Willow Dental Care

Author: Toothbrush Confidential

  • Mother’s Day Giveaway!

    I’ve always appreciated my mother, but it wasn’t until my sister became a mom that I caught a glimpse of what motherhood is all about. This tiny piece of insight has been so illuminating, I’m so thankful for all my Mom has meant for me in my life.

    This Mother’s Day Willow Dental Care Clinics would like to help you celebrate your Mom and give her something she might not gift herself: a younger smile.

    No we don’t have a time machine but we are giving away 5 professional home whitening systems.

    This is a professional home whitening system which includes:

    1.  A set of custom whitening trays lab produced to fit perfectly around your teeth

    2.  Professional level whitening gels

    Value ($199)

    These are professional acrylic trays that can be used year after year.  Simply stop in once a year at our office and purchase more whitening gels and you can touch up that bright white smile for years to come.  Just try not to lose them.

    Now how do you enter? Like Willow Dental Care Clinics on Facebook and fill out our entry form and tell us why your Mom is the best Mom.

    Contest closes May 10th, and will email out certificates to our five winners on May 11th so you may present your Mom with her certificate on Mother’s Day. Certificate is redeemable at any Willow Dental Care Clinic.

    Looking forward to reading about your Mom!

  • Oral Cancer Screening Could Save Your Life

    Oral Cancer Screening Could Save Your Life

    Dear Family and Friends,
    As part of our Community Initiative, 123Dentist is offering a Free Oral Cancer Scan with Velscope April 16 and 17 2015.   Undetected and unseen, oral cancer claims a life every hour of every day.  For these two days we are offering a free scan which is painless, quick and may save a life.  Book early as space is limited.

    Instead of the usual fee we are asking for donations to support Oral Cancer Research through the BC Cancer Foundation.

    The BC Cancer Foundation raises and stewards funds to support research and compassionate care through the BC Cancer Agency.  The BC Cancer Agency provides screening, prevention and early detection programs, diagnosis and treatment services, supportive care, rehabilitation, palliative care, research and education throughout British Columbia.    Your gifts also support the best cancer patient outcomes in Canada.
    Give generously as our offices will match every dollar collected.  Together we can beat cancer.

    We have recently created a personal fundraising page through the BC Cancer Foundation.  Please visit our web page and join me in supporting a wonderful cause.

    Whatever you can give will be appreciated, and everything helps. Thank you for your support.

  • Demystifying Dental X-rays in the News

    Did you read that article linking dental x-rays to benign brain tumors?  I was surprised by the lack of a control group in the study. They also didn’t seem to take into account  any other form of radiation that permeates our lives on a daily basis.  For example:  how many of the people in their study live on their cell phone, only cook their food in microwaves or live under power lines?

    I understand the fear and the need to lower one’s chances against diseases such as cancer or the benign tumor discussed in the article. But is handicapping your dental exam the way to do it?

    Within the article the American Dental Association is quoted saying:

    “Many oral diseases can’t be detected on the basis of a visual and physical examination alone, and dental X-rays are valuable in providing information about a patient’s oral health such as early-stage cavities, gum diseases, infections or some types of tumors,”

    So you’re telling me I need a dental x-ray in order to prevent more serious diseases?  Is there any truly good news here?  Yes. Willow Dental Care clinics use digital x-rays which utilize digital radiography. This significantly reduces the amount of radiation required for data collection.  In actual fact the amount of radiation required for  digital x-rays is 70% less than the x-rays referenced in the article.

    And yes you might be reading this on your cellphone. At least you know Willow Dental Care has your back in keeping up with the latest in low radiation technology and checking your mouth for early stages of disease.

    Free Oral Cancer Screenings, another community event from Willow Dental Care is happening April 26th, 2012. Don’t forget to book your appointment! The fee is waived on this day and they will collect donations towards Oral Cancer Research.  All the offices will  match every dollar collected.

    To find a Willow Dental Care Clinic closest to you click here.

  • What is YOUR dental team like?

    What is YOUR dental team like?

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    Do you know when you say that you love your dentist…you realize that you really love his office staff?  There are some offices that really take care of their staff and make sure they get the training they need.  AND I mean training on client care NOT just dental techniques!

    This weekend was the yearly Pacific Dental Conference.  This conference has been held for over two decades and has grown to become one of the largest dental conferences in North America and the largest in Canada.  More than 12,000 dental professionals gather to hear, see and experience the latest in all aspects of dental care and research.  These people include not just the dentist but the hygienists, the Assistants and the Administrative staff.This three day continuing education program features 138 speakers, over 200 sessions and a huge exhibition floor.I have been going to this conference and many others all over North America for the last 3 decades.  OH OH now you know how long I have been in this profession.My point is this:  Ask your office if they attended!  and Who attended? and How many days did they attend?  There is only one event of this caliber in BC a year.  If they are not getting the training here, how are they getting it?

    Here is Debby from Willow Dental Care Chilliwack office in conference . There are so many patient care programs compared to years ago.  The emphasis is towards training offices to treat you like the Ritz Carlton.  So when you go to your dental office do they stand up and say “hey hi Sally.. how are you..nice to see you back.  The hygienist is ready for you in just a few minutes.  So how was Hawaii?”

    or

    Do you get to the office and go up to the front desk and stand there for several minutes before they recognize you and then wait for you to tell them who you are.  Then they tell you to have a seat and proceed to ignore you.

    Well the times they are a changing.  You should be expecting the first scenario especially with this kind of quality training given at these conferences.

    The teams of Willow Dental Care during the three day learning marathon took time to sing Happy Birthday to Dr Vigneault amid the throngs of attendees.  He was pleasantly surprised when even his grandkids showed up.  There was so much cake we had to give some away to anyone sitting near us.   Enjoy and expect more!

  • Do You Wish You’d Worn Your Retainer?

    Do you have a winning smile?So you had braces as a kid.  Your teeth looked great.  You even have a few pictures where they were perfect.  Then somewhere in the after care, wearing your retainer became more of a pain then a habit.

    Without the reinforcement of the retainer training the muscle memory in your mouth, your teeth shifted a bit from their perfection and you wish you could jump in a time machine and  tell your pubescent self to simply wear that retainer!   AND everyone is a little different in how long they need to wear their retainer!

    In lieu of waiting for Sheldon Cooper to invent a time machine or Hermione to share her time turner, Willow Dental Care Clinics offer  an EXPRESS orthodontic treatment with Invisalign® that could take less than 12 months and be as inexpensive as under $2500 to restraighten your teeth.

    Every case will vary but  since your teeth and muscles have memory most often it requires minimal time and money to have your teeth restraightened again.

    If you are unhappy with the alignment of your teeth, it’s worth checking to see if you are a candidate and Willow Dental Care is offering a free Invisalign consult through to  April 30, 2012.  So what are you waiting for?  You may not have access to a time machine, but Willow Dental Care Clinics might just be the answer to your past perfect smile.

  • Oral Cancer – Who’s Got Your Back?

    Remember when people were afraid to mention the word cancer? They’d refer to it as the big C or whisper it. Luckily we’ve moved beyond fear with incredible advances in cancer detection and treatment.

    We’re actively taking steps to keep ourselves heathy and head cancer off before it becomes a larger problem in our lives.  We are having our moles checked, eating lots of antioxidants and keeping a positive eye towards our health.  When it comes to oral cancer you should be checked once a year.  The truth of the matter is that the only person who is checking your mouth is your dentist.

    You might think oral cancer usually afflicts older men who smoke or chew tobacco. Unfortunately this isn’t true anymore.  Oral Cancer has been appearing in both sexes under the age of 30, without any history of smoking or tobacco chewing.  As mentioned above, your best defense against Oral Cancer is early detection, and Willow Dental Care Clinics is offering the VELscope, the technological leading edge in oral cancer screenings at all of their locations.  However Willow Dental Care offers: Why wait until your next dental check up?

    April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month and Willow Dental Care is stepping up big time. On April 26th, 2012 at all Willow Dental Care Clinics (see below for a list of offices) are offering a full day of Oral Cancer screening with VELscope.

    What is the VELscope? Well as I mentioned above when your dentist checks your mouth for oral cancer he/she is only using their naked eye. VELscope, is an instrument that outputs a blue  spectrum light that can  reveal any questionable marks or lesions  UNDER  the skin.     It’s painless, harmless and takes very little time.  And it might just save your life.

    The VELscope is an excellent example of success in oral cancer research.With it’s use early detection improves the chances of survival to over 87%. Can you imagine the day when we are closing in on a 100% survival rate? On April 26th, when you stop by Willow Dental Care for your oral cancer screening, please give generously to Oral Cancer Research.

    The BC Fee Guide cost of this VELscope screening during  your regular oral check up is only $34.00.  All donations will be matched by Willow Dental Care and forwarded to Oral Cancer Research through the Cancer Foundation.

    Contact one of these Willow Dental Offices to set up your appointment for April 26th, 2012:

    Willow Dental Care Chilliwack (888) 879 – 0871

    Willow Dental Care Garrison (888) 819 – 3683

    Willow Dental Langley (604)  534 – 7200

  • Orthodontics Are Just for Kids – Right?

    Remember when Tom Cruise wore braces for a while? I remember being surprised that a superstar like Tom would think that he needed braces or that he wouldn’t schedule them for while he was out of the public eye. Like we assume stars do when they have plastic surgery. But no, he proudly flashed his braces for all of us to see. Then again he is Tom Cruise.

    Do you wish you’d worn your retainer more vigilantly? Or do you wish you had Tom Cruise level of self confidence to have braces as an adult? The cool thing is now you don’t need to have super human self confidence, because we have Invisalign®.

    Invisalign®, often referred to as clear braces, is as magical as they sound.

    Can you imagine? Stealthily and systematically straightening your teeth and no one knowing what’s changing but you? Sounds too good to be true, right? One of our clients, used Invisalign® for an entire year without her husband finding out.

    One of the most beautiful side effects of Invisalign® is watching as our patients confidence and self care  grow. We’ve had patients take the plunge and change everything they didn’t like about their lives after successfully creating the smile they’ve always wanted. Everything from losing weight to changing jobs to filing for divorce.

    Invisalign® is suitable for both adults and teens and will address issues such as: crowding, widely spaced teeth, overbite, underbite and crossbite. Your treatment time is comparable with traditional braces, and sometimes can be shorter. I told you they were magical!

    It sounds like something out of Harry Potter, but you can take the aligner off to eat and clean your teeth.  Remember when you were a kid, how frustrating it was to try and get all the food off your braces?   Now you simply slip them off, chow down on a burger or carrot stick then brush and floss, and you’re good to go.

    Good to get on with your life. Since Invisalign aligners are comfortable and smooth, it’s easy for you to keep doing the things you want, like football, soccer, field hockey, and basketball or play the flute!

  • That Whole Whitening Process – And What Does it Mean?

    It can be so confusing and expensive just to get some pearly whites. Today many businesses offer the treatment and there is so much offered over the counter. How do you decide? Is it price or is it results that determine your purchase?

    To begin, have realistic expectations. Everyone’s teeth are different. Yellower teeth brighten better than grey shade of teeth. There will be some sensitivity with any type of process. AND if your teeth are stained or still has calculus it does not work. If you have any porcelain work it cannot be whitened. AND the real truth is that your teeth will yellow with age. Part of life!!

    Enter spring  – right now – with a new you.

    Here are some popular choices:

    1. Bleaching Trays for Home Treatment (can by $200-$400) Impression of your teeth are taken at the dental office and you go home with custom fitted trays and a supply of bleaching gel. The most effective results is to keep the trays with gel in your mouth nightly for two to six weeks. You would keep the gel on for three to four hours each night. This is considered the most effective because you have the longest exposure to the bleaching agent. It can take 3 to 5 days to really notice but the results can last one to three years. AND they trays can last forever…as long as you do not lose them.
    2. Light Therapy ($300-$500) For those who would like to just get it done, this in house whitening takes just over an hour. This is offered now in spas and even in Kiosks in the mall. A very bright light activates the agent that has been applied to your teeth. The only caution is that in some of these places the peroxide and barrier around the gums applied poorly or inadequately. There is sensitivity still and and a dental office will have fluoride solutions to calm sensitivity in the teeth and gums.
    3. Whitening Toothpaste ($2-$10) Toothpastes that whiten are really only removing stain using enzymes. To truly change the color of your teeth bleach is needed. However you need to be free of stains before whitening. so this may be a good way to start.
    4. Whitening Strips ($16-$100) If you have not had any success with drugstore  strips there are a couple of reasons. Over the counter strips just do not have the same level. If your teeth are not perfectly lined up the strips are a one size fits all and you may not be getting product on your teeth. But if you have beautifully aligned teeth this may be the way to go.

    Generally a rule of thumb is to start this cosmetic process with a healthy mouth. It is the dentist who can plan a strategy of whitening if you want to upgrade the look of those porcelain crowns that looked great back in 1980.