Oasis Dental

JAMES SWEENEY lll, DDS AND STAFF CORONAVIRUS My office has always abided by OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION (OSHA) guidelines in my constant effort to protect our patients and staff from harmful bacteria and viruses. As such we take the following measures and precautions:... We use proper sterilization techniques that include weekly testing of our autoclaves by an outside laboratory. It is cleaned daily as well. We use antibacterial spray and wipes to clean our dental equipment including but not limited to our dental chairs, counter tops, door knobs and handles, tray holders as well as any objects that might be exposed to human touch. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) says that the best defense against the (COVID-19) is handwashing with soap and water as often as possible. Also, 1. Avoid close contact with people who are sick. 2. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. 3. Stay home when you are sick. 4. Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, and discard in the trash. Together, we can make a difference. Many Thanks, Dr. James Sweeney III, DDS

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New Patient Special Offer - Cleaning & Oral Exam for $99 ($250 value). Please contact our office or visit our website to schedule an appointment. **Special Offer restrictions may apply.

Restoration of Three Implants with Screw Retained Crowns Dr. James Sweeney - May 2016 Image #1 - The three implants were surgically placed by the surgeon 5 months ago.... Image #2 - The crowns are positioned and screws tightened. Image #3 - Holes in the top of the crowns are filled with tooth colored resin material. In the past, the only way to restore this patient was to make a removable partial denture. Screw retained crowns have the advantage of retrievability. If for any reason the crown needs to be removed, removal can be done without damage to surrounding teeth. Best news of all, after the implants have been surgically placed, the restoration requires no needles.

If your dentist recommends that you need a crown/cap there are many types to consider. Crowns are placed on natural teeth and on implants. Where the crown is to be placed is a key factor in deciding what type of material you should consider. It is also important to considered your health history and known allergies to metal. Crowns are made of many different metals which are an amalgamation (or combination) of other metals such as nickel. These crowns are called titanium, ...non-precious & semi-precious; all have a silver look and are strong and durable. Then there’s the old standard gold crown which is soft but expensive depending on the market price of gold at the time it’s being made. All can be covered with porcelain to improve esthetics but again, the location of the crown becomes important. Will it be visible when you smile? There are other types of crowns which are made of solid porcelain or zirconia. These esthetic materials are very strong and can be used on back teeth, molars and bicuspids. In the front of the mouth I recommend solid porcelain crowns because of the superior esthetics. The metal crowns that are covered by porcelain in the very front of the mouth seem to reflect the light giving them an unnatural look. Porcelain seems to absorb light rather than deflect it therefore they look much more natural if the shade is matched to neighboring natural teeth correctly. By the way, there is another option to placing a full coverage crown on a natural front tooth and that is a Veneer. If only the front of the tooth is damaged or the edge is broken beyond what a filling can resolve then ask about this option. It’s much less invasive because they require less tooth reduction. So when your dentist recommends a crown, do your research and ask questions. This way you'll be involved and informed and in the end much happier with the results. Dr. Sweeney

Total mind and total body are the essential elements for a healthy life. Most health issues are preventable provided we are consistent with our efforts to maintain and to improve. I want to urge you to make an appointment for your regular check up and to have your teeth cleaned. Patients tend to resist the taking of x-rays but they are vitally important to the diagnostic process. At Oasis Dental, we take digital x-rays which expose you to far less radiation. Please note that... we now have two excellent hygienists on staff to serve you. So, if you missed your last check up and cleaning please call my office soon to schedule an appointment because time can pass quickly and before you know it things can go wrong. Every time the hygienists and I examine you it gives us another opportunity to discover problems before they’re too advanced. If you have been given a treatment plan that I recommended and you have not followed through on it you may be risking additional problems as well as costs by continuing to delay. If the treatment plan was presented to you more than six months ago, I will need to re-examine you to make sure that it is still current. Use your insurance as much as possible each year because with most insurance plans there is an annual maximum, regardless of how much your treatment costs. We try to help guide you through the insurance maze by recommending what is most needed and extending that which is less urgent to the next year. Be well and I really look forward to seeing you soon. James Sweeney III & Staff

The end of the year is fast approaching so I would like to take this time and emphasize the importance of routine dental examinations. I recommend a thorough exam and cleaning every 6 months though some patients require a cleaning more frequently. This allows your dentist and your hygienist to monitor the status of your teeth, existing restorations, the condition of your soft tissues and to some extent your general health. Dental hygienists are highly skilled at diagnosing pr...oblems. Please never forget that dentistry is really a subspecialty of medicine and sometimes medical problems can be detected by your dentist such as hypertension. At Oasis Dental we recommend taking a full set of x-rays once every 5 years and a minimum amount of supporting x-rays once a year (in certain cases twice per year). Some patients resist x-rays but they are vitally important to the overall diagnostic process. We take digital x-rays which significantly reduce the level of radiation exposure. X-rays of the same tooth could look different within a matter of months. It happens all the time because decay, for example, may be hidden under your beautiful crown and the angle of the most recent x-ray can be slightly different and therefore show something the previous one did not. Only Superman has x-ray vision. If we or your dentist doesn’t already have you scheduled for your next exam, please call and do so right away. Remember, the end of the year is approaching. Use your insurance or lose it. I wish you all peace, happiness and great health. Be well, James Sweeney III DDS

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