Want more info on LANAP, the PerioLase, and Gum Disease Treatment in North/South Carolina?

Ok, then you’re in luck!  Here is a video that will give you pretty good information about periodontal (gum) disease in general, as well as about conventional non-surgical and surgical treatment options, and then about LANAP (Laser-Assisted New Attachment Protocol).

Something very important to know: the Periolase MVP-7 dental laser, made by Millenium Dental Technologies, and for which the required training is provided by the Institute for Advanced Laser Dentistry (IALD), is the ONLY dental laser available that can be used with LANAP.  DON’T BE FOOLED INTO THINKING THAT ANY OLD LASER CAN DO THIS! There are only 4 doctors in Charlotte, NC (as of today September 17th, 2009) who can offer this treatment to you, including me; make sure it’s the real deal.   Dr. Robert Gregg and Dr. Delwin McCarthy, who founded Millenium Dental and developed the Periolase and LANAP, are passionate about protecting patients from harm by dentists who don’t have the right background or understanding of lasers, which is why they patented the protocol with the FDA.  Only doctors who complete the initial 3 days of training receive a license and laser.

Advertisement

Quality Dental Plan: Charlotte’s BEST Dental Discount Plan

Thanks to some connections across the country, I am very pleased to announce another exciting development in our dental practice that we truly believe will benefit patients, and that is the Quality Dental Plan, the first nationwide dental discount plan that is truly designed to be AFFORDABLE to both employers and individuals.  In fact, we plan on going out into the small business community to promote this as an affordable way to offer dental benefits to their employees and for their employees to get better dental coverage than with traditional or even PPO dental insurance.  So just how does the Quality Dental Plan work?

For Employers:

Talk about economical and simple to administrate: all you have to do is pay a 1-time annual fee of $345 per employee……AND THAT’S IT!  You have now provided each employee with dental benefits that far exceed what they can usually get from typical dental insurance.  No monthly deductions, no monthly payments, and I’d bet about anything that you will be paying less than you currently pay for your company’s dental benefits.  It COMPLETELY eliminates your administrative work except that all you have to do is let us know if you add or subtract any employees during the year.  THAT’S IT!  And if you want to add a little more value for your employees, you can sign up their family members for ONLY $195 EXTRA PER PERSON!

Theoretical Employer Scenario:
10 Employees x $345 = $3450 annual enrollment.  You’re done.  🙂
Say each employee has 1 family member, so you decide you want to cover them, too.  So 10 family members x $197 = $1970; so now you’ve paid a TOTAL of $5,420 and ALL of your employees and their 1 family member now are members of the Quality Dental Plan and have benefits in our office.  And you’re done!  🙂

Individuals/Families:

If you read the scenario for employers above…..it’s the same idea.  All you do is pay $345 annually to enroll, and you only add $197 extra per family member per year.  So you can enroll a family of 4 for a TOTAL of $936.  So it’s pretty darn simple.

So what do you GET with the Quality Dental Plan?

This is the best part (what you’ve really been waiting for 🙂 ):

• Initial Comprehensive Exam, Complete Set of X-rays, and Routine Child or Adult Cleaning
• At your 6-Month Check-up, you get your Six-Month Exam and Routine Child or Adult Cleaning
• Free Custom Whitening Trays!
• And for the entire 12 months following enrollment, you get 20% OFF ALL OF OUR SERVICES WITH NO ANNUAL LIMIT!

Yes, you read that correctly – 20% off all kinds of treatment. Of course, there are some conditions that go along with the deal, but compared to what so-called “dental insurance” companies offer, they’re insignificant.  So let’s compare the Quality Dental Plan with “dental insurance:”

“Dental insurance” – you only get $1,000-1,500 per year, which has to cover your 2 “free” cleanings/exams/x-rays,  and then you get whatever is left.  Maybe a few fillings or 1 crown, and after that it’s all out of your pocket.

OR

Quality Dental Plan: Your 2 routine child/adult cleanings and x-rays and exams are all included in your enrollment fee, and thereafter 20% off everything with NO LIMITS.   Say you need 5 crowns, well, you get 20% off of each crown, which means that by the time you’ve paid for 4, the last one is almost free when looking at our standard fees.  10 veneers?  20% off!  Six-Month Braces?  20% off! Say you need 5 crowns, 10 veneers, AND Six-Month Braces?  20% off EVERYTHING.

Ok, so you may be thinking, “What’s the catch?  Why does Dr. Payet do this?”  Well, it’s for a few simple reasons:

1. It SERIOUSLY simplifies our administrative work, ’cause we don’t have to deal with insurance companies (that’s reason enough to do it right there, honestly).
2. When you’re able to afford the treatment you want and need, it keeps me busier (my staff much prefers that to me being bored and stir-crazy).
3. It does help you afford the treatment you want and need.

Making improvements and updates

As much as I’ve been integrating some awesome new technology into our practice, I’ve also been working to add useful material to my other practice websites and wanted to make sure people take the time to browse through them, too.  I have 2 more websites that I have to get up and running in the very near future, so be on the lookout, but for the moment, I hope you’ll find these 2 sites helpful:

1. Cosmetic Dentistry in Charlotte by Dr. Charles Payet
2. General/Family Dentistry by Dr. Charles Payet

Treating Gum Disease with a Laser – Effective, Comfortable, and No Scalpel or Stitches!

I’ve been really updating my website to reflect the exciting new technologies that we’re implementing here at Smiles by Payet Dentistry in Charlotte, NC, so I wanted to let people know about that here so they can be updated: Laser Treatment for Gum Disease in Charlotte NC.  In addition, now you can visit our website devoted strictly to Periodontal (Gum) Disease Treatment with LANAP.

Further Information on LANAP Treatment for Gum Disease in Charlotte

OK – so I’m just going to be adding a LOT of information about periodontal (gum) disease and how the Periolase MVP-7 laser treats it so well; in addition, I’ll finally be getting around to adding more information on the significant health effects that gum disease can have, including:

• Increased risk of heart attack
• Increased risk of stroke
• Risk of worsening diabetes
• Increased risk of pre-term births
• Increased risk of low-birth-weight babies

Just so you know I’m not making this stuff up 🙂  , here are a few videos by national news programs that will help fill in the gaps:

And in case you missed Whoopi Goldberg talking about her gum disease on “The View,” don’t miss it again!

Painless Laser Gum Surgery and One-Visit Smile Makeovers in Charlotte NC

Man oh man, am I excited!  We are taking some bold new steps in technology here at Smiles by Payet Dentistry by upgrading to the newest version of our In-office, 1-Visit Crowns CAD/CAM system, the CEREC AC Bluecam, AND we’re FINALLY adding the Periolase MVP-7 laser to our practice, which is THE most effective treatment for gum disease available today.  Lots more information will be forthcoming as we get closer to the equipment arriving.  The Periolase will hopefully be in the office by late August, and the CEREC Bluecam by early September.

But what do each of these additions mean to YOU?  Some pretty good things, actually:

1) The CEREC Bluecam is even faster and more accurate than my current CEREC 3D, and it’s software is designed to make doing 4-6 or more veneers/crowns much easier, faster, and better.  The other really cool thing is that, even if we can’t do the actual restoration with the CEREC, it’s software allows us to take digital impressions and EMAIL them to the lab!  That means NO MORE GOOEY IMPRESSIONS!  And the accuracy is just phenomenal.  With it’s speed and accuracy, we anticipate being able to complete a 6-10 tooth Smile Makeover in JUST ONE VISIT!  How amazing would that be?  It can be done with the current version I have, but it’s slow, clunky, and would take absolutely forever – no thanks.

2) As excited as I am about the Bluecam, what I’m MOST excited about is the Periolase MVP-7 laser.  This is groundbreaking technology, but it’s not just the laser itself, it is that it’s backed by a FDA-approved, patented protocol for success, not just some company’s word that it works.  The Periolase has more research backing it up on it’s successful treatment of gum disease than any other laser currently available.  Periodontal disease is responsible for more teeth being lost/extracted even than cavities, and studies show that about 50% of all Americans currently have some level of gum disease, but only 7% actually get treatment. What makes this really crazy is that periodontal disease has been linked to a drastically increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, as well as low birthweight and pre-term babies.

Much more news will be forthcoming about both of these fabulous new technologies that we’re adding for your benefit as we approach their delivery dates.  Stay tuned, and be ready to call 704-364-7069 for a consultation or Make an Appointment Online.

Reuters News story: Cavities and Gum Disease increase risk of heart attack, stroke, diabetes

This article was highlighted by the Academy of General Dentistry warning of the increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and diabetes, among other health issues, due to cavities and gum disease.  See……just because you don’t have a toothache does not mean that your gum disease or cavities aren’t hurting you in other ways!

http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE56Q4RM20090727

If you’re concerned about your own overall health but have neglected seeing a dentist to keep these problems from getting out-of-hand, call us today:

704-364-7069  or go to SmilesbyPayet.com to request an appointment.

Dental Implant Bridge Smile Makeover in Charlotte

There are several factors that can make a Smile Makeover much more difficult to look good or great, and this was an instance in which pretty much ALL of them were in place, so this was quite a challenge for me; fortunately, I had the distinct pleasure of working with a terrific patient and an amazingly good dental lab to create a pretty beautiful smile in the end.

When Kat first came to us in August 2006, she’d always taken good care of her teeth, but she was ready for some real changes and improvements to her smile and wanted someone with experience in fixing real problem smiles.  During my initial exam, I quickly realized there were several complicating factors that had been overlooked for years that had directly contributed to the problems she recognized.  She knew about the significant gum recession, was unhappy about the dark metal lines around her dental bridge, and wanted to brighten/straighten her whole smile.

What I recognized as problems that she didn’t:

• Crowded lower front teeth that were banging against the back of the upper dental bridge
• She clenched her teeth intensely, pushing the lower front teeth powerfully against the back of the upper dental bridge
• A history of chronic migraines that did not respond to conventional treatment, and as she’ll tell you in a heartbeat, she tried EVERYTHING.
• The 2 teeth holding up the bridge had cracks in the roots deeply below the gum level.
• A very high smile line, meaning that – when she smiles big – her lip rises way up high so that even the gums show (most people don’t do this)

We spent quite a while talking about how all these things fit together, as well as discussing the possibilities to give her a beautiful smile she felt good about.  Ultimately, we decided on extracting the 2 cracked teeth, placing 2 dental implants, Six-Month Braces to straighten the lower front teeth so they wouldn’t bang against the top ones, using the NTI-tss for resolving the chronic migraines (resulting from the incredibly intense muscle clenching), and finally a dental porcelain-to-metal bridge to replace the upper missing front teeth, supported by the 2 dental implants.  The entire process took just under 2 years, but even Kat will tell you – it was worth it!  She recently got married and says she felt so good smiling for her wedding photos with total confidence.

You know — this is the kind of thing that makes dentistry really enjoyable.  We get to help people LOOK GOOD, FEEL GOOD, AND EAT THE FOODS THEY WANT. 🙂

Gum (periodontal) disease, gum recession, gingivitis, and all that jazz

Given how important gum health is to overall mouth health, it is kind of bad that I haven’t addressed it yet on my blog, so it’s time to get to this very important subject!  The first thing to note: as much as I love to use photos to illustrate different situations, I’m not going to use any pictures of gum disease, and please trust me on this….you don’t want me to do so!  LOL  Gum disease can look pretty nasty (and it is!), and if you’re reading this around lunch or dinner, I don’t want you to lose your appetite.  🙂

First question then: What is the difference between Gum (Periodontal) Disease and Gingivitis?

In simplest terms: Gingivitis is inflammation of your gums, but Gum Disease is infection of your gums. Both are caused by bacteria, but gum disease is a lot more severe and has worse implications for your overall health, not just your gums and teeth.

If you listen to the TV commercials by certain mouthrinse manufacturers, you’d get the idea that gingivitis is pretty darn bad stuff.  True, you should not ignore it, but no, it does not mean your teeth are on the verge of falling out.

Whether or not gingivitis ever progresses to gum (periodontal) disease is affected by a number of factors, including

1. The kinds and amounts of bacteria that you have in your mouth
2. Your immune system
3. Your oral hygiene habits (brushing, flossing, mouthrinses, etc)

We actually categorize gum disease into 4 stages, called Type I, II, III, and IV  (there are some oddbal scenarios, but as they’re rare I”m not going to bother you with them). Type I is the mildest form and is when gingivitis crosses the line into gum disease, with Types II and III getting progressively worse with the gum separating from the teeth, bone being lost around the teeth, the gums getting redder and bleeding more easily, more and more tartar and plaque building up around the teeth, and EVENTUALLY (if it’s not treated and controlled) it reaches Type IV, and if your gum disease has progressed that far, it is quite possible that you will be losing your teeth pretty darn soon.

Did you know that gum disease is the cause of more extractions that cavities even?

So what can you do about it?  Stay tuned…….more information coming soon!  It’s important, too, BECAUSE GUM DISEASE HAS BEEN LINKED TO A NUMBER OF OTHER VERY SERIOUS MEDICAL CONDITIONS YOU DON’T WANT!

Smiles by Payet Dentistry – Welcome!

Welcome to the Dental Blog for Smiles by Payet Dentistry, the office of Dr. Charles Payet, where our goal is to provide Beautiful Smiles and Lifetime Care.  This blog will keep you up-to-date on happenings in our office, about our Team, new technologies that we’re adding, articles about how dental care (or the lack of it) impacts your daily life.  Here’s a little video to introduce you to me……

As of May 20th, Smiles by Payet Dentistry is moving to a brand-new dental office on Park Rd., just a couple miles and less than 10 minutes from our old office near the SouthPark Mall, in beautiful Charlotte, NC. We are very excited about the move, as we will have more rooms available, we’ll be hiring more great team members to care for you promptly and with great customer service.  Want to read what many of our current patients have to say about us?  Read our Google reviews!

We offer a unique combination of services that allow us to treat the entire family, from kids up to retirement and beyond:

LANAP: comfortable and truly effective treatment for gum disease with the Periolase

Dr. Payet now offers Six (6) Month Braces for amazing Smile Makeovers in Charlotte, NC.

Dental care for the whole family is affordable with the Quality Dental Plan.

To make an appointment, you can Request an Appointment Online or call us at 704-364-7069.

We’ll look forward to meeting you soon!