On Oct 6th Dr Efird traveled to Atlanta for continuing education.  He attended a program entitled “Interdisciplinary Management of Esthetic Dilemmas”.  The course was led by Dr Frank Spear of Spear Education.  Dr Spear is a world renowned dentist who lectures on advanced dental treatment topics.  While at this course Dr Efird gained knowledge on evaluating facial development problems, profile imbalances and esthetic issues.  Patients who seek treatment for these types of issues may be treated with jaw surgery or a combination of orthodontics, gum surgery and restorative care to achieve the desired esthetic result.  This course was designed to help dentists treatment plan their patients for the best possible outcomes using the latest in modern dental techniques and advancements.  

     Also during the course Dr Efird was introduced to a new video patient education system that we will begin using at our offices and ultimately incorporate into our web site as a resource library for patients.  The goal of this education system is to help patients better understand how to maintain their oral health as well as understand any treatment they may require.  

     We at Carolina Mountain Dental are grateful to all the patients who entrust their dental care to us and we remain committed to continually advancing our knowledge, skills and services to better serve you.

     Sincerely

     THE CAROLINA MOUNTAIN DENTAL TEAM

    If you are missing one or all of your teeth, dental implants are a wonderful replacement option.  A dental implant is a biocompatible titanium post that is surgically placed in the jawbone. The post will fuse, or osseointegrate with the bone. Once the implant has osseointegrated a crown is placed on top of the implant.  This creates a natural looking and functioning tooth replacement.  For patients missing multiple teeth or all of their teeth, more implants are placed as needed.

    Single tooth implants are a great option to replace a single missing tooth. By placing a single tooth implant the patient can have a permanent replacement tooth without filing the adjacent teeth down for fixed bridge work. Single tooth implants look, feel and function like natural teeth.

    Patients missing multiple teeth can avoid partial dentures or fixed bridge work with multi-unit implants. Many patients dislike their removable partial dentures because partial dentures can be uncomfortable, less than optimally attractive and difficult to chew with.  All of these issues can be resolved with multi-unit dental implants.

    Full denture wearers have the option of replacing all of their teeth with multiple dental implants or using dental implants to securely anchor their dentures with denture anchor attachments on two or more implants.

    Recent advancements in technology have made dental implant treatment easier and better than ever before. Patients can enjoy life without worrying about their teeth. Denture wearers no longer have to deal with teeth that might loosen or fall out when they talk, laugh, or eat. Patients with single missing teeth no longer have to cut down adjacent teeth for fixed bridges.

     Additional not so obvious benefits to dental implants are maintenance of jawbone volume and facial features.  When teeth are lost and implants are not placed, the jawbone will resorb or shrink. This leads to shrunken looking facial features.  Implant placement prevents this type of bone loss and the undesirable results.

    Dental implants have proven themselves to be a safe long term solution for tooth replacement. If you feel this type of treatment may be right for you, I am happy to offer you a free initial consultation to discuss your options.

Sincerely,

Jeff Efird DDS.

About Dr. Efird

Dr. Jeff Efird has practiced dentistry for over 20 years. His love and respect for the dental profession continues to grow as he sees patients positively affected by proper oral health and quality treatment under his care. Dr. Efird understands a relationship with a dentist is a lifelong endeavor and values the respect and trust his patients extend.

Dr. Efird began his training as an undergraduate at UNC Chapel Hill. He attained a degree in chemistry before continuing his education and graduating from the University of North Carolina School of Dentistry in 1987.

Dedicated to expanding his own knowledge and that of his practice, Dr. Efird has completed over 1000 hours of continuing education since graduating from dental school. Over the last decade he has focused most of his education of advanced restorative techniques and implant restorative solutions. Much of the training has been associated with the renowned Spear Education center in Scottsdale.

A member of the American Dental Association, Academy of General Dentistry, North Carolina Dental Society, and Buncombe County Dental Society, Dr. Efird is committed to providing outstanding quality care to patients in Western North Carolina. He lives in Asheville with his wife and son, and loves to fish and build handcrafted boats.

     The concept of sealing the bite surfaces of teeth has been around in dentistry for about fifty years.  The idea is to place a thin plastic coating in the deep grooves of the chewing surfaces of the teeth. This prevents food from lodging in the grooves and causing decay.  

      A new evidenced based study was just released by the American Dental Association (ADA) and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD) updating clinical guidelines for sealant use on children and adolescents.  The study recommends placing sealants on permanent and primary (baby) molars.  Tooth decay remains the most common chronic disease of children.  21 % of children aged 6-11 have tooth decay and 58 % of adolescents aged 12-19 suffer with tooth decay.  The new study reveals sealants are more effective than other treatments in reducing and preventing childhood caries.  Properly sealed teeth may be 80% less likely to become decayed.

    So while this new study is not necessarily ground breaking new information it does reconfirm the long held belief that sealants help prevent or reduce the decay rate for many kids.  Feel free to ask any member of our clinical team if sealant placement would be a good idea for your child.

Best Regards

Jeff Efird DDS

About Dr. Efird

Dr. Jeff Efird has practiced dentistry for over 20 years. His love and respect for the dental profession continues to grow as he sees patients positively affected by proper oral health and quality treatment under his care. Dr. Efird understands a relationship with a dentist is a lifelong endeavor and values the respect and trust his patients extend.

Dr. Efird began his training as an undergraduate at UNC Chapel Hill. He attained a degree in chemistry before continuing his education and graduating from the University of North Carolina School of Dentistry in 1987.

Dedicated to expanding his own knowledge and that of his practice, Dr. Efird has completed over 1000 hours of continuing education since graduating from dental school. Over the last decade he has focused most of his education of advanced restorative techniques and implant restorative solutions. Much of the training has been associated with the renowned Spear Education center in Scottsdale.

A member of the American Dental Association, Academy of General Dentistry, North Carolina Dental Society, and Buncombe County Dental Society, Dr. Efird is committed to providing outstanding quality care to patients in Western North Carolina. He lives in Asheville with his wife and son, and loves to fish and build handcrafted boats.

     The pathway to healthy teeth begins early in life.  When a baby is born the child’s 20 baby or primary teeth are already present in the jaws under the gums. The first tooth typically appears on average  around age 6 months to one year.  By the time a child is 3 years old he or she should have a total of 20 teeth present.  These are all baby teeth and all of these will be replaced with permanent teeth by about age 12. [Read more…]

April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month and the American Dental Association has asked member dentists to share risk factors and prevention tips with our patients. Oral and pharyngeal cancers strike about 40,000 people each year.  Many of the cases are first detected in the dental chair.  As our dental team is checking your teeth and gums we are also looking for any abnormalities that may be signs of oral cancer.  So regular dental check ups are a great screening tool for oral cancer.   [Read more…]