Attention to all parents, grandparents, and child caregivers:

The FDA has released important information regarding homeopathic teething tablets. Recent reports state a toxic substance known as, belladonna, has been found in teething tablets and teething gels. Belladonna, which is an extract of the deadly nightshade plant, can cause seizures, muscle weakness, and exhaustion. The FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research recommend that parents and caregivers not give these teething tablets to children and to seek advice first from their healthcare providers. Our office suggest other alternatives, such as teething rings and toys to comfort a teething child.  

The FDA also encourages if you have experienced any adverse effects or reactions while using these tablets and gels to please report on the FDA website.

As a front office administrator here at Carolina Mountain Dental, and currently an expecting mother myself I urge you to pass this information on to anyone that may have children entering the teething stages. If you have any questions or concerns about dental care please feel free to call us.

Sincerely

Mary

Carolina Mountain Dental will close for the Christmas holidays Thursday Dec 22 at 5:00 PM and reopen Tuesday Jan 3 2017 at 8:00 AM.   If you are a patient of record and have a dental emergency during that time, call 828.252.6541 and one of our dentists will call you back.  Thank you to all our patients for making it a great year at Carolina Mountain Dental.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all !!!

     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

Our Asheville office will be closed April 10-13 for Spring Break reopening Monday April 17th at 8am. Our Hendersonville office will be closed April 17-20 reopening Monday April 24th at 8am.  If you are a patient of record and have a dental emergency during this time please call 828-252-6541. We wish you a Happy Spring and Happy Easter–its not about the bunny, its about the lamb. 

    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.