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A letter on coronavirus awareness from Cameo Dental Specialists

Dental Blog


Hands typing at a laptop.The Drs. at Cameo Dental Specialists are providing this educational blog as a resource to our patients and the community. We hope that this blog will cover subjects that you may be interested in.

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What Dentistry Is Really All About
By Vladana Babcic Tal DMD MPH MA, Partner/Owner Cameo Dental Specialists LLP
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Over the years that I’ve practiced dentistry, I’ve come to realize it’s not just about the tooth. It’s really about the experience—the emotional experience, to be specific.

So much emotion is part of the dental experience, and especially root canals. You do root canals? Why would you want to do that all day? It sounds so painful. Every time I hear comments like these, I’m amazed. In 2010, President Obama compared the bailout of the banks during the fiscal crisis to being as popular as a root canal. Most of the country probably laughed—but we endodontists cringed.

Somehow, our profession has earned a reputation for being associated with pain and bad experiences. Yet, that’s the opposite of what we see when we practice.

Every day, we spend time relieving pain. Many patients come into the office nervous, apprehensive and suffering, and they leave happy, smiling and talkative. They often go on to have a productive, pain-free day.

How does that happen? It’s the expert, compassionate and caring experience they’ve just had.

When we hire new team members to support our practice, we don’t look for people who’ve only worked in the dental field. We look for those who have experience in customer service industries and working with people. These are the team members who will make a positive difference, from the moment patients call the office to their first interaction with the dental assistant who welcomes them into the treatment room. And that experience continues as we engage with them.

I take time to get to know each of my patients. I accommodate their needs and requests, whether for a comforting blanket, noise canceling head phones, their favorite Netflix show, or maybe just a real conversation. I don't mind taking that extra time because I do my best work when patients are calm and trusting.

We understand that patients have a choice in their dental care these days. They research doctors, read reviews, follow social media, analyze websites and google everything. As informed consumers, they want to understand the procedure even before they make an appointment, and they want to connect with the doctor.

Dentistry is becoming more patient-centered, as it should be. There have been huge improvements in dentistry over the past few generations, from the days when alcohol did the job of local anesthetics, tooth pain resulted in extractions, and fear filled the air. Slow and steady improvements, though, are not enough. We need to innovate and recreate. As author Oren Harari says, "The electric light bulb did not come from the continuous improvement of candles."

As endodontists, we’re lucky because we’re experts in a procedure that relieves pain almost immediately. My passion and purpose are making patients happy and relieving their suffering. That’s why, at the end of each day, I go home feeling so much satisfaction. And, I look forward to coming back the next day.


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Wisdom Teeth Vs. Impacted Teeth

Posted on 11/15/2023 by Weo Admin
Wisdom teeth are also referred to as third molars. They are situated at the rear of the lower and upper jaws. Wisdom teeth are the final teeth to come out of the mouth. Typically, they begin to erupt during the late teens to mid-twenties, hence the name "wisdom teeth." This is because they coincide with the phase of life known as the "age of wisdom." Most people experience wisdom tooth eruption during late adolescence or early adulthood. But some individuals may have them emerge even later, sometimes as late as their 40s or 50s. In the past, wisdom teeth had a crucial role. They helped our ancestors chew coarsely prepared meat and raw vegetables. However, as dietary habits evolved, becoming more refined and less coarse, the role of wisdom teeth has diminished. This shift in diet has resulted in a reduced need for these teeth, leading to a decline in the eruption of third-molar teeth. The failure of a wisdom tooth to fully erupt in the oral cavity is primarily attributed to insufficient space. Impacted wisdom teeth generally do not cause issues for many individuals. However, some may experience problems such as an elevated risk of tooth decay, gum inflammation, and the potential spread of infection to neighboring teeth. What Are Impacted Teeth? Impacted teeth are teeth that fail to emerge fully through the gum line or remain partially or entirely trapped within the jawbone. Although any tooth can become impacted, the term is most commonly linked to impacted wisdom teeth. Impaction can result from inadequate space in the jaw, improper angulation of the tooth, or obstruction by neighboring teeth. Impacted teeth can lead to a range of issues. These include swelling, pain, gum infections, damage to adjacent teeth, and the formation of cysts or tumors around the impacted tooth....
Read more...




All Posts:

Wisdom Teeth Vs. Impacted Teeth
11/15/2023
Choosing Dental Implants
11/1/2023
Sinus Lift Surgery for Implants
10/31/2023
Causes and Treatment of Jaw Dislocation
10/15/2023
What Is The Difference Between Maxillofacial Surgery And Oral Surgery?
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Fluoride Myths and Facts
9/11/2023
Training Your Child To Brush And Floss
8/21/2023
The Impact of Acidic Foods and Drinks on Tooth Enamel
8/7/2023
Understanding The Risks And Benefits Of Oral Surgery
7/24/2023
The Role Of Dental Bonding In Improving Your Smile
7/10/2023
Recovery After a Dislocated Jaw is Slow For a Reason
5/29/2020
Why Some Teeth Require Splitting Prior to Removal
5/15/2020
Can You Strengthen Weak Enamel?
4/25/2020
What Goes in an Oral Biopsy?
4/15/2020
Ways of Keeping Your Body from Rejecting Dental Implants
3/25/2020
Using Cone Beam Technology Can Help if You Get Dental Implants
3/15/2020
Is All-On-4 Good For Just One Arch Of Replacement Teeth?
2/29/2020
Why We Need To Know If You Have Jaw Pains
2/15/2020
Ringing in Your Ears Could Come from Issues with Your Jaw
1/30/2020
What Options Do Our Oral Surgeons Have to Treat TMD Pain?
1/15/2020
Which Jaw Exercises Can Help Reduce TMJ Pain?
12/25/2019
Why Dental Trauma is So Common During the Spring and Winter
12/15/2019
Things You Need to Know Before Getting New Dental Implants
11/25/2019
How Your Diet Impacts Your TMJ
11/15/2019
How a Salivary Gland Infection Presents
10/25/2019
Foods to Have on Hand Whenever You Have Oral Surgery
10/15/2019
Oral Surgeons Like Us Can Help with Sleep Apnea - Find Out More
9/25/2019
How You Sleep Could Impact Sleep Apnea
9/15/2019
Why One Missing Tooth is A Problem You Should Not Ignore
8/25/2019
What Symptoms Come with a Fractured Tooth?
8/15/2019
What Can Be Part of a Full Mouth Reconstruction?
7/23/2019
Side Effects to Know Before Oral Cancer Surgery
7/13/2019
The Many Facial Injuries We Could Help You With
6/25/2019
What Are the Symptoms of Fractured Teeth?
6/15/2019
Most Common Reasons to Seek Out Oral Surgery
5/25/2019
Managing the Discomfort of an Impacted Tooth
5/15/2019
Cleft Palate Issues can be Treated Through Oral Surgery
4/25/2019
Can Sticky Foods Dislodge Oral Surgery Stitches?
4/15/2019
What a Tongue or Lip Piercing Can Do to Your Teeth
3/25/2019
Types of Temporomandibular Joint Disorders
3/15/2019
Getting a Full Understanding of a Peg Tooth
2/25/2019
Foods to Have On Hand for Oral Surgery Recovery
2/15/2019
Orofacial Pain Does Not Need to Rule Your Life
1/25/2019
How to Treat a Cleft Lip
1/15/2019
Snoring is Not Just a Noise Problem
12/25/2018
Signs Your TMJ is Dislocated
12/15/2018
What Age is Best to Begin Oral Cancer Screenings?
11/30/2018
We Can Also Help Treat Facial Injuries
11/20/2018
How Posture Can Impact Your Jaw Pain
10/25/2018
Times Where an Oral Splint is Necessary
10/15/2018
When Do You Need to Bring Up Ear Aches During One of Your Visits to Our Office?
9/23/2018
Ways to Explain Jaw Pain
9/13/2018
What Oral Surgeons Like Us Specialize In
8/25/2018
We Can Help if You Suffered Oral Trauma During a Car Accident
8/15/2018
Ask Us to Show You How to Check for Signs of Oral or Neck Cancer on Yourself
7/20/2018
The Basics of a Peg Tooth
7/10/2018
How Sticky Foods Can Ruin Oral Surgery Recovery
6/23/2018
Daily Jaw Pain is a Sign of a Problem
6/13/2018
The Importance of Detailed Notes About Pain When Talking with the Oral Surgeon
5/23/2018
Top 3 Symptoms of TMJ
5/13/2018
Chicago Oral Surgeons
4/23/2018
What Makes an Oral Surgeon So Good at Tooth Extraction?
4/13/2018
Why Doing the Same Oral Hygiene Routine Each Day Can Be Problematic
3/27/2018
Why Does Plaque Build Up Between Brushings?
3/17/2018
Does Sparkling Water Damage Your Oral Health?
2/27/2018
Best Way to Make Oral Hygiene Part of Your Daily Routine When Life Gets Busy
2/17/2018
General Blog - Is There a Difference Between DDS and DMD?
1/27/2018
Highest Risk Factors for Developing Gum Disease
1/17/2018
What Black Tea Provides Your Mouth When Consumed Daily
12/30/2017
What Are Those Tiny White Spots on Your Teeth For?
12/20/2017
What Your Tongue Tells Your Dentist About Your Oral Health
11/30/2017
What Your Dentist is Looking for When Comparing Two Sets of X-rays
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Dental Blog - Chicago • Cameo Dental Specialists
We provide this educational dental blog as a resource to our patients and the community around Chicago. We hope it will cover subjects that you may be interested in.
Cameo Dental Specialists, 148 N. Addison Ave, Elmhurst, IL 60126 + (630) 425-4488 + cameods.com + 12/1/2023 + Page Keywords: Oral Surgeon Chicago IL +