Dear Patient:
We hope this letter finds you and your family in good health. Our community has been through a lot over the last few months, and all of us are looking forward to resuming our normal habits and routines. While many things have changed, one thing has remained the same: our commitment to your safety. Infection control has always been a top priority for our practice and you may have seen this during your visits to our office. Our infection control processes are made so that when you receive care, it’s both safe and comfortable. We want to tell you about the infection control procedures we follow in our practice to keep patients and staff safe.
Our office follows infection control recommendations made by the American Dental Association (ADA), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). We follow the activities of these agencies so that we are up-to-date on any new rulings or guidance that may be issued.
You may see some changes when it is time for your next appointment. We made these changes to help protect our patients and staff. For example:
Thank you for being our patient. We value your trust and loyalty and look forward to welcoming back our patients, neighbors and friends.
Sincerely,
Maine Center for Dental Medicine
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Our office follows infection control recommendations made by the American Dental Association (ADA), the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). We follow the activities of these agencies so that we are up-to-date on any new rulings or guidance that may be issued.
You may see some changes when it is time for your next appointment. We made these changes to help protect our patients and staff. For example:
- Our office will communicate with you beforehand to ask some screening questions. You’ll be asked those same questions again when you are in the office.
- We have hand sanitizer that we will ask you to use when you enter the office. You will also find some in the reception area and other places in the office for you to use as needed.
- You may see that our waiting room will no longer offer magazines, children’s toys and so forth, since those items are difficult to clean and disinfect.
- Appointments will be managed to allow for social distancing between patients. That might mean that you’re offered fewer options for scheduling your appointment.
- We will do our best to allow greater time between patients to reduce waiting times for you, as well as to reduce the number of patients in the reception area at any one time.
Thank you for being our patient. We value your trust and loyalty and look forward to welcoming back our patients, neighbors and friends.
Sincerely,
Maine Center for Dental Medicine
59 Pleasant Street Skowhegan, Maine, ME 04976 Directions
30
Aug
The Basics of Laser Dentistry and How It Can Benefit You
When you visit the Maine Center for Dental Medicine in Skowhegan, Maine, Drs, Mohammed Imam and Shafiulla Khan will welcome you with a friendly smile and develop a treatment plan with you for optimal dental health. The Maine Center for Dental Medicine prides itself on utilizing the latest dental technologies and treatments, including laser dentistry.
Lasers in Dentistry
While lasers have been utilized in dentistry for many years, recent developments in technologies have allowed lasers to become improved to handle more work with both hard and soft tissues of the mouth. Lasers in dentistry fall under two categories: hard tissue and soft tissue applications.
Hard Tissue Lasers: These lasers are incredibly effective and can cut into and through the enamel. They can efficiently remove teeth and bone with incredible accuracy. They can be used to shape a tooth before receiving a dental crown or shave down an uneven tooth so old dental fillings can be repaired. Other applications include:
- Detection and removal of cavities
- Preparation for a filling or crown
- Treatment of tooth sensitivity by sealing the roots of the tooth
- Teeth whitening
Soft Tissue Lasers: Diode and YAG lasers are designed to handle issues with the soft tissues of the mouth, including gum disease. A good example is how carbon dioxide lasers can safely and efficiently remove soft gum tissue damaged by advanced-stage gum disease while leaving any healthy tissue in place. These soft tissue lasers are also capable of targeting blood vessels and nerves. Some applications of soft tissue lasers include:
- Reshaping gummy smiles
- Crown lengthening
- Repair of soft tissue defects
- Repair of congenital abnormalities
- Cold sore treatment
- Benign tumor removal
- Tissue removal in the treatment of sleep apnea
Reduced Bleeding and Chance of Infection
When high-energy beams are used for dental work, they reduce bleeding and prevent the risk of infection. This is due to the laser’s ability to coagulate the blood as it works. When you go in with an oral health concern like gum disease (which can lead to gum bleeding and bone loss), you want a treatment that eliminates bacteria from your teeth and gum pockets. This treatment will also reduce bleeding and swelling. At the same time, since the laser is actively sterilizing the treatment area throughout the treatment, there is a significant lessening of risk for infection.
Maximum Control
When you visit your dentist for laser treatment (depending on the treatment), the laser is customizable in a way that allows your dentist to adjust the wavelength and power level of the laser to fit your specific treatment. Adapting and controlling these settings during the treatment allows maximum control throughout the treatment. It also allows your dentist to deliver a complete dental treatment that will serve your specific needs.
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Improved Healing Time
Laser dentistry is incredibly precise, resulting in minimal trauma to tissues in the mouth, including teeth and gums. The laser precisely targets the tissues being worked on, whereas traditional dental treatments utilize less precise hand tools, which can sometimes cause damage to surrounding tissues, resulting in longer recovery times. Laser dentistry is nearly pain-free and requires very minimal recovery time.
Reduced Dental Anxiety
When you talk to somebody who is afraid of the dentist or who has anxiety about setting an appointment, they will likely tell you that the instruments used are what partly cause the fear. Loud drills and needles can be challenging for some individuals to handle. In contrast, those who have undergone treatment using lasers will testify to the fact that there is very little, if any, pain. In addition, the noise and intimidating drills are replaced with a much less intimidating laser tool. What results is a dental experience that creates much less fear and anxiety among patients. Patients are more likely to come in for their regular appointment when the fear is gone, leading to a healthier mouth.
If you are ready to learn more about how laser dentistry can benefit you, please contact the team at the Maine Center for Dental Medicine. To set an appointment, please call (207) 808-7355.
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LinkedinA graduate from New York University College of Dentistry, Dr. Mohammed Imam began his practice in Nigeria and moved to the United Kingdom to continue his training in Oral & Maxillofacial Residency.
With over 30 years of expertise Dr. Imam regularly updates himself on modern techniques and methods whilst continuing to invest and perform procedures using the best technology and equipment to ensure his patients receive the best and most bio-compatible oral care possible.
Dr. Imam’s areas of specialty include implant dentistry, TMD and Orofacial pain. He is also SMART certified and a member of the Academy of General Dentistry.
An alumnus of New York University, Dr. Shafiulla Khan brings with him a wealth of knowledge and expertise gained over his 35 plus years of practicing dentistry. He is well known for his passion to improve his patients’ lives with his service. While being a SMART certified professional, Dr. Khan’s areas of specialty includes Tempro-mandibular Disorders, TMJ therapy and smile make overs. He remains a prestigious member of the International Association of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT) amongst many others.
MCDM is continuing to protect our patients and staff from Covid-19. We ask that you postpone your appointment for 10-14 days if you or your household member are in the following categories:
Due to Governor Mills' change in the travel policy, patients who have traveled to NH, MA, CT, RI or VT do not need to quarantine. Therefore, patients that have traveled to or from these states do not need to delay their appointment with us. If you have traveled to or from any other state (or country) not listed above, the quarantine restrictions still apply.
As of 3/16/21, our front door will be unlocked. If you are a patient that has an appointment, you may enter 5 minutes prior to your appointment and undergo a covid screening upon entry. Others that do not have an appointment must call before entry. Anyone entering the building must wear a mask or scarf covering their mouth and nose.
Thank You,
- If you or your household member have been advised to quarantine due to Covid-19.
- If you or your household member have been in contact with someone who is being tested and do not yet have their results back, or if the results are back and they tested positive.
- If you or your household member are being tested for Covid-19, or have been tested and have a positive result.
- As always, if you do not know if you have been exposed and are not feeling well, please call us to reschedule.
Due to Governor Mills' change in the travel policy, patients who have traveled to NH, MA, CT, RI or VT do not need to quarantine. Therefore, patients that have traveled to or from these states do not need to delay their appointment with us. If you have traveled to or from any other state (or country) not listed above, the quarantine restrictions still apply.
As of 3/16/21, our front door will be unlocked. If you are a patient that has an appointment, you may enter 5 minutes prior to your appointment and undergo a covid screening upon entry. Others that do not have an appointment must call before entry. Anyone entering the building must wear a mask or scarf covering their mouth and nose.
Thank You,