at 2:10 am | posted by Dr. Dan Bruce
The Boise Downtown Dental grand opening/ribbon cutting this past Thursday was a wonderful success. Many members from the chamber stopped by to celebrate the occasion, as well as friends and even people walking through the Bodo area. The event was highlighted by raffle items, gift bags with oral hygiene information and products and wonderful food and drinks.
For those that missed out on this event, we are still offering free whitening with completed exam, x-rays and cleaning. Contact us as some restrictions may apply.
at 4:53 pm | posted by Dr. Dan Bruce
Boise Downtown Dental will be having our grand opening Thursday, May 1st from 4-7 p.m. We will be having a ribbon cutting followed by tours and prizes. Raffle items include a Zoom! whitening and a Sonicare toothbrush, plus other items. We will also be having light food and drinks for the occasion.
Boise Downtown Dental is located at 398 S. 9th Street, Suite 230; in the Sycamore building of the Bodo complex downtown. Come down to check out our massaging dental chairs and our newest technological advances.
at 4:35 am | posted by Dr. Dan Bruce
After reading about possible mercury exposure due to environmental factors I thought it would be wise for me to test the mercury level in my body. I purchased a kit from the Sierra Club website and sent in (a fairly sizable) hair sample a couple of weeks ago. I just received my test results today. My mercury levels where 0.74 ug/g, which is below the recommended upper level of 1 ug/g set by the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Academy of Sciences.
I have a moderate intake of ocean fish, which can be a source of mercuy. Dentally, I do not have any amalgam fillings in my mouth and replace, on average, 3-4 metal amalgam fillings a week. This is almost exclusively done using a rubber dam to minimize exposure to our patients. Using hair as a sample apparently shows the average mercury exposure of an individual over the last 3-4 months.
So, what does this mean? I am not sure. I feel pretty good knowing that as a dentist who removes amalgams, I do not have high levels of exposure. I also know that there are environmental exposures to mercury, including coal fire power plants and fish. How much is environmental and am I exposed to mercury vapors in the office? It is tough to tell, but it appears to be minimal at most.
Disclaimer- I cannot verify the methods or laboratory used to test my hair sample. The ADA currently has the position that dental amalgam is safe to use as a restorative material. I choose not to use it for other reasons such as esthetics and the bonding ability of composite and resin cements.
at 1:26 pm | posted by Dr. Dan Bruce
Dr. Dan Bruce has now decided to be a Delta Dental PPO network provider. Organizations that offer the Delta PPO plan include the Boise School System and some state organizations. We think that this will be a valuable service for our patients and hopefully will provide greater access to dental care. Dr. Dan Bruce is also currently accepting new patients, please contact us for an appointment.
at 5:06 pm | posted by Dr. Dan Bruce
In the world of dentistry (kind of), I came across an interesting story about a man who had lost his sight due to an explosion at an aluminum plant in Ireland 2 years ago. His cornea was scarred so bad that repair or transplant was impossible. The next logical thing to try is to put a tooth in his eye to help him see, right? Well, yes. Part of his son’s canine and the associated alveolar bone was harvested. An optical cylinder was then placed in the canine and bone and the whole apparatus was placed in the man’s cheek for 2 months to allow a blood supply to form. After 2 months, the tooth, bone and cylinder was placed in his right eye. He now can see well enough to watch T.V., see his family and have a much more normal life. This is an interesting story and it is amazing how the body can adapt to such a surgical procedure. For more information, check out the story at Yahoo! News.
at 6:38 pm | posted by Dr. Dan Bruce
A recent story in the news and on the ADA website reports the findings of a dentist who tested dental work done in China. The dentist found unacceptably high levels of lead in a crown (210 ppm) and bridge (160 ppm), although the report does not mention where the lead was found (in the metal portion of the work or in the porcelain shading). The crowns came from US certified labs, but the source of the lead is still to be discovered. Want to read more, check out the full ADA article here.
Our offices take pride in using only laboratories operating in the United States, and we almost exclusively use dental labs in Idaho. Not only do we know these labs to be safe, but we also have a close working relationship with them and communicate the details of every crown or bridge that they fabricate for us. Does it cost a little more to have work done by someone in the same city or state you live in? Yes, it is a little more. Do we think it is worth it? Definitely. We believe dental care is more about trust and relationships. We want our patients to be able to trust us and we need to have good working relationship with our laboratories in order to trust their work.
at 5:57 am | posted by Dr. Dan Bruce
Doctors Steve Bruce, Rob Ririe and Dan Bruce are in the process of being certified in the use of diode laser therapy after completing a certification course. Diode lasers can be used for many procedures, including removal of excess tissue, biopsies, frenectomies, canker sore treatment, cold sore treatment, periodontal treatment and treatment of sensitive teeth. We are very excited about the services we can offer patients, especially because laser treatment can often be performed with topical anesthetic and also usually is done with less post operative discomfort. For more information, check out our page on laser therapy.
at 10:36 pm | posted by Dr. Dan Bruce
There is a lot of information in the news lately about green living. We think that being environmentally responsible is not only important for our personal lives, but also in business. We have therefore made efforts to lessen our impact on the environment while still providing quality dental care. Below are some of the steps we have taken to make this happen:
- Our office uses digital radiography, which reduces harsh chemicals that need to be disposed of. Digital radiographs also reduce the amount of radiation for our patients and appear instantly on the screen.
- Amalgam separators- These devices remove amalgam from our water lines before it enters the treatment facilities. Amalgam can be hazardous if burned or improperly disposed of, so while amalgam separators are not required, we think they are environmentally-friendly and worth the cost and maintenance.
- Office recycling- Both our offices have voluntarily signed up for office recycling of paper products, cardboard and plastic. We, our course, shred and properly dispose of all personal records. We also recycle our ink printer cartridges.
- Electronic Records- Our offices make use of electronic records and e-mail whenever possible to minimize paper usage.
- Responsible Energy Usage- Our offices have switched to energy-efficient light bulbs (compact fluorescent lights)
We hope that these steps will allow our office to leave less of a footprint on the environment. Please contact us if you have any questions or suggestions.
at 3:19 pm | posted by Dr. Dan Bruce
The Bay Pointe location of our office participated in the annual Give Kids a Smile event on February 1st. Numerous sponsors donating dental products and many dentists around the country came together to treat underserved children. Our office, with the help of Dr. Rob Ririe, Dr. Dan Bruce, Dr. Steve Bruce, and Dr. Ryan Doyle, saw 27 kids between the ages of 4 and 12 years old and performed cleanings, sealants and restorative dental procedures. We also were able to educate these children and their parents about oral health care and ways to fight decay. It was a great event and good way to help kids who cannot access regular dental care.
at 12:54 am | posted by Dr. Dan Bruce
Over the past few years there has been a lot of information in the news reporting the link between periodontal disease, tooth loss and cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease refers to the hardening of the arteries and can result in heart attack or stroke.
The current evidence seems to point to a relationship between periodontal disease and cardiovascular disease, although that link is far from certain and conflicting reports are present. On one hand research from the National Institutes of Health-founded INVEST (Oral Infections and Vascular Disease Epidemiology Study) at Columbia, the University of Minnesota and the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke-funded Northern Manhattan Study showed that bacteria specific to periodontal disease where found in higher concentrations in artherosclerotic arteries than normal arteries. Also, according to a report in the December 2005 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, a study “shows a progressive association between tooth loss and cardiovascular disease, even among nonsmokers (http://www.ada.org/prof/resources/pubs/adanews/adanewsarticle.asp?articleid=1735).”
Although these studies give us good information, they are not definitive. Another factor in both heart disease and periodontal disease is smoking. The evidence for this is much more accepted.
The good news for people who have periodontal disease due to smoking or other reasons is that it is a disease that can be treated by regular visits to your dentist and good oral hygiene. Once you have periodontal disease, you always have periodontal disease. It can be very well controlled with proper brushing, flossing, cleaning and other adjunctive methods, but it is always there. That said, we have a number of patients who are committed to keeping their teeth, even if they are in bad condition.
All information was found on the ADA website in the section on periodontal disease (http://www.ada.org/prof/resources/topics/gum.asp#adanews). If you want to know more about periodontal disease, please see the ADA patient website on periodontal disease– http://www.ada.org/public/topics/periodontal_diseases.asp.
