Don’t Let Those Insurance Benefits Expire!

2017 IS ALMOST OVER…, and that means it’s time to talk about dental insurance. Most dental plans don’t let the benefits roll over into the next year if they go unused. If you haven’t yet taken advantage of all your benefits, now is the time to do so!

Is Your Coverage Compatible?

Weissman Dental accepts all insurances and is in network with most! Call our office and speak with Zeke, our Patient Care Coordinator. He will help you understand your dental benefits and how to maximize them before the end of the year!

Commonly Covered Procedures!

Each dental benefit plan is different. We, at Weissman Dental, will work hard with your insurance to verify eligibility and to maximize your benefits each year! We will do our best to get you scheduled before the end of the calendar year. Don’t let what benefits you have available be lost!

What To Do Before The Year Ends?

We have the technology available that most procedures can be done on the same day, even a crown! However; some procedures can take two or more appointments. Call our office ASAP to take advantage of your benefits.

We Can’t Wait To See You!

We are always looking out for our patients! We want to make sure you are taking the fullest advantage of your dental benefits available to you! If you have any questions regarding dental insurance, stop by or call us today at 503-274-2222. We are here to help you!

The Greatest Benefits are to Your Dental Health!

Top image used under CC0 Public Domain license. Image cropped and modified from original.

The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

Tongue Piercings and Your Oral Health

Tongue Piercings and Your Oral Health

So your teen wants to pierce their tongue?

If your teen wants to pierce their tongue, you might ask if they have thought about the problems that can arise from a pierced tongue. Chipped teeth, drooling, gum damage, nerve damage, taste loss, tooth loss or infection could all occur as a result. The problems that can arise from an oral piercing might surprise both of you. In fact, most dentists discourage oral piercing because of these risks.

Chipped teeth

Fractured teeth are a common problem for people with tongue piercings. People chip teeth on tongue piercings while eating, sleeping, talking and chewing, with the jewelry. The fracture can be confined to the enamel of the tooth and require a filling or it may go deep into the tooth, which may require a root canal or tooth extraction.

Swelling

It is not unusual for the tongue to swell after being punctured, but in some cases the tongue swells so much that it can cut off a person’s breathing. In rare cases, doctors may pass a breathing tube through a patient's nose until the swelling subsides.

Infection

Infections from tongue piercings are also common because the tongue is covered with bacteria. The moment the tongue is punctured, these bacteria may be introduced into the blood. Dentists are learning that oral infections can lead to infections in other parts of the body as well. Bacteria can reach your heart and cause a variety of health problems. A dentist or doctor should be consulted at the very first sign of infection.

Although any piercing is prone to infection, a recent study in the Journal of Adolescent Health (January 2011) found that stainless steel jewelry can accumulate more bacteria than jewelry made from plastics such as Teflon^® (or polytetrafluoroethylene, PTFE). So, if your teen insists on getting an oral piercing, wearing plastic jewelry rather than metal may pose less risk for infection.

A dentist or doctor should be consulted at the very first sign of infection.

Allergic reactions

Make sure that the piercer uses the right kind of metal, such as surgical-grade stainless steel. Some people have allergic reactions to certain metals, which can lead to further complications.

Keep it clean

If your teen does decide to have their tongue pierced, they should realize that it will take four to six weeks to heal and it may be very uncomfortable. The piercer will place a larger, starter “barbell” in the tongue to give it enough room to heal when the tongue swells. After the swelling goes down, you should get a smaller barbell, which will be less likely to get in the way of teeth and more difficult to chew on.

If there are no complications, the barbell can be removed for short periods of time without the hole closing. Some dentists suggest that to protect teeth patients should remove the barbell every time they eat, sleep or engage in strenuous activity. Some piercing parlors sell plugs that can be placed in the hole, so the barbell can be removed for as long as necessary.

Your teen will need to keep the piercing clean. She should use an antiseptic mouthwash after every meal and brush the jewelry the same as she would her teeth to remove any unseen plaque.

So You Want to Pierce Your Tongue? Academy of General Dentistry. Tongue Piercing: The Effect of Material on Microbiological Findings, Journal of Adolescent Health (January 2011).

Safety and cleanliness in our office

In light of recent events in Tulsa Oklahoma, concerning an oral surgeon who possibly infected thousands of patients due to unsanitary practices, we wanted to take a moment to address this issue and give you, our patients and readers, peace of mind.

As I'm sure most of you have hear by now, due to all the media coverage this story is getting, about the incident that all started out of one dental office in Tulsa, OK. An oral surgeon and his staff were practicing unsanitary cleaning methods and therefor were non compliant with health codes. 

Here's a link to learn a little more about the story if you don't already know:
http://youtu.be/T4x3DV0l0Sc
As reported by the Associated Press

Our hearts go out to the over 7,000 patients that might have been infected after visiting this practice.  What happened cannot be undone, and thankfully the number offices who might not be following the rules 100% is greatly outweighed by the number of offices who do take pride in the cleanliness of their office and the safety protocols they follow.

Here at Weissman Dental we uphold the strictest sterilization steps for your safety and we will never compromise your care. We want to keep you safe and our protocols current.  There are daily, weekly, monthly and annual tests, and maintenance procedures we follow.  From decontaminating the operatories where you receive your care, sterilization of the instruments that we use, to the maintenance of all our equipment.

The United States Department of Labor has an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) that sets strict guidelines for us to follow concerning the well-being of our patients; and is enforced by random inspections. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also has recommendations that should be practiced concerning "infection control", meaning how we keep ourselves and our office a clean and sterile environment. You can read more about what these organizations specifically do by clicking the following links:
http://www.osha.gov/
http://www.cdc.gov/oralhealth/infectioncontrol/

Weissman Dental doesn't just blindly follow the rules, we really take them to heart by staying up to date and on top of it.  We discuss new techniques and concerns at meetings, we have a staff member who is an OSHA coordinator in the office, and we have open dialogue with patients about any questions or concerns they may have. We here in the office have our dental work done here, and so do our friends and family and we want to make sure you are treated in the same safe manner with the highest quality of care as we want for ourselves and them.

So we challenge you, if you are a patient of ours and  you have questions, don't be afraid to ask them. If you have a different dentist, ask them these questions, and if they can't answer them then call our office and we would be happy to care for your needs and answer your questions. There is no need to fear the dentist, all we care about is your safety, health and happiness.

Weissman Dental

Welcome to our blog!

Welcome readers to our new blog brought to you by Weissman Dental!  We created this just for you guys, our patients and followers, for the sole purpose of providing you with fun facts and a plethora of useful information about your dental health. We want to arm you with the tools to educate yourself on the importance of your oral health care.

A little bit about our office

Our Doctor
Dr. Weissman graduated from New York University College of Dentistry in 1984. After graduation, Dr. Weissman maintained a private practice in the upper west side of Manhattan and was an assistant professor at NYUCD before moving to Oregon in 1987. Prior to studying at Dental School, she attended The University of Michigan.

Dr. Weissman has been practicing for over 25 years. She has been in her current location since June of 1988. Since she began practicing dentistry, Dr. Weissman has kept up to date on many continuing educational classes, ensuring that her patients receive the most comprehensive and advanced dental care.

Dr. Weissman is a member of the American Dental Association, Multnomah Dental Society, the Academy of General Dentistry, The Sunset Study Club, The Sleep Disorder Study Club, and Alpha Omega.

Dr. Weissman is also very involved in her community. She is or has been a board member of Circle of Life, the Jewish Federation of Portland, The Maimonides Group, and is a charter member of Portlandia.


Our office manager
Michelle Barnett has been in dentistry since 2002 and handles the management, financial and insurance procedures for the office.
You will find that she is highly knowledgeable in insurance billing, creating financial arrangements and being the front line of communication for our patients. Michelle loves being able to help our patients. She is a good source to answer questions and provide guidance through the treatment process.  She is here to help you understand the treatment needed and what options are available to you. Michelle has a Bachelors Degree in Accounting & Business Administration and prides herself on her high ethical business practices.
When Michelle is away from the office she enjoys spending time with family and friends in the outdoors.  Michelle’s favorite volunteering activity is working with Medical Teams International.

Our staff
Heather leads the hygiene department for Weissman Dental and is also our OSHA Coordinator.  Heather Bigbee is a native Oregonian born in Portland.  She attended college locally and earned her Associates Degree in Dental Hygiene from Portland Community College in 1995.
Heather believes in educating her patients on dental health and how it relates to their overall health. She frequently participates in continuing education which helps to keep her current with the latest technology and techniques available in the dental industry.  Heather is often complimented on her gentle touch, kindness, and attention to detail.
Beyond work, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two children, often sports related and most often outdoors. Heather also likes to spend time volunteering in her children's classrooms.
Heather invests in the community by volunteering her time to screen elementary children in need of dental care for the non-profit organization, "Stand For Children." Heather also visits local kindergarten classes to educate children about their dental care.

Margaret Quintana, or “Maggie” as we know her, has been a practicing hygienist for over 30 years. Maggie loves what she does and our patients agree.  Maggie enjoys that she helps to maintain both a healthy smile and also her patients overall health.
She grew up in Colorado and graduated from dental hygiene school in Sheridan, Wyoming.  Maggie worked in Montana and Wyoming before moving to Oregon 33 years ago. Traveling is a particular interest to Maggie. Recent trips include Australia, Alaska and many to Colorado.  It is also important to Maggie to help those who can’t afford dental care and was the hygienist for a dental team that went to Uganda.  
Maggie has 2 wonderful children who keep her active as well as her involvement with church and choir, gardening, reading, skiing, and camping.  

Brittany is a 2012 graduate from the dental assisting program at Portland Community College. She has been inspired to work in dentistry from a young age, and absolutely loves her career and cannot wait to grow and learn all that she can.
She believes in connecting with each and every patient and educating them on their dental health needs. Keeping up to date on the latest research and technology is very important to Brittany, as well as exploring different volunteering opportunities.
Outside of work Brittany enjoys the outdoors, exploring Portland and spending time with family and friends.

Shelby has been in dentistry since 2009 and is a graduate from Central Oregon Community College. Her desire to help each patient with their different, individual needs, and to continue learning, led her to Weissman Dental.
Shelby is a Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) and an Expanded Function Dental Assistant (EFDA).  Shelby is always eager to stay current on the latest dental research and techniques, and participates in numerous education courses throughout the year.  She enjoys broadening her education, exploring Portland, and spending time with friends and family.
You can be assured you're in good hands with Shelby. She's calm yet focused and loves giving patients a better smile as a result of her work.