Friday, April 13, 2012

Dental X-rays and Radiation Risks

By now, you've probably heard the latest warning on the frequency of dental x-rays and the risk of developing meningioma, which is the most commonly diagnosed brain tumor. We just wanted to take a moment to assure our past, present and future patients that we do not perform unnecessary or excessive
x-rays at our practice. But we also want to shed some perspective on this news, especially since so many people are already apprehensive about visiting the dentist.

The American Dental Association (ADA) has issued a press release to address the recent concerns raised by this study. According to the release, "The ADA's long-standing position is that dentists should order dental X-rays for patients only when necessary for diagnosis and treatment." Our own Dr. Versman is the Vice President of the American Dental Association and we follow their recommendations for the safety and comfort of our patients.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding dental X-rays, please feel free to call our office at 303-755-4500. We are happy to discuss our policies with you at any time.

Friday, April 6, 2012

Protein vs. Bone Grafting

So there is a really interesting article in a recent WorldDental.org newsletter about the effectiveness of building bone vs. traditional bone grafting in successful dental implant procedures. This is because the bone has to be strong and healthy enough to support the procedure. So in the future, it would appear that special types of proteins will continue to be developed to make these procedures more successful. We work hard to keep up with the latest technologies to improve dental implant processes and are proud to say that our team was one of the first in the U.S. to study directly with the inventors of today's implants. We have educated dentists, periodontists and dental students about dental implants and implant procedures for many years, and have lectured on the subject in the Denver/Aurora, Colorado area, nationally and internationally.