Your Dental Health

By admin on April 10, 2009

Posted in Austin Dental Spa Team, Video Transcript

My name is Candace Gifford and I am a hygienist at Austin Dental Spa, and my job is to take care of the patient’s dental health. And two ways that we do that, we have two tests that we are able to do now where we can test for bacteria that are in the patient’s mouth.

There’s 13 different bacteria that cause periodontal disease and we can now test for them so we can customize the patient’s treatment needs to their specific bacteria. And we know now that there’s about 8% of the population that have periodontal disease in some form or fashion. Typically it starts out as just bleeding and then it can progress to bone loss and eventually tooth loss. So we’re very excited about the fact that we can test for these things and help prevent that for a lot of our patients.

And the second test we do along with that one is called a susceptibility test where we are able to detect their basically their genes or the genetic makeup to see if they are susceptible to periodontal disease and if they are, how susceptible they are based on a number reading from one to four, one being the least susceptible, four being the most susceptible, and if they are very susceptible then we know that we need to treatment plan their cleaning and their dental visits more tailored to the needs and they need to come in more often and they need to be more proactive with their homecare and just day to day stuff.

Another new technology that we have in our office that is brand new to dentistry is a test called a Vizilite test. And that is an oral cancer screening. We know that oral cancer is not on the decrease like a lot of the other cancers are because it’s not been able to be detected early on. So now we have a special test that we can do to see that before it is actually visual, that it can be seen in the mouth. And so we have the patient rinse with a special solution and it absorbs if there are any precancerous cells and then we use a light to shine in the mouth and we can actually see it before it can be seen visually which has been great for early detection and long term prognosis is much better if it’s caught early.

Laura’s Improved Smile

By admin on April 9, 2009

Posted in Patient Stories, Video Transcript

LAURA: I’d had a lot of dental work growing up, but I still had a little gap between my middle teeth. I had some chipping, some discoloration. They were getting a little older. So I wanted to be proud to smile again. So I mentioned that, told my husband. Of course he investigated and found Dr. Sweeney and that’s all she wrote. We’ve been here ever since and it’s been several years now.

And we love the results. It’s been great. You’re made to feel special like you’re the number one patient in here. You’re greeted with a smile always, always. And bottled water. Everybody’s nice. Everybody has a smile. Nobody is ever in a bad mood in here. Never. Well I always liked to smile, but I always kind of put my hand in front of my mouth. So now I smile all the time. I’m just proud of it. It’s like it’s made me feel younger. It’s just made me feel so much better about myself.

Kristi’s Smile Makeover

By admin on April 9, 2009

Posted in Patient Stories, Video Transcript

KRISTI: God gave me some great things when he made me, but one thing he didn’t give me were nice teeth. So I struggled with that my whole life. I mean my parents did what they could. I had braces, the whole nine yards. But it was never, it was far from ideal and just a huge source of insecurity for me. So my whole life I wanted to get my teeth fixed and after I came here and I felt very confident in him, in Dr. Sweeney and I liked it here and I of course looked at, went to other doctors and you know considered other whatever sources. But I chose him and it was you know a big investment, but totally worthwhile. I mean it changed my life. Not to sound overdramatic, but it did.

So anyway, just confident and I smile in every picture because people used to be like why don’t you smile. It’s always your friends who have nice teeth that say why aren’t you smiling. Well why do you think you know. So I don’t know if you’ll see the before or not, but you’ll see the difference. I would recommend him because he is excellent at what he does. He is and I believe that you can have all the experience in the world. You can be improving teeth for 20 years which I think he has plus.

But there’s also talent. I think I get a talent that you either have or you don’t and an eye for it because it is kind of like an artistry. You know you can make the tooth a little longer, a little shorter, the color. I mean there’s a million variables and he just has a skill and a talent for doing that. And I love the people. – - I will not give my business to any business that I don’t, I’m treated well. You know the women and the people that work here are very friendly and genuinely friendly, eager to help and it’s just a fun environment. And it’s very comfortable. That’s another big thing is comfort is a key thing. You know a lot of people freak out at the dentist and you don’t here. You know it’s just a, it’s like a small environment.

Richard’s Smile

By admin on April 9, 2009

Posted in Patient Stories, Video Transcript

RICHARD: Dr. Sweeney is just really comfortable to be around. He’s just kind of one of the guys and he comes in and makes you feel comfortable and gets to know you and listens to you. I think he has a full understanding of what you really want and that’s what he wants to give you. He’s just a super nice guy. He’s not really like a doctor, like you think of a dentist. He’s just one of the guys. I recommended this office to a lot of people. Matter of fact, my daughter came and she thought the same thing. She just loved it. It’s not like a dentist office. It’s more like a, well it’s a spa. You come and you get treated really well. I just can’t wait to come.

Michelle’s New Smile

By admin on April 9, 2009

Posted in Patient Stories, Video Transcript

MICHELLE: I originally came to Austin Dental Spa for an open house that Dr. Sweeney had for our clinic that I was working at the time. And through the first conversation, we discussed that I needed to have my crown replaced and came in for a visit. And from there it turned into a full set of veneers.

It’s the greatest thing I’ve ever done. Very, very happy with it. I wore my temporaries for about two to three weeks and made a few minor changes and got them exactly where I wanted them to be. And it’s been fabulous. I absolutely love my smile. I get compliments constantly and even though it wasn’t something I really needed, it’s totally changed my smile and how I feel about it. Anyone that fears a dentist shouldn’t fear coming here for veneers because it’s a piece of cake.

Elizabeth’s Porcelain Veneer Experience

By admin on April 9, 2009

Posted in Patient Stories, Video Transcript

ELISABETH: I had gotten braces a long time ago and was still not happy. I kept going back to the orthodontist. I still had spacing and I kept going back and saying fix the spacing, fix the spacing. And he finally said you need to go get veneers. I’m not going to make you happy. You need to go because my teeth were too small really for my mouth. And so I had that in mind forever and you know years and years. I was just like okay, I want to do that at some point.

And then there was a picture. I looked for the picture and it was me and my best friend and he has like this beautiful smile white perfect teeth that are just all natural. And I had these horrible little, I just looked at my smile and I thought God that’s horrible. I’m like I’m doing it. The next day I called. As soon as I saw that picture, I called and I was like I’m coming in. I’m getting it done, I’m doing it. And so here I am and I’m much, much happier.

I love Dr. Sweeney. I actually found Dr. Sweeney on I Googled and I was trying to look for the best you know cosmetic dentist because I had a regular dentist. I didn’t really you know that’s a little bit scary to go through all this. You know you want it to look good. And I’ve seen people with bad veneers. And so I found Dr. Sweeney and I loved him. He was so funny and he has a little longhorn thing on his tooth and I’m a big longhorn. And so we kind of had that in common and he was just really nice and obviously knew his stuff and had a lot of experience and lots of training. And I was just impressed with everything about him and all the staff here as well.

Hank’s Porcelain Veneers

By admin on April 9, 2009

Posted in Patient Stories, Video Transcript

HANK: Once I stepped in the door here and met Mark Sweeney, I knew that I’d met the man that was going to fix my teeth for me. So that’s my original exposure to the company. I had 10 veneers done on the top and absolutely stunning. I told Dr. Sweeney when we originally came in, I said you know I want a Hollywood smile. Can you provide that for me? I want something that Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise couldn’t hold a candle to because my wife loves Brad Pitt. So he said I think we could that and by golly, he delivered. So I’m happy with the results that Doc gave me. You know his staff here, he’s backed up by an incredibly professional staff and he’s led by that staff. Instead of him leading the staff, the staff leads him. And really wonderful people and I’ve just enjoyed the experience. I actually enjoy coming to see Dr. Sweeney. Number one, he’s backed up by an incredible staff here. He’s a wonderful person, wonderful individual and I really enjoyed my experience here with Austin Dental Spa.

Dentistry While You Sleep

By admin on April 9, 2009

Posted in Sedation Dentistry, Video Transcript

DR. MARK SWEENEY: Our final level of dealing with dental phobic patients is the dental anesthesiologist. We’re blessed in Austin to have two of them that will come to the office. Both of them are dentist and licensed dental anesthesiologists. So they’re able to utilize IV sedation just like the oral surgeons would do if they were taking wisdom teeth out and both of them are also able to take it a level beyond that if need be which is usually not necessary but if it needs to be done, they’re both capable of taking you to the general anesthetic level so that you’re completely comfortable and completely unaware of what’s happening in the environment around you. We take this very seriously. I don’t leave the room when we’re doing these type of procedures. We schedule enough time that I’m able to sit with the patient during that entire visit until we get all the dentistry accomplished.

We’ve been able to take care of patients who were so phobic they couldn’t even bring themselves to come in the front door the first couple of times they made appointments. And we’ve been able to utilize this technology and this approach to get all of their dentistry done in less than a half day appointment.

Oral Conscious Sedation

By admin on April 9, 2009

Posted in Sedation Dentistry, Video Transcript

DR. MARK SWEENEY: A patient undergoing oral conscious sedation usually we give them enough medication that they’re able to take one the night before the appointment so they get a good night’s sleep. We usually schedule these appointments first thing in the morning, have the patient take another tablet an hour before their visit. If they follow that regimen, usually by the time they’re getting here, their significant other or spouse is having to help them get in the front door and back to the treatment room. They’re in a very comfortable sleepy state and we use monitors to monitor not only the oxygen level in their blood, but also their pulse throughout the entire appointment so that we know that they’re in a save state.

We have never had a problem in the 20 years I’ve been using sedation on patients and yet it’s allowed us to treat many, many people who otherwise would not, are so anxious they would not have been able to complete their dentistry in a single visit.

Dental Phobias

By admin on April 9, 2009

Posted in Sedation Dentistry, Video Transcript

DR. MARK SWEENEY: Thirty years ago in dental schools they taught us that 50% of the adult population in the United States never goes to a dentist unless they have a crisis event like a toothache that kept them up all night. I never understood that until the internet came along. It’s been a boom to my fearful patients many of whom were so fearful that they couldn’t even bring themselves to call and make an appointment and now they’re able to get online, visit different dental offices and see just exactly where they feel like they’re going to be treated well. As we say in this office every chicken in town finds us eventually.

We have three different levels of sedation available for our patients. The first is nitrous oxide which many of my patients take advantage of. It’s also called laughing gas because at high levels it will stimulate you to laugh without anything really being all that funny. The reason it’s used in dentistry is because it does reduce anxiety and raises pain threshold. So many of my patients feel much more comfortable having their dental treatment done. The big advantage to nitrous oxide is you’re able to drive back to work or leave the office with no side effects from the nitrous oxide if it’s administered properly.

Our next level is to take a medication or prescription medication usually either Ativan or Halcion. Both of these are very safe medications. We used to use Valium but these two have supplanted Valium in my mind. They take effect quicker. They wear off more rapidly and they’re safer all the way around than Valium. But they do basically the same thing. They kind of put you out in left field for your dental appointment. The whole world kind of slows down and we’re able to do dentistry on fearful patients that want to be sedated but don’t want to be completely put to sleep.

That’s our third level. We work with two different dental anesthesiologist in Austin that will come here to our office and use either IV or general anesthetic to put a patient, especially our extreme phobic patients, completely to sleep. So we’re able to get their dentistry done in a timely manner. Usually in a single appointment we try to complete everything and the patient doesn’t even remember having been in our office.