Another avenue I might consider in finding a dentist is calling an oral surgery office and asking for a referral. There are usually a limited number of such offices and they will have contact with a large number of the general dentists in town.
Finally, I would call any potential dentists I was interested in seeing, to ascertain the availability of appointments and whether or not the dentist makes patients wait. I want to know that if I ever were to have a dental emergency that the dentist would be able to see me relatively soon.
In my office, we try and see all new patients within two weeks of their initial phone call. We almost always run on time, because I can’t stand to make people wait. And when someone has an emergency I see them the same day. If a patient has an emergency over a weekend then I am available via my pager. Lately, I have been receiving quite a number of new patients over the internet that have seen my website or seen a review of my practice. The internet definitely has a wealth of information!
Kari Ann Hong, DDS
1000 Newbury Road, Suite 190
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
www.dentist4smiles.com
After my experience of looking for a contractor, I started thinking about how I would choose a dentist if I was new to an area and had no idea where to go.
There are a couple of ways I would not look for a dentist. For instance, I would not even bother to contact a dental referral service such as 1-800-DENTIST. To be a prescreened member of that service, the dentist pays nearly $2000 per month. Also, I don’t think I would look in the phone book due to the limited amount of information in a print ad.
The first thing I would do is an online search for local dentists in my area, using a search engine such as Yahoo local pages, google, or superpages. Then I would look over the websites of the various dentists that came up in my area. Most websites provide a pretty good look and feel of the dentist, the practice scope, hours office is open, emergency patient information, insurance plans accepted, and payment plans.
All 50 U.S. states individually license their dentists. In California you can do a search on the dental board’s website for a dentist’s license. The website will tell you how long a dentist has been licensed, the status of the license, and if there are any outstanding complaints against them.
Another avenue I might consider in finding a dentist is calling an oral surgery office and asking for a referral. There are usually a limited number of such offices and they will have contact with a large number of the general dentists in town.
Finally, I would call any potential dentists I was interested in seeing, to ascertain the availability of appointments and whether or not the dentist makes patients wait. I want to know that if I ever were to have a dental emergency that the dentist would be able to see me relatively soon.
In my office, we try and see all new patients within two weeks of their initial phone call. We almost always run on time, because I can’t stand to make people wait. And when someone has an emergency I see them the same day. If a patient has an emergency over a weekend then I am available via my pager. Lately, I have been receiving quite a number of new patients over the internet that have seen my website or seen a review of my practice. The internet definitely has a wealth of information!
Kari Ann Hong, DDS
1000 Newbury Road, Suite 190
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
www.dentist4smiles.com
Saturday, March 22, 2008
living with my parents
I am almost 30 years old, married, have a baby, and a profession and am living with my parents. My husband and I were living about 30 miles away from my office and our daycare (my parents) when our son was born last June. It became readily apparent that commuting with a baby was out of the question, so we decided to rent out our house and move in with my parents. Also, I wanted to take some time off from work and wouldn't be making a paycheck during that time. I hadn't lived with my parents since high school and I was skeptical how it was all going to work out.
It is now 10 months later and I couldn't be happier with my current living situation. The best thing about it is the built in child care. My son has two loving grandparents that are willing to watch him at any time. I think it really does take a village to raise a child. In a couple of months my husband and I will have the means to move out on our own, but we are contemplating waiting another year until our son is a little older.
Unfortunately in our society it is expected that once kids finish school they are expected to live on their own. According to a CBS article posted in October 2006, "Half of this year's graduates have moved back home and 44 percent of last year's graduates are still there, while 34 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds get cash from mom and dad — an average of $3,410 a year." So, perhaps my situation of living with my parents isn't totally odd. I feel so fortunate to have my parents support! My husband and I look at each other daily and wonder how we would manage without them. Personally, I don't know how I would continue to work without their constant love and babysitting assistance.
Kari Ann Hong, DDS
1000 Newbury Road, Suite 190
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
www.dentist4smiles.com
It is now 10 months later and I couldn't be happier with my current living situation. The best thing about it is the built in child care. My son has two loving grandparents that are willing to watch him at any time. I think it really does take a village to raise a child. In a couple of months my husband and I will have the means to move out on our own, but we are contemplating waiting another year until our son is a little older.
Unfortunately in our society it is expected that once kids finish school they are expected to live on their own. According to a CBS article posted in October 2006, "Half of this year's graduates have moved back home and 44 percent of last year's graduates are still there, while 34 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds get cash from mom and dad — an average of $3,410 a year." So, perhaps my situation of living with my parents isn't totally odd. I feel so fortunate to have my parents support! My husband and I look at each other daily and wonder how we would manage without them. Personally, I don't know how I would continue to work without their constant love and babysitting assistance.
Kari Ann Hong, DDS
1000 Newbury Road, Suite 190
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
www.dentist4smiles.com
Thursday, March 20, 2008
hiring an employee that will fit with your team
I ask all potential employees to fill out a Keirsey/Myers Briggs personality profile. As an ISFJ myself, I have found that I work better with some personality types compared to others. Also, I have noticed that my personality profile relates to certain strengths and weaknesses that I bring to the work place. Currently I have three ESFJs on staff and one ENFJ. We all get along great and I think it has a lot to do with the fact that we are all Feeling and Judging types.
Kari Ann Hong, DDS
1000 Newbury Road, Suite 190
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
http://www.dentist4smiles.com/
I was first introduced to David Keirsey's book Please Understand Me and his personality profiling by a dental practice consultant. At the time I had a mixture of staff that was not getting along and was making my life miserable. Since reading the book I have given much credence to the personality profiles of potential staff.
According to my practice consultant, a majority of female dental staff are ESFJs. An individual with this personality type is described as a people person, caregiver, warm, and energetic. These are all great traits for dental assistants that need to make people feel at ease in the dental chair, as well as be able to run around and manage the office for the doctor. My staff member that is an ENFJ is of a type that supposedly has the best people skills of any other personality type. I would agree with that analysis of her personality. In addition to her communication skills, she is also bright and highly organized.
I am an ISFJ which is described as "Quiet, kind, and conscientious. Can be depended on to follow through. Usually puts the needs of others above their own needs. Stable and practical, they value security and traditions. Well-developed sense of space and function. Rich inner world of observations about people. Extremely perceptive of other's feelings. Interested in serving others." I think my strengths in respect to my personality type are that I am a good listener regarding patient needs and am responsible and loyal to my staff. However, my weaknesses are that I avoid confrontation with staff and have difficulty telling patients they need to have work done.
So, if you want a people person, loyal, caring employee hire an ESFJ or ENFJ. And if want a dentist that will feel just as bad as you do that you need dental work, hire an ISFJ.
Kari Ann Hong, DDS
1000 Newbury Road, Suite 190
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
http://www.dentist4smiles.com/
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
three teeth and counting...
It has been a week since my nine month son slept through the night and he hasn't done it since. Part of the problem is he has only three teeth. Teeth erupt in pairs and so far his teeth have followed a normal pattern of tooth eruption (ie. lower centrals first, upper centrals second). However, only one of his upper centrals has erupted so far and it was visible about two weeks ago. The other central is taking its time and is pushing on his gums. My son's teething issues became painfully apparent last night when he had a crying fit at one o'clock in the morning and he refused to breastfeed. Unfortunately, I can't surgically move the gum out of they way so I must wait until it happens on its own.
Baby or primary teeth are always left to erupt on their own time table. Permanent teeth are a slightly different story. For instance, the permanent first molars are supposed to erupt between 5 and 6 years of age. Most parents don't even realize that these teeth have erupted because no baby teeth are lost before these teeth arrive. First molars come in behind all of the baby teeth. If a child is 8 or 9 years old and these teeth haven't erupted, then they might need surgical or orthodontic intervention.
My father works with me (he is a general dentist too) and he frequently helps people in need through our local Lutheran Social Services. He recently saw an eighteen year old girl in the office that was having persistent pain on the upper right and left sides of her mouth. The girl and her mom both thought that the teeth giving her trouble were her baby teeth. She hadn't seen a dentist in eight years due to a lack of money and no insurance. In fact the actual teeth that were causing so much pain were her permanent first molars. On a side note, all baby teeth are usually lost by about twelve years of age. The teeth were so badly broken down and decayed that they were unrestorable and had to be extracted.
The moral to this sad story is that it is important to know when teeth are supposed to erupt and to seek professional dental guidance when they don't appear on schedule or when pain is present. Also, we should demand better access to care for dental problems in children. Last year an uninsured 12 year old in Maryland, Deamonte Driver, died from complications that arose after an untreated tooth infection spread to his brain. A bill named the Deamonte Driver Dental Care Access Improvement Act of 2008 has been introduced by U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Thad Cochran (R-MS), and Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD). Let's hope that this bill will become law and that it will make a difference. In the meantime, my father and I are committed to helping get children out of pain, even when funds are limited. No child should have to die in this country due to a tooth infection.
Kari Ann Hong, DDS
1000 Newbury Road, Suite 190
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
www.dentist4smiles.com
Baby or primary teeth are always left to erupt on their own time table. Permanent teeth are a slightly different story. For instance, the permanent first molars are supposed to erupt between 5 and 6 years of age. Most parents don't even realize that these teeth have erupted because no baby teeth are lost before these teeth arrive. First molars come in behind all of the baby teeth. If a child is 8 or 9 years old and these teeth haven't erupted, then they might need surgical or orthodontic intervention.
My father works with me (he is a general dentist too) and he frequently helps people in need through our local Lutheran Social Services. He recently saw an eighteen year old girl in the office that was having persistent pain on the upper right and left sides of her mouth. The girl and her mom both thought that the teeth giving her trouble were her baby teeth. She hadn't seen a dentist in eight years due to a lack of money and no insurance. In fact the actual teeth that were causing so much pain were her permanent first molars. On a side note, all baby teeth are usually lost by about twelve years of age. The teeth were so badly broken down and decayed that they were unrestorable and had to be extracted.
The moral to this sad story is that it is important to know when teeth are supposed to erupt and to seek professional dental guidance when they don't appear on schedule or when pain is present. Also, we should demand better access to care for dental problems in children. Last year an uninsured 12 year old in Maryland, Deamonte Driver, died from complications that arose after an untreated tooth infection spread to his brain. A bill named the Deamonte Driver Dental Care Access Improvement Act of 2008 has been introduced by U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Thad Cochran (R-MS), and Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD). Let's hope that this bill will become law and that it will make a difference. In the meantime, my father and I are committed to helping get children out of pain, even when funds are limited. No child should have to die in this country due to a tooth infection.
Kari Ann Hong, DDS
1000 Newbury Road, Suite 190
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
www.dentist4smiles.com
Saturday, March 15, 2008
bonding versus veneers
Sometimes in dentistry there are a couple of ways of achieving a similar aesthetic result. Bonding with tooth colored composites or cementing on porcelain veneers are two such techniques that can be used to fix the size and shape of teeth. Deciding which method to use can be confusing because there are advantages and disadvantages to each.
Bonding with tooth colored composites is a relatively inexpensive, reversible procedure that can be used to fix chipped teeth or to close gaps between teeth. In order to bond composite to the tooth surface, the tooth is micro-etched, a bonding agent is light cured to the surface, and then the composite material to light cured over the bonding agent. This is usually a completely additive process and it is done directly in the office. The general cost for this procedure is between $150 and $500 per tooth, depending on the size of the restoration required.
Porcelain veneers are a more costly procedure involving two appointments about two weeks apart. Teeth are slightly prepared to accommodate the size of a porcelain shell, an impression of the prepared teeth is taken, and a dental laboratory makes a thin layers of porcelain for each tooth. The veneers are permanently cemented to the teeth. The cost for a porcelain veneer ranges anywhere from $1000 to $2000 per tooth, depending on the dental office.
Basically, if teeth have small chips or gaps, but no other issues, then bonding with composites makes good economic and long term sense for the health of the tooth. However, if the teeth have color, rotation, or crowding issues, then porcelain veneers allow for more flexibility and better aesthetic results. Porcelain veneers can be used in nearly any instance that bonding would be appropriate. Bonding cannot fix all the things that veneers can transform. To know which would work best for you, collaborate with your dentist!
Kari Ann Hong, DDS
1000 Newbury Road, Suite 190
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
www.dentist4smiles.com
Bonding with tooth colored composites is a relatively inexpensive, reversible procedure that can be used to fix chipped teeth or to close gaps between teeth. In order to bond composite to the tooth surface, the tooth is micro-etched, a bonding agent is light cured to the surface, and then the composite material to light cured over the bonding agent. This is usually a completely additive process and it is done directly in the office. The general cost for this procedure is between $150 and $500 per tooth, depending on the size of the restoration required.
Porcelain veneers are a more costly procedure involving two appointments about two weeks apart. Teeth are slightly prepared to accommodate the size of a porcelain shell, an impression of the prepared teeth is taken, and a dental laboratory makes a thin layers of porcelain for each tooth. The veneers are permanently cemented to the teeth. The cost for a porcelain veneer ranges anywhere from $1000 to $2000 per tooth, depending on the dental office.
Basically, if teeth have small chips or gaps, but no other issues, then bonding with composites makes good economic and long term sense for the health of the tooth. However, if the teeth have color, rotation, or crowding issues, then porcelain veneers allow for more flexibility and better aesthetic results. Porcelain veneers can be used in nearly any instance that bonding would be appropriate. Bonding cannot fix all the things that veneers can transform. To know which would work best for you, collaborate with your dentist!
Kari Ann Hong, DDS
1000 Newbury Road, Suite 190
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
www.dentist4smiles.com
Thursday, March 13, 2008
the most exciting thing happened last night
When choosing a career I was heavily influenced by the concept of having a flexible schedule so I could have family and work balance. My father is a dentist and he always seemed to have more time for family than my mother who is an accountant. While in my second year of college I decided to apply to dental school and within a few months I was accepted at UCLA's School of Dentistry.
It has been ten years since deciding I wanted to become a dentist and much has changed in my life since then. I now have a husband, a baby, and a career. Since having the baby my thoughts on the career part have changed. The baby is a full time, all night job, in itself. Dentistry does allow for a flexible schedule. Since having my son this past June I was able to take two months off and I am now working 3.5 days a week. What I didn't account for was the sleepless nights and the need for support outside sources to be able to make it to work each morning.
My parents and husband have been incredibly supportive throughout this new transition of having a baby. Both of my parents help watch my son while I am at work. My husband agreed to do a long commute to his job so we could be closer to my office and our child care. So today like every Thursday I was able to spend a full day at the dental office. Today though was an extra special day and it was because for the first night in nine months my son slept through the night.
Kari Ann Hong, DDS
1000 Newbury Road, Suite 190
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
It has been ten years since deciding I wanted to become a dentist and much has changed in my life since then. I now have a husband, a baby, and a career. Since having the baby my thoughts on the career part have changed. The baby is a full time, all night job, in itself. Dentistry does allow for a flexible schedule. Since having my son this past June I was able to take two months off and I am now working 3.5 days a week. What I didn't account for was the sleepless nights and the need for support outside sources to be able to make it to work each morning.
My parents and husband have been incredibly supportive throughout this new transition of having a baby. Both of my parents help watch my son while I am at work. My husband agreed to do a long commute to his job so we could be closer to my office and our child care. So today like every Thursday I was able to spend a full day at the dental office. Today though was an extra special day and it was because for the first night in nine months my son slept through the night.
Kari Ann Hong, DDS
1000 Newbury Road, Suite 190
Thousand Oaks, CA 91320
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