Christopher M. Mule' DDS, Inc.

Some Fun Floss Facts for National Gum Care Month As you may already know, September is National Gum Care Month. As dental professionals, we all know how important flossing is for your gum health, but can you guess what percentage of patients actually floss daily? Or what floss was made of back in the day? Here are some fun floss facts you can share with your colleagues (or patients)!... Hiding in Plain Sight Brushing alone only cleans about 60% of your teeth, so please do not forget to floss! What is that in meters? You should use 18" of string when you floss. If you used 18" of floss every day, in one year you’d use over 547ft of floss. That's about the size of the Washington Monument! They used what now? Per an ADA Survey, 61% of participants claimed to use fingernails to remove food from their teeth! Billion? With a "B"? There are an estimated 300 different species of bacteria living inside our mouth (totaling a billion or more at any given time) and brushing and flossing daily help keep these disease causing bacteria from reproducing in your mouth. Thank goodness for nylon! It’s widely accepted that horse hair was used as the first type of dental floss, as well as twigs for early toothpicks! Never? Like never ever? The ADA conducted a study finding that only 16% of people reported flossing at least once per day. 20% said they only floss when they need to or when something is stuck in their teeth; and 8% said they simply never floss at all! Well, there you have it! According to this research by the Journal of Periodontology, we should floss before brushing. Sources https://www.webmd.com//still-not-flossing-more-reasons-why https://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/f/flossing-steps https://dentistry.uic.edu/patien/cavity-prevention-bacteria https://universityhealthnews.com//dental-floss-daily-do-y/ https://www.ada.org//new-survey-highlights-unusual-flossin https://www.perio.org/consumer/brush-or-floss-first

An update: We have been back to work now that we have our new protocols in place for safety. We have been limiting the amount of patients and staff in the office to reduce risk and traffic. We request everyone who comes to the office wear a mask. We are screening all patients upon confirmation of their appointments two days ahead as well as upon entering the facility. We are also taking temperatures. Our staff is also being screened and their temperatures taken daily pr...ior to work. We have hep 13 medical grade air purifiers throughout the office and plexiglass partitions in place at the front desk. We also have external evacuators or as I like to call them fancy air purifiers that reduce 90% of the aerosols we produce during procedures. The aerosols are collected and ran through a plasma filter, charcoal filter, a hep 13 filter, and exposed to a UV-C light to clean the air. We have stocked and continue to stock our inventory of PPE face shields, gowns, N95 masks, level 3 masks, gloves, bouffants, booties or office designated shoes, disinfectant, and hand sanitizer. We have three zones within the office as to limit cross exposure from the patient care area, and are minimizing time spent in the other two zones front desk and staff zones. Therefore, we are more digital with our paperwork in an attempt for less cross contamination. We continue to reassess our safety measures daily and weekly. Our new normal will not change our mission of quality, personalized dentistry customized to meet each of our patients’ individualized goals. We are blessed to be able to work, helping and serving our patients and their families. We look forward to seeing everyone’s smiling faces under those masks! Always remember to count our blessings, big and small. Be great, be patient, be kind, and brighten someone’s day! See more

An update: We have been back to work now that we have our new protocols in place for safety. We have been limiting the amount of patients and staff in the office to reduce risk and traffic. We request everyone who comes to the office wear a mask. We are screening all patients upon confirmation of their appointments two days ahead as well as upon entering the facility. We are also taking temperatures. Our staff is also being screened and their temperatures taken daily pr...ior to work. We have hep 13 medical grade air purifiers throughout the office and plexiglass partitions in place at the front desk. We also have external evacuators or as I like to call them fancy air purifiers that reduce 90% of the aerosols we produce during procedures. The aerosols are collected and ran through a plasma filter, charcoal filter, a hep 13 filter, and exposed to a UV-C light to clean the air. We have stocked and continue to stock our inventory of PPE face shields, gowns, N95 masks, level 3 masks, gloves, bouffants, booties or office designated shoes, disinfectant, and hand sanitizer. We have three zones within the office as to limit cross exposure from the patient care area, and are minimizing time spent in the other two zones front desk and staff zones. Therefore, we are more digital with our paperwork in an attempt for less cross contamination. We continue to reassess our safety measures daily and weekly. Our new normal will not change our mission of quality, personalized dentistry customized to meet each of our patients’ individualized goals. We are blessed to be able to work, helping and serving our patients and their families. We look forward to seeing everyone’s smiling faces under those masks! Always remember to count our blessings, big and small. Be great, be patient, be kind, and brighten someone’s day! See more

Good information for managing stress and anxiety during these times. Be positive, stay healthy, be hopeful, and remember to breathe. https://youtu.be/BTx1vELv7zU

Video update from Dr. Mule’ at Christopher M Mule DDS Inc COVID Coronavirus Pandemic April 19, 2020 https://youtu.be/SqbrcV9Cnq8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3wUc5fMtwo

Thank you everyone! With everything going on, I totally forgot! Time to celebrate the last 13 years of practice ownership. Our success is truly a team effort. We miss seeing our patients smiling faces, and our amazing team. As I always say, our practice is not mine, it’s our patient’s practice. Without you trusting us to take care of you, we aren’t working. So thank you to all our patients, and our team that takes care of them superbly! . Be safe out there. Do your part. Remember we only control our effort, actions, and attitude. This too shall pass. And happy Palm Sunday.

Due to the California Dental Association, the CDC, and the California Department of Public Health’s recommendations, and in an effort to help control the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus), we are only seeing emergency and urgent care patients, and performing non-aerosol producing procedures as well as some limited aerosol producing procedures at this time. We are still not seeing hygiene patients but we hope to do so in the upcoming weeks. For questions and dental emergencies...Continue reading

Good information for managing stress and anxiety during these times. Be positive, stay healthy, be hopeful, and remember to breathe. https://youtu.be/BTx1vELv7zU

In an effort to serve our patients, we are offering teledentistry as an option! Below are more details. Please call the office at 8314240678 and leave a message, and a team member will contact you within 24 hours. If there is an immediate emergency, our answering service number is on the voice message and will forward you directly to Dr. Mule’. Virtual Services Christopher M Mule DDS Inc will be using remote communication technology to conduct problem-focused evaluations/...re-evaluations virtually, to help manage your oral health problem and to determine whether you have a condition that requires immediate in-office treatment. During the current pandemic the federal government announced that it will not enforce HIPAA regulations (privacy for health records) in connection with medical and dental offices’ good faith provision of medical or dental services using non-public facing audio or video remote communications services. Remote patient consultations may take place over applications that allow video chats such as Apple Face Time, Zoom, Facebook Messenger video chat, Google Hangouts, or Skype and may involve or be based on photos or videos taken with smart phones by the patient and transmitted to the dental office. Please do not contact us using public-facing services such as Facebook Live, Twitch, or TikTok, which are not permitted by the federal government for this purpose. As always, our office will take dental record confidentiality very seriously, and will do what we can under the circumstances to protect the information you send us. While we believe the risk to such confidentiality is not high, it may be greater than it would be if these remote electronic communications were encrypted, which is one of the main HIPAA requirements that is being relaxed during the nationwide COVID-19 public health emergency. Certain major dental plans have announced that they will reimburse dental offices for conducting such remote evaluations, and we will submit claims in connection with them. Our dental office is using one or more of the permitted modalities listed above for remote transmission of information to conduct limited problem focused evaluations. While entirely adequate in the vast majority of cases for such limited purposes, these evaluations may not reveal conditions that would be discovered during an office visit or through the use of specialized teledentistry technology. Sincerely, Dr. Christopher M. Mule’ See more

Video update from Dr. Mule’ at Christopher M Mule DDS Inc COVID Coronavirus Pandemic April 19, 2020 https://youtu.be/SqbrcV9Cnq8

Thank you everyone! With everything going on, I totally forgot! Time to celebrate the last 13 years of practice ownership. Our success is truly a team effort. We miss seeing our patients smiling faces, and our amazing team. As I always say, our practice is not mine, it’s our patient’s practice. Without you trusting us to take care of you, we aren’t working. So thank you to all our patients, and our team that takes care of them superbly! . Be safe out there. Do your part. Remember we only control our effort, actions, and attitude. This too shall pass. And happy Palm Sunday.

UPDATE 4/3/2020: Due to the federal, state, American Dental Association, and California Dental Association recommendations, and in an effort to help control the spread of the COVID-19 (coronavirus), we are closing our office until May 4th. If you are having a dental emergency, please call our answering service at 831-755-1243. Dr. Mule’ and an assistant are on call during this period. For questions and dental issues that are not emergencies, please call our office at 831-424...-0678 and leave a message. We will be checking our messages on a daily basis. Please be assured, our staff has graciously offered to work some alternative schedules in the next few months in an effort to accommodate our patients that are displaced by this unprecedented situation. We apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause you. We are still here for you. We pray by reducing the amount of patients seen, that we are helping to lessen the spread of the virus, saving PPE for our hospitals, and saving lives. Again, please do not hesitate to call our answering service at 831-755-1243 if you have a dental emergency. From all of us at Dr. Mulé and Dr. Mah’s office, be smart, be healthy and be safe. Sincerely, Dr. Christopher Mule’ See more

In an effort to serve our patients, we are offering teledentistry as an option! Below are more details. Please call the office at 8314240678 and leave a message, and a team member will contact you within 24 hours. If there is an immediate emergency, our answering service number is on the voice message and will forward you directly to Dr. Mule’. Virtual Services Christopher M Mule DDS Inc will be using remote communication technology to conduct problem-focused evaluations/...re-evaluations virtually, to help manage your oral health problem and to determine whether you have a condition that requires immediate in-office treatment. During the current pandemic the federal government announced that it will not enforce HIPAA regulations (privacy for health records) in connection with medical and dental offices’ good faith provision of medical or dental services using non-public facing audio or video remote communications services. Remote patient consultations may take place over applications that allow video chats such as Apple Face Time, Zoom, Facebook Messenger video chat, Google Hangouts, or Skype and may involve or be based on photos or videos taken with smart phones by the patient and transmitted to the dental office. Please do not contact us using public-facing services such as Facebook Live, Twitch, or TikTok, which are not permitted by the federal government for this purpose. As always, our office will take dental record confidentiality very seriously, and will do what we can under the circumstances to protect the information you send us. While we believe the risk to such confidentiality is not high, it may be greater than it would be if these remote electronic communications were encrypted, which is one of the main HIPAA requirements that is being relaxed during the nationwide COVID-19 public health emergency. Certain major dental plans have announced that they will reimburse dental offices for conducting such remote evaluations, and we will submit claims in connection with them. Our dental office is using one or more of the permitted modalities listed above for remote transmission of information to conduct limited problem focused evaluations. While entirely adequate in the vast majority of cases for such limited purposes, these evaluations may not reveal conditions that would be discovered during an office visit or through the use of specialized teledentistry technology. Sincerely, Dr. Christopher M. Mule’ See more

Notice from the American Cancer Society: Dear Friend, The new coronavirus (COVID-19) is top of mind for us here at the American Cancer Society. For cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers, this time of uncertainty can be especially worrisome. Please know, we are here for you. As the coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to spread globally, we are committed to making sure our community has all of the facts. You can find everything that we know about the coronavirus and its impac...Continue reading

March 18th, 2020 With the recent order by Monterey County to shelter in place until April 8th, and in an effort to help control the spread of the COVID-19 (coronavirus), we are closing our office starting March 18th until April 8th. If you are having a dental emergency, please call our answering service at 831-755-1243. Dr. Mule’ and an assistant are on call during this period. For questions and dental issues that are not emergencies, please call our office at 831-424-0678... and leave a message. We will be checking our messages on a daily basis. Please be assured, our staff has graciously offered to work some alternative schedules in the next few months in an effort to accommodate our patients that are displaced by this unprecedented situation. We apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause you. We are still here for you. Again, please do not hesitate to call our answering service at 831-755-1243 if you have a dental emergency. From all of us at Dr. Mulé and Dr. Mah’s office, be smart, be healthy and be safe. Sincerely, Dr. Christopher Mule’ See more

Happy Valentines Day!! Here are some hilarious valentines created by our very own hygienist Adriana. Remember to brush and floss after all those sweets!

In an effort to help control the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus) and for the safety of all of our patients and staff, we are complying with the California Dental Association's recommendation and rescheduling all non-urgent dental appointments for the next 14 days effective immediately. We understand that there is a concern that the schedule can be booked out and we want to reassure you that our staff has graciously offered to work some alternative schedules in the next coup...le of months in an effort to accommodate our patients that are displaced by this unprecedented situation. Please be assured, if you are having a dental emergency, have a question, or require treatment that cannot be postponed for 14 days, we will be here for you. We have a team member answering the phones during regular business hours, and Dr. Mule' will be in the office during those hours as well. We apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause you, but we are doing our part for the safety of our patients, our team, and our community. I am also enclosing the link to the California Dental Association's update on COVID-19 recommendations for everyone's information. We praise the doctors, physicians, nurses, and all other health care professionals who are battling this war on the front lines. We pray for the safety of our entire community and the world. Be smart, be healthy. Sincerely, Dr. Christopher Mule' https://www.cda.org//News-and/COVID-19-coronavirus-Updates

THE WEIGHT OF THE GLASS Once upon a time a psychology professor walked around on a stage while teaching stress management principles to an auditorium filled with students. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they’d be asked the typical glass half empty or glass half full question. Instead, with a smile on her face, the professor asked, How heavy is this glass of water I’m holding? Students shouted out answers ranging from eight ounces to a couple pounds. ...She replied, From my perspective, the absolute weight of this glass doesn’t matter. It all depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute or two, it’s fairly light. If I hold it for an hour straight, its weight might make my arm ache a little. If I hold it for a day straight, my arm will likely cramp up and feel completely numb and paralyzed, forcing me to drop the glass to the floor. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn’t change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it feels to me. As the class shook their heads in agreement, she continued, Your stresses and worries in life are very much like this glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and you begin to ache a little. Think about them all day long, and you will feel completely numb and paralyzed incapable of doing anything else until you drop them. The moral: It’s important to remember to let go of your stresses and worries. No matter what happens during the day, as early in the evening as you can, put all your burdens down. Don’t carry them through the night and into the next day with you. If you still feel the weight of yesterday’s stress, it’s a strong sign that it’s time to put the glass down. See more

Happy Valentines Day!! Here are some hilarious valentines created by our very own hygienist Adriana. Remember to brush and floss after all those sweets!

As I’ve been cleaning up emails, I came across this. A little late but a great reminder.... THANKSGIVING LESSON When Mrs. Klein told her first graders to draw a picture of something for which they were thankful, she thought how little these children, who lived in a deteriorating neighborhood, actually had to be thankful for. She knew that most of the class would draw pictures of turkeys or of bountifully laden Thanksgiving tables. That was what they believed was expected of ...them. What took Mrs. Klein aback was Douglas’s picture. Douglas was so forlorn and likely to be found close in her shadow as they went outside for recess. Douglas’s drawing was simply this: A hand, obviously, but whose hand? The class was captivated by his image. I think it must be the hand of God that brings us food, said one student. A farmer, said another, because they grow the turkeys. It looks more like a policeman, and they protect us. I think, said Lavinia, who was always so serious, that it is supposed to be all the hands that help us, but Douglas could only draw one of them. Mrs. Klein had almost forgotten Douglas in her pleasure at finding the class so responsive. When she had the others at work on another project, she bent over his desk and asked whose hand it was. Douglas mumbled, It’s yours, Teacher. Then Mrs. Klein recalled that she had taken Douglas by the hand from time to time; she often did that with the children. But that it should have meant so much to Douglas Perhaps, she reflected, this was her Thanksgiving, and everybody’s Thanksgivingnot the material things given unto us, but the small ways that we give something to others. See more