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I grew up in New York City. I can remember walking to school in 5th grade in a snowstorm of 17″ and they sent us home. That was the only time EVER do I remember not having school due to weather. In Northern Virginia, schools close at the “threat” of snow. Well, this past week certainly warrented school closings.

I remember the month after my daughter was born in January 1996. We had a storm of 26 inches and I was living in Centreville at the time. Everything, including my office, was closed for a week. This past Friday and Saturday we passed that with 32.5″ at Dulles airport. As Randy Jackson says, “What”? I am still in awe at what it looked like outside. It was absolutely sureal. No roads, no cars, no grass, trees buried, just breath-taking. I plowed and shoveled multiple times to prevent it from being overwhelming. Not sure if it helped! I ventured out to go food shopping and the mall. The roads were so bad. Main roads (28, 50, West Ox) were one lane at best of packed-down snow. There were numerous areas that had 2 lanes that due to snow plows, turned abruptly into one and a half lanes WITHOUT notice. I can’t imagine how many accidents this will cause over the next 2 weeks.

On the heals of this storm came another one. O.k., I’m done. There is no where to throw the snow. My dog is confused. I spend much of the day rescheduling patients. I’m constantly hungry. I exercise to kill time. I nap. THERE IS NOTHING LEFT TO DO!!!!! I just informed my kids they will have to be in school until the week before Labor Day, so they may get 6 Summer days off.

Now for the good news: I just put in a call to some important people that have agreed to shut the snow making machine off for a while. You are all welcome in advance. NO MORE!

Ok, so it is season 9 (yes, NINE) of American Idol. I admit I watch very little T.V., but this happens to be one show I generally do watch. My family enjoys it, and we watch it together. Any patient that comes in the day after a show is likely to get involved in one of our discussions.

Well, this year I swore it would be different. I adamantly promised I would not watch it until they get to Hollywood. I was tired of seeing the same old lousy circus acts for 3 + hours per week. You know what? I can’t help it! It was on in my family room, and just like passing a train wreck, I get sucked into the Idol vortex. It is mesmerizing, so as it turned out, I watched it.

They have their usual freaks, bad singers, and their share of truly talented people. The stories are often heart-warming, and sometimes it puts our own life situations in perspective. They have a guy that had cancer, another that cares for her ailing grandmother, and one last night really touched me. It was a girl from Volmer( I think). She is so poor, seemingly uneducated, and feels this is her only opportunity to change her life. For many, this is their way out. I felt so bad for her. She shopped for her dress for the audition at a dollar store. Does that not put into perspective the generally wonderful lives and opportunities we have here in Northern Virginia?

The show, as it progresses, does have performers that are talented. Look at the history of the winners and contestants that have gone on to the final five. They are successful, and for many, their lives have changed forever. Isn’t that how it’s supposed to be? Shouldn’t lives improve for the better?

So if you happen to be around a tv and hear that sucking sound, it is the vortex trying to suck you in to the American Idol mania.

I have exercised my entire adult life.  I have tried practically every routine, machine, technique…you name it. I consider myself a relatively fit person. Then one evening I see the number one infomercial over the past 15 months. I am absolutely mesmerized. I watch it every time it is on. It is called P90X. Let me explain:

It is a series of 12 DVD’s taught by a man that is ridiculously fit named Tony Horton. He has so little bodyfat that he looks like he has onion skin covering his muscles. The principle is fairly simple: There are 3 phases, each one lasting 30 days. In each phase there are 3 hard weeks then a recovery week. In each week there is weight (or resistance) training combined with cardio, and the 4th week, the recovery week, you do only cardio, yoga, kenpo, and stretch. Now onto phase 2. Same thing but DIFFERENT excerises. The premise is just when your body gets used to it you change it up. By confusing it you are forcing your body to change and adapt. The 3rd phase is similar in principle.

Now for the workout: It is crazy hard. Although you work at your own pace, you really, really push yourself to your absolute limit. In addition, there is ab work 3 times per week. It takes 16 minutes. It’s 11 exercises for 350 reps. You hit it from every angle with no rest between the exercises. It took me 4 or 5 workouts to be able to complete it. Tony Horton makes it a point to say that most people stop their exercise set way to soon. You must push to your limit. THAT is what changes your body. I have been exercising at a gym and notice the same people for years and they always look the same. That is the reason why; they stop too soon.. In addition, he says if you do not eat clean, you may be fit but you will not look fit. I totally agree.

In September my cholesterol reading was high for the first time in my life, and I immediately changed my diet. I eat NO junk food, sodas (never did) chips, cake, cookie or candy. Not even a bite. ZIPPO. I reduced my breads and carbs. I eat nuts, fruit, and lots of protein. I am now on day 31 and my bodyfat is 8.8%. AND I have maintained my body weight. My abs are really showing. I cannot wait to see what they will be like in 60 more days. When you come in for your appointment, I will show you if you ask nicely:)

So what’s the bottom line? It is not just hype. This is an awesome training program that will change your life. What are you waiting for? Get off the couch and go to it!

Summer is well underway, and there’s no better time to sit back with a good book.  Here is a list of some of my favorites I have come across over the years. We will start with Non- Fiction.

If you enjoy medical reading, Atul Gawande has two excellent books; “Better- A Surgeon”s Notes on Performance” and “Complications- A Surgeon’s Notes on An Imperfect Science”: They are fascinating tales of the realities in medicine. Anyone with any medical background will especially loves these easy reading books. Dr. Groopman  also has a great read called ” How Doctors Think” . You will never look at medicine and doctors the same way after reading this.

If business readings interest you, I suggest Malcolm Gladwell’s 3 books:  The Tipping Point”, Blink, and Outliers” He supports all of his claims with extensive research, and is very insightful. These are classic business books in the business/ self -help arena.

Want to lighten it up? try “Bringing Down The House”,by Ben Mezrich.  The movie for this was “21″. It is great for anyone that enjoys gambling, particularly blackjack. Very easy reading.

One of the most touching books I have read in a long time is by Randy Pausch. He wrote “The Last lecture”.He is a professor loved by all his students giving his last lecture, as he is terminally ill with pancretic cancer. This really puts life in perspective.

Want something a little more refreshing? Try Rich Carlson’s “Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff With Your Family”. Nice to know simple things can keep us grounded.

A quick educational read, and really one of my favorites is “The 100- A Ranking of The Most Influential Persons In History”,by our own, local Mike Hart. His bio/resume makes me feel like an idiot! He ranks, strickly by his opinion, the 100 people in order  who he perceives to be the most influential, then goes on to substantiate those claims.  It is 3-4 page excerpts of  famous people, from Jesus to Einstein,  Hitler, Merconi, etc…

On to fiction;

Mitch Album, the sports writer for The Detroit Free Press” has written “5 People You Meet In Heaven”,  “One More Day” and “Tuesday’s With Maury”. I will warn you, they are tear- jerkers. I could not finish “Tuesday’s…” as it was too sad for me. The other two are great 2 hour reads.

Robin Cook- has written so many great books over the years. They are medical mystery thrillers. They include “Coma”, Blindsight , Harmful Intent, Acceptable Risk, etc… too many to name. They pull you in and you wont stop until you are finished.

Last is my absoulte favorite author, Greg Iles. He is truly genious. He is the only author I have ever written that you simply cannot figure out who did it until it is disclosed at the final 10 pages of the book. His writting is gripping. The order to read his books, since ther are some character repeats, is as follows;

Mortal Fear,  The Quiet Game, Dead Sleep, Sleep No More, Blood Memory, Turning Angel, True Evil, Footprints of God, and 3rd Degree. I am now reading his most recent release ” The Devil’s Punchbowl”. I promise you, you will get hooked and will just keep reading his work.

I look forward to seeing you in my office, and feel free to share your experience with these recommendations, or any you may have.

Happy Summer!

I admit…. I am NOT a tech geek, I do not buy the first generation anything. I do not have a DVR. At the same time I do not resist technology. I am just slow to learn it. I have never had a myspace page . I do, however, believe there is something behind social media. Linkedin is one, and the most popular is Facebook.

I signed up in January to help create links to my website and grow my practice. Well, the next thing I know a girl from my kindergarten class “friended” me.  And so the craziness begins.  In a mattert of weeks, I found myself looking up people I have not seen in 10-20- 30+ years. The web continues, and when you send a “friend” request, you see their friends and realize there is someone you knew as well. The truly amazing thing about all this is how unbelievably, and embarrassingly addictive this is.

You start to spend hours, and I mean hours searching people, joining groups, taking surveys, etc… and the part that I find so amzing is you literally feel like you are in a time capsule. You look at some of these people and are just amazed at where the time has gone.  I’ve always said, “time stands still for no one”. There were a few people that I would not have recognized if I was standing next to them in a phone booth (remember those?).

It gives you a chance to reaquaint with friends and family members, former co-workers and alumni. You have an info page and photo page to help catch you up to old times. I even was in contact with summer friends from the 70’s and 80’s, and glad I did.

So while you are on your computer, give it a try. you’ll be glad you did.

For many years, advertising in the dental profession was considered unprofessional and was  actually frowned upon. Times have changed, and nowadays if you don’t advertise it can be difficult to build a successful dental practice. The problem for the public is that it is a very daunting, and overwhelming task. I will attempt to simplify the process for you.

I believe you have the right to interview the staff and the doctor. But  how do you chose what office to even make the appointment for? Start on the internet. Yes, even before you call the office. The website should be very complete and modern. Should have lots of info about the office, the team, the doctor for sure, and should make you feel like you will connect with them. All photos should be real live patient photos, not stock photos. It is a representation of the doctors work, and pride he has in it. It also shows the faith the patients have in the doctor to allow him/her to share their story with you.

The initial call should be pleasant, personal, and make you feel special, not like an insurance number. After you hang up from the call, you should be looking forward to meeting everyone and how good the experinece will be. There should be virtually no waiting and total attentiveness to you when you are there, You should feel listened to and cared for. The look of the office should be clean, modern, and a place you think is where the best care will be given.

It is unfortunate that everyone advertises that they are the “top” this, or voted “best ” that. First of all, do those lists hold any credense, and secondly, who advertises themslves as an “OK” dentist? Choose wisely, and carefully, and most of all, listen to your instinct. We set the bar very high in my office so i feel confident in saying, we will surpass your every expectation.

The newest buzzword in dentistry is  “sleep dentistry”. We are bombarded with numerous ads about it, but I have to believe many are confused about what it is really all about. I will attempt to explain this in a way that WON”T put you to sleep!

There are nearly 90 million Americans that have some level of anxiety or fear of going to the dentist. Many of them just bite the bullet and white-knuckle it out. Of that number, 30 million are so fearful that they completely avoid going to the dentist,sometimes for years until a disaster occurs, like an infection, or severe toothache. After speaking to many of these people at my consultations, I’ll be honest with you: If I had the same experience they had that brought this whole fear/anixiety on, I would feel the same way. That’s right, I would avoid the dentist as well. The problem with this, and I have seen 3 of these types of patients in the last week, is when they do finally come in, the condition of their mouth is very bad. The treatment plans become more comprehensive, and more emergency treatment takes place. This can ALL be avoided.

Sleep dentistry, AKA “sedation dentistry” ,has made  an amazing difference for all these people. It is now  possible to have no fear or anxiety throughout the entire appointment. Anxiolysis is the first level of sedation. For most people, this is all that is necessary. After a thorough health history screening, a pill is taken the night before the appointment to begin the relaxation process. The following morning, the patient arrives with additional medicine that has been prescribed, and is dispensed in the office. You relax in the office for approximately one hour as you begin to feel more calm and comfortable, and even somewhat sleepy. All of your vital signs are monitored for this very safe method. Then, the treatment begins. The patient can talk or answer questions if asked, but is really in a relaxed state as if you drank a few glasses of wine. The goal of this level of sedation is NOT to put you to sleep. It makes the time pass very quickly, and has excellent amnesic effects, so you do not remember much of the appointment at all. The patient is taken home by a spouse or friend, as driving is not allowed. Most people just nap the remainder of the afternoon. By evening, all is well, and your treatment is done!

If the patient has certain medical conditions , or perhaps  you simply want a deeper level of sedation, a board certified anesthesiologist is used to administer IV sedation where you are completely sleeping. You are breathing on your own, so this is considered “twilight” sedation, and have 100% amnesia,  and no time awareness. If extenuating circumstances arise in which the patient wants general anesthesia, that can be done as well. For this, like in ANY general surgical procedure in a hospital, you are not breathing on your own, but are intibated with a breathing tube. 

This is really one of the most exciting advances in dentistry. There is no longer ANY reason to avoid or put off your necessary treatment. Don’t let your past affect your future. I can help you . Your mouth will be healthy, and appear beautiful, the way it was intended to be.  So tell your family, friends, and co-workers to call us for a complimentary consultation to see if you or they are a candidate for any of these sedation options, and finally get back to great oral health.

Dental Insurance has been around for over 30 years. The typical maximum benefit then was about $1000 for a calender year. Some 30 years later, the maximum yearly limit is still $1000, yet premiums have risen over 400%!  If dental insurance companies kept up with the value of the dollar and inflation, they would be covering approximately $8,000 per year in treatment not just $1000! You read that correctly. As a result, insurance companies place limits on what they cover, and prolong the reimbursement process with unnecessary, and repetitive paperwork. Ultimately, it is the patient (the insurance company’s policy holder) that suffers from this. Remember, the insurance companies are a business, and are hoping that their clients never even use their benefits. Can you imagine being in a car accident, totaling your car, and the insurance company says “we’ll give you $1000 on that claim for the year”. That would be fraudulant, and unacceptable, yet the public has accepted that as standard practice from the insurance companies.

PPO’s-(Preferred Providers) does not mean you are required to go to a participating provider. They will lead you to believe this, but this is just not true. It allows you some power in deciding who in fact you would like to be YOUR doctor, not just a name from a list. If you go out of ‘network” you will still maintain ALL of your benefits. Their coverage is slightly less, but you make up for it in reduced premiums. It is a wash. So stop letting your employer decide which doctor you see with one of “their” contracted doctors. You can still come to me and maintain all of your due benefits. We file all of your claims on your behalf, so you do not have to do a thing.

Many insurance companies use  the “LAB” principle. It is short for “Least Alternative Benefit”. It basically means they will pay for the cheapest material or treatment they feel is adequate for you. This is very broad power given to someone behind a desk that has never examined you.

Consider insurance as a “pre-paid’ gift certificate that is good for $1000 or so, and it expires December 31 if not used. Insurance companies know people do not go to a dentist regularly, and sometimes for just two cleanings per year…the cost of a good haircut! Yet, they received full fee for the premiums.

BUT WHAT IS THE GOOD NEWS?

The good news is that you have $1000 or so due to you for your treatment!!!! We gladly file for you, and as previously mentioned, you can still see me although I am not a “preferred provider”. We will do everything to maximize the benefits due to you.  So don’t procrastinate any longer. Get your mouth back to the healthy, beautiful condition it was meant to be in.

That is the million dollar question. Based on national unemployment statistics, home values dropping, etc… one would justifiably say we are. But when I say are “WE” ,I mean us here in the Washington, DC metro area. I recently read an article that you can Google, and I suggest you do. It is very intriguing. Just type in “While New York Bleeds Washington Thrives”.

We are very fortunate to be in an area that is known as “Silicon East”. Northern Virginia has captured the market in technology and has actually increased the number of jobs in 2008. We have the Biotech corridor in Maryland with companies including NCI/NIH. We also have the Federal Government jobs. Yes folks, we are not like Detroit, or Toledo. We are very fortunate to be in such an environment, that to an extent, insulates us from the extremes of the economy. So how does this fit into your lifestyle?

The answer is simple. In a time of fear, people cut back their living styles.  In areas that are elective, this is a prudent thing to do. One area you NEVER want to do this is in healthcare. Nothing heals itself, and waiting or putting off necessary treatment and preventative care is always a mistake. The sensitive tooth can later become a bigger problem, like a root canal. The pressure sensitivity can lead to a fractured tooth. These are things that cannot be put off unless you are willing to risk the negative, more involved and costly circumstances. As a general and cosmetic dentist, I see this all the time. I find this unusual, particularly if you still have insurance benefits, and flexible spending accounts!

So, where and when indicated, make some changes in your lifestyle that perhaps would make you feel better financially, but not in necessary, routine care. The consequences could be much more involved than when caught early.

After 18 years in practice, I have heard numerous concerns and fears about what patients dread most about dental visits. Would you believe that one of the highest concerns is being numb AFTER they leave the office? Wouldn’t  it be nice to “un-numb” a patient as soon as the procedure is completed?

Well, the time is here. This month, a new product has been approved that reverses the local anesthesia. At the site of the injection, you inject the reversal and within 30 minutes, you are back to normal! Now, many of you that have had  treatment in my office know that much of my treatment is 30-45 minutes at most unless it is very comprehensive treatment. I would basically get you numb, and within 5 minutes, begin reversing it! In the meantime, I use as little local anesthesia as is necessary, and I use a short acting one so you are not numb for hours and hours. As this product is perfected, I will incorporate it into my practice.