I have returned!!!

So, it has been awhile since I have written on the blog. Life sometimes gets in the way of doing the things you want and sometimes need to do. But no matter, I am here once again.

The other day I was reading a dental journal article and found out that 80% of the success of good dental health is attributable to what a person does at home for their dental health. Obviously, brushing your teeth and flossing them are the main components of that program. But did you know that if you don’t floss your teeth, you effectively ignore greater than 50% of your teeth’s surfaces? How is that possible? Follow this math and you will see…
OK, each tooth has 5 surfaces: the one on top that you chew with, the one by your cheeks/lips, the one by your tongue, the one by the tooth in front of it, and the one by the tooth behind it. So if you don’t floss, the last two fall away from the list. That means the best you can do is 3/5 or a 60% clean rate of all the possible areas. When I went to school, getting a 60 on a test meant a D-.  BUT WAIT…if you test most people with those pink chewing tablets to see how well they brush, you will see that the best they can do is around 80% clean . So if only 80% of the total 60% surfaces you can reach with the brush actually get clean, the best you could do is a measly 48%.

48%?

Yep, 48%. And most of us don’t even brush THAT well. So it’s hopeless, right?
WRONG.
Pick up an electric brush…your choice of brand, it doesn’t matter. That extra motion the brush provides while you slide it over your teeth, gets you closer to the magical 80%.
And you don’t have to use the floss the old fashioned way. Get a flossing toothpick or one of those handles with a u-shaped floss holder and get to work! If you don’t have any gum problems, look into the Sonicare AirFloss. It’s not for everybody, but it provides an interesting alternative to the dreaded string.
Using those tools that work for you can make for a 100% effort towards that 80% success with your home care.
Talk to you soon!

Occupy Wall Street- a slap in the face to…

Have you seen the Occupy Wall Street Movement on the news? I have… AND IT’S DISGUSTING.   It is a slap in the face to every hard-working citizen of this country. From the minimum wage earner to the CEO, they use their God-given talents to do their very best to support their family, pay their bills, and keep our economy from failing. They are the answer to our economic problems.
There are also many smart people out there who really get what the Occupy Wall Street movement is all about. One of them is my personal hero, Dave Ramsey. If you have never listened to him on the radio, seen him on television, or read some of his writing, you need to get in touch with what he has to say. Here is his take on the Occupy Wall Street movement:

http://www.daveramsey.com/article/dear-occupy-wall-street/lifeandmoney_economy/text2/

Take a few minutes and read it. Then send it on to one of your Occupy Wall Street supporter or detractor friends. They might just learn something and start to make a difference in their own lives.

From the ADA meeting Monday

Heard Condoleezza Rice this morning. Incredible! We should all be proud of having such a superb individual serve our country. Terry Fator the ventriloquist was also on the bill. He was funny and entertaining. So far I and the team have heard several great speakers. Later we plan to begin learning about the new products on the market to better serve you.
Be sure to follow us on facebook and n twitter, and look for videos and photos on facebook. More to come later!

Our Continuing Commitment

Our commitment to serve you with the best and most recent dental technologies continues by learning all that is new and innovative in the dental field.  To that end, we will be out of the office next week, October 10th to October 16th, to attend the American Dental Association’s Annual Meeting.

Should you experience a dental emergency during that time and need to see a dentist, please do not hesitate to contact Dr. Pete Mellas.  Dr. Mellas can handle any problem you may have.

If you have appointment, billing, or any other issue, please leave us a voice mail message at our office number, 602-485-4747.  Or send an email to Jennifer at jennifer@lernorfamilydental.com.  If you need to speak with Dr. Lernor, he will be available on a limited basis at his cell phone number.
Lastly, be sure to watch our facebook page for daily updates and videos as we report back to you what we are doing at the Annual meeting.  You can also follow us on twitter; the address is @LernorFamilyDen.

Why “Concierge” Medicine?

First, sorry I didn’t get here last week.  So here I am.

Last week I was listening to the radio where a news program was doing a special report on concierge medicine.  What is it you might ask?  Well, overworked physicians are reducing the size of their practices, and in order to give you  more comprehensive and caring attention, they are asking you to pay a monthly membership fee to see them.  The one doctor who spoke in the piece was charging his patients $150 a month to see him in addition to his regular fees.  My own personal physician did this about three years ago- I politely declined the “opportunity”.

Why is this my topic today?  Because, I give this kind of care routinely and without asking for a membership fee.  I even reward my patient’s loyalty with perks and opportunities to save their hard-earned dollars in my practice.  And why do I do this without a concierge fee?  Because I am a doctor.  I am here to be of service to you.  That is part of the job description.  Don’t get me wrong…I don’t do it for free.  But I set my fees at a reasonable and fair rate and give 100% of myself to you.  Your dental health is pretty important to me.  And charging a membership fee feels wrong to me.

I don’t run a country club for snobby members.  I am a doctor.  And I NEVER want to forget the integrity that honor demands of me.

Talk to you soon!

9/11 plus one

Did you take a few minutes yesterday to remember the 9/11 attacks? Hard to believe it was 10 years ago.  It is a modern day Pearl Harbor.  I remember as a kid seeing the movies of the sinking USS Arizona and all the other movies of that attack.  Because they were black and white, they almost seemed unreal, like it didn’t happen.  So yesterday, I sat down with my 16 year-old daughter and 13 year-old son to watch some of the videos of that day shown on History Channel (which were incredible, by the way).  They were unable to remember that day like I was, and they just watched the videos in silence.  They looked at me and asked if it really happened…MOST CERTAINLY was my answer!  Then I realized that to them it was almost unreal…just like Pearl Harbor was to me at their age.  To experience it in real time with true understanding is a sobering experience.  I just hope my kids don’t have to have a similar experience in their lifetimes.

Tremendous Opportunity TOMORROW!!!

Tomorrow at Doozy of a Deal, we are going to have our biggest promotion in the history of Lernor Family Dental. It’s a can’t-miss, can’t-go-wrong opportunity for you to invite a new family member or friend to join our practice! So go TOMORROW to www.DoozyofaDeal.com and check it out! You won’t regret it!