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General Dentistry During COVID-19: Is It Safe To Visit Your Dentist?

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Mclean VA General Dental Care

The coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has forced us to adapt to frequent cleaning routines, especially if you work in public spaces. We wear face masks, socially-distance ourselves, and wash our hands often, which is even more common than simple greetings. However, you may also question if you are safe enough going to public spaces, like your dentist, in which general dental care visits are crucial to your overall health. 

McLean Family Dentistry not only prioritizes your dental health needs but your safety as well. We’ve updated our policies and procedures to ensure everyone has peace of mind during their visit. We’re excited to welcome new and current patients in McLean and throughout the Northern Virginia area.

Here’s how the dental industry and our practice has adapted to the coronavirus pandemic:

The Evolving Dental Industry

Health constraints have increased across the country and have caused many dental practices to experience commercial effects, including deferred revenue. This is a result of dentists limiting patients to only the most pressing cases. Not only does this lower the chances of infection, but it also reduces their rate of profit.

More dental practices are also investing in additional safety equipment and newer technology, which includes PPE to minimize contact between patients and dental providers. Modern technology investments also go toward managing patients for virtual appointments.

In addition to that, dentists are adding charges to cover those additional safety equipment costs. McLean Family Dentistry has added a $10 fee per patient for PPE unless the patient’s insurance company considers it as an inclusive cost.

Updated Daily Practices & Procedures

As we’ve mentioned in a previous blog, our dental care procedures have been adjusted to align with the current health climate. As the CDC announced that SARS-CoV-2 spreads mainly through person-to-person contact and has a greater impact on older adults, dental practices have adjusted their procedures to increase safety for all. 

Some dentists have started mobile dental clinics that are perfect for those who must avoid public spaces. Mobile dentists offer the same HIPAA-compliant equipment and services to ensure these patients receive the same level of care they would get at a brick and mortar dentistry. 

Other dentists have eliminated patient visit overlaps to further reduce face-to-face contact with other visitors. All staff routinely undergo daily health screenings to ensure no one who is experiencing symptoms or is asymptomatic will infect other patients. 

New Changes at McLean Family Dentistry

We want to make sure you are comfortable during your visit with us and have updated our procedures to help you feel at ease. Many of the changes mentioned above are implemented at McLean Family Dentistry, in which the following continues to help limit exposure of our staff and patients: 

  • No appointment overlaps. Social distancing is also enforced. 
  • Patients and employees are screened for COVID-19 symptoms. 
  • All our staff wears PPE equipment including surgical masks, face shields, and gloves. 
  • We do not use aerosol-generating procedures which scatter droplets into the air and increase your risk of exposure.
  • When equipment is not in use, it will be stored away.

Visit McLean Family Dentistry in Virginia for General Dental Care!

Although we are all faced with incredible challenges this year, we do our best to ensure you have access to the general dental care you need. You and our employees’ health are our priority. If you have any concerns regarding your next visit with us, get in touch with our team in McLean, Virginia today. Schedule your appointment at (703) 448-9100 to get started!

Making Dentistry More Accessible During COVID-19

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general dentistry McLean Virginia

Dentists around the world were forced to close their practices back in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As months passed, many states have slowly begun to reopen again. In the Northern Virginia area, Forward Virginia, also known as the phased-approach to reopen businesses safely, is taking place. Dental practitioners everywhere are adjusting their current model to accommodate our new normal to make dental care more accessible for all.

In order to continue dental care and keep everyone safe at this time, McLean Family Dentistry is providing additional screening prior to each patient appointment. This is to ensure the health and safety of our team and patients. Our general family dentistry is also eliminating patient appointment overlaps, new office layout that adheres to social distancing guidelines, and increased PPE. Learn more about our current COVID-19 Safety & Preparedness Plan in our latest blog.

Here’s how other dental offices around the world are changing their practices to ensure everyone’s health and safety during COVID-19:

Mobile Dental Offices

Mobile dental offices are fairly straightforward, as dentists can physically bring their dental office and HIPAA compliant equipment directly to their patients to perform necessary procedures.

While most aerosol-generating procedures are limited, mobile dentists are able to provide routine dental care in a more secluded and private setting. As this is a major change for most dentists, it also provides more comfort for patients, as it reduces how many people they will be in contact with during their appointment.

Mobile dentists also offer better flexibility to those who are unable to physically visit the dentist. This may include patients living in assisted living facilities, retirement communities, rehabilitation centers and much more.

Teledentistry

Teledentistries allow dentists to virtually meet with their patients in real-time to access their dental health. This type of appointment omits time spent on commuting, which will help people save more money on their overall commute.

In addition to that, it will also allow patients to spend more time at work or school since much of our time is affected by how long it takes us to get to our appointments.

Choose Our General Dentistry in McLean, VA for Your Next Appointment!

At McLean Family Dentistry, our team is committed to keeping you safe while ensuring you receive the highest quality of dental care possible during this challenging time. Our family-oriented general dentistry is proud to continue serving you and your family’s needs

Just as we adhere to the CDC guidelines on a daily basis, we ask that patients also follow these guidelines as well to help limit the spread of the virus. Nothing is more important to our team than your family’s safety and that you are receiving the dental care you need.

We look forward to your next visit with us! Contact our general dentistry at (703) 991-6224 to schedule your next appointment.

COVID-19 Safety and Preparedness

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general dentistry McLean VA

The Coronavirus pandemic has drastically changed our normalcy in every industry around the world. As a professional general dentistry in the McLean, VA area, we are following the CDC guidelines and the Forward Virginia phased approach to ensure the safety of our staff, dentists, and patients. 

At McLean Family Dentistry, we will continue to maintain the health and safety of our team and patients during this time. We want to make sure you have access to the highest level of general dentistry care while remaining safe. To ensure you receive direct care under strict safety guidelines, we are happy to provide you distance appointments and online check-ups.

Here’s an overview of our COVID-19 Safety and Preparedness Plan:  

Availability & Patient Management

On top of the primary recommendations for limiting the spread and contraction of the virus, we are limiting exposure of our staff and patients within our dental office. The following policies below adhere to the CDC guidelines and may affect our overall availability but it is the closest we are able to get to our normal operations, as everyone’s safety remains our #1 priority.

  1. Prior to each patient’s appointment, we will be implementing a screening to ensure they are not exhibiting any symptoms of COVID-19 and that their dental conditions do require immediate and non-elective treatment. Our employees will receive the same screening to further limit the spread of the virus.
  2. We have adjusted our office layout to follow proper social distancing procedures. Due to this change, our waiting room chairs are placed six feet apart from each other and we have also removed frequently-touched objects, including toys and magazines.
  3. To effectively reduce patient-contact between other visiting patients, we will ensure our appointment schedule refrains from as little patient overlap between every appointment. 

Protective Equipment 

Our dental practice adheres to the strict PPE guidelines provided by the CDC. We wear the clinical attire, surgical masks, and gloves within the office. We wear these as we perform administrative tasks and patient screenings prior to their appointments. 

Our dentists will also wear additional PPE: 

  • Face shields
  • Eye Protection
  • Gloves
  • Clinical gowns

Depending on the procedures being performed, our team may wear additional protective equipment as well. For procedures involving aerosol generators, our dentists are required to use face shields or higher grade face masks like the N95 respirator.

Administrative and Dental Work Practices

In addition to adjusting our dental procedures, our administrative duties have changed as well. Our staff will properly store our equipment and resources that aren’t necessary during a given appointment. All resources necessary for a patient procedure will be thoroughly cleaned and sterilized. 

Our dentists may limit the type of procedures they are performing in order to limit themselves from contracting the virus. For instance, the CDC recommends to limit the amount of aerosol-generating procedures as much as possible. This will help reduce the amount of droplet spatter produced from aerosol techniques and procedures.

Choose Professional and Friendly General Dentistry Practitioners in McLean, VA

McLean Family Dentistry will continue to remain as flexible as we can with our patients to ensure they are receiving the quality general dentistry services they need. We will follow any updates provided by the CDC and other world health organizations to ensure the safety of our staff and patients. Our staff has been trained to serve your dental needs during this time and we look forward to your next visit!

Schedule your next appointment online today! Contact our general dentistry office at (703) 991-6224 for any questions or concerns you may have.

Cavities 101

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Our teeth are made up of three parts:

  • A) Enamel: this is outside layer of the teeth we brush and keep sparkling clean. This enamel contains no nerve endings. Brush it, scrape it, chew on it…it won’t hurt you. This also means you won’t feel a cavity on the enamel.
  • B) Dentin: directly under enamel (about 1mm away to be precise) lays a yellowish layer called dentin. Now this part of the tooth does have nerve endings which will start explaining why some deeper cavities can cause discomfort. Ever drink something cold and you feel some sensitivity? That likely is some exposed dentin on the tooth.
  • C) The pulp: here lies the blood vessels, the nerve, the lifeline of the tooth. This layer is directly below that dentin and is responsible for the dreaded toothache. A major toothache is likely resulting from the bacteria in the pulp which can cause excruciating pain!

Let’s talk briefly about cavities and their progression. A cavity starts on the enamel (because that’s where the acidity, food, and bacteria are). If the cavity has only minimally penetrated the enamel, we place a “watch” on that tooth. That watch goes on your chart and every time you come in for a cleaning we monitor whether or not the cavity has stayed the same size or grown. That’s one reason why fluoride treatment is so imperative as it halts the progression of small cavities and in some cases even reverses them! Now if a cavity has penetrated further through the enamel and is encroaching the dentin, that cavity is unfortunately past the point of no return. Those cavities we do need to treat to prevent them from getting to the nerve. Now let’s say the cavity gets to the nerve. What now? You probably guessed root canal and you would be correct. Once a cavity is at the heart of the tooth we need to clean out that bacteria to prevent or treat an infection from getting to the bone.

I believe, just as I do myself, many well qualified dentists try to avoid doing cavities until they are an absolute must. Until then, we watch and monitor. Unfortunately, there may be a time when they do have to be tackled and we at McLean Family Dentistry determine this by taking low-radiation digital X-rays with extremely clear resolution. We will review these X-rays with you and show you where the cavities are as it’s important to us that you understand completely what is going on in your mouth.

This concludes your Intro to Cavities 101. Dr.Chand is always available for extra tutoring sessions!

School’s Out For Summer!

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It’s here! Summer break that is. Your kids are out of school and at home all day. (Deep breaths). Now I’m sure there are a few trips planned and it’s not all chaos. But I remember what it was like! (It wasn’t that long ago). Oh who am I kidding…it was a long time ago.

I remember waking up around lunchtime, staying in my pj’s all day, playing video games, watching TV and being on the phone A LOT. We ate all the junk food we weren’t supposed to eat and of course quenched our thirst with Slurpees. It was the life. Of course we told our parents we woke up at 9 am, brushed our teeth, showered, ate a healthy breakfast and absolutely did not eat a Cinnabon at Tysons.

That’s why it’s no surprise when I look at the schedule and see little Johnny on the books for a cleaning at 9 am that I know I’m in for some attitude. The last place Johnny wants to be is in my chair getting his teeth polished. Johnny wants to be in bed and we all know it. So I use a technique that I have seen work really well recently: Bribery.

1) Want to watch your favorite show or movie? Sure thing! Open up and let us take some pics and polish your teeth. You can watch Netflix, Hulu, HGTV, ESPN..etc.. Voila! Your wish is granted and you have beautiful, sparkling white teeth.

2) Want to wear your pj’s to your dental cleaning and just go to sleep? Not a problem for us! First of all, our chairs are probably the most comfortable dental chairs you have ever sat in. We’ll put a bite block in there and you can snooze right away. We will clean away your plaque (and your drool) and we’re all happy campers.

3) Want a Slurpee and a Cinnabon?? Tough luck. I like you too much to let you eat that much sugar. But we can use some fun flavors of prophy paste that you may really like. How about Strawberry Cheesecake, Sugar Cookie, Triple Chocolate Brownie, Strawberry Margarita, or Pina Colada as some delicious choices?

Before you know it Fall will be among us and the kids will be back in stressful work mode. I wish you all a safe Summer break and hope you remember to brush your teeth after enjoying that delicious ice cream cone on a hot Summer day. 🙂

-Dr. Chand

Plaque HD: A toothpaste that dyes my teeth?!

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I love dental conventions. There! I said it. But I truly do! Why you may ask? Well, of course for the continuing education courses but most of all to roam the floor of the convention hall. All the latest and greatest in dental technology is out there! The only thing I can compare it to would be a car fanatic in an auditorium full of the shiniest, newest sports cars. Or a kid on the grand opening of a toy shop. Or a woman in a shoe store with everyone begging for her to try on the latest designers shoes. Okay okay. I can compare it to a few things. But it really is a lot of fun for us nerdy dentists. Now the downside is along with shiny, new objects there are always those representatives trying to sell us “stuff” that we don’t need. Trust me..there is plenty of dental junk out there people are constantly trying to get dentists to buy.

Recently I attended the American Dental Association meeting in DC. From the moment I got off the escalator I had people throwing me samples of this and that. That good little voice in my head kept saying, “Don’t buy it until you read the studies and know it’s a good purchase”. Then that other, slightly louder, more aggressive voice would interrupt the good voice and say, “Keep quiet! Let her buy it!!”.

I came across a booth with two very nice ladies who were holding a tube of toothpaste. I almost walked right by until I saw a before and after picture displayed next to the toothpaste. It is a picture I could take numerous times throughout the day. It’s an image of a child’s mouth full of plaque and tartar. Of course, after the cleaning the teeth are nice and plaque-free but I just know it’s only a matter of days before the bad habits begin again and in 6 months it’s the same situation at the next cleaning. We all know that as plaque levels rise, so do cavities. Parents are always surprised by the amount of plaque that comes off their kid’s mouth because they swear they can hear them brushing. I always reassure them that they may be brushing, but just not the right way. Kids are SO much busier these days then from what I can remember. Exams, Sports, After-school activities, Kumon, Mathnasium, etc. have taken over their lives. They are busy and stressed out! The last thing they are thinking about is did I get all of that plaque off of my teeth. That’s why I am so excited to introduce Plaque HD to my practice.

plaque HD

Plaque HD is honestly pretty cool. It’s a toothpaste that dyes plaque green or pink depending on the flavor you choose. If you have kids who do a quick 10 second brush, well they aren’t going to want to go to school with green teeth. It’s also a great product for kids in braces who miss buidup around the brackets. I just read the Wall Street Journal posted an article specifically about Plaque HD stating it removes four times as much plaque as regular toothpaste. That’s pretty incredible.

If interested in trying out a tube, just stop by the office or ask for it at your next cleaning. The instructions are simple and hopefully will lead to better checkups in the future!
PLAQUE-HD-TOOTHPASTE

No Recess for Dental Care

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Wake up, Mom and Dad!! You have 45 minutes to get your children out of bed, have them brush their teeth, get them showered, feed them breakfast, pack their lunch, and rush them out to the bus stop. Oh wait, did they finish that homework assignment they were supposed to? What did the teacher say they needed to read by the end of this week? Is that field trip today or next Tuesday?

With all that’s going on with your kid’s lives, who has time to make sure they brushed their teeth? Sure they said they brushed, flossed, and rinsed their mouth, but did they really? Probably not. And no, we can’t expect parents to stand in the bathroom and monitor their kid’s dental habits. Here’s where I can help.

My biggest complaint with kid’s teeth is not that they aren’t trying. They are. At 6:30 in the morning, they are truly trying. Unfortunately, the attempt usually isn’t very productive. What should be a 2 minute brush of all their teeth ends up being a 22 second swipe of a brush. So what can you do mom and dad to make everyone’s lives’ easier and make their next dental visit a successful one?

The first thing I would invest in is an electric toothbrush. For kids, you don’t have to use a very high end one. In fact, if your child still has some baby teeth in their mouth start out with a battery powered one. They are inexpensive and usually get the job done.

The second thing I suggest is a toothpaste your kids actually like. Crest now has flavors like mint chocolate chip and vanilla mint spark. They may not sound appealing to us but kids actually like them!

Get a timer. Two minutes doesn’t sound like a long time but it truly is when you have a thousand other things to get done. Disney has a great Magic Timer app which removes the bubbles from the screen as your kid keeps brushing revealing a new Disney image at the end. For the older kids, most electric toothbrushes have timers on them which tell you when to stop.

If your kids haven’t started flossing yet, don’t panic. It’s not too late. Floss pickers are a great starter to flossing. They are easy to use and kids enjoy it. They come in princess and dinosaur packs so they are effective and fun solutions to removing all food and plaque that gets stuck between teeth.

And last but not least, keep your kids away from the sugary juices and sports drinks in the morning. I know they taste great, but they are truly just sugar water. If that sugar stays on your kid’s teeth all day, you’re just asking for cavities.

Good luck Mom and Dad! With projects, homework, SOLs, SATs, ACTs, and everything else your kids have to juggle throughout the school year, I’m sure brushing and flossing is the last thing on the list to worry about. But if I can help relieve a little bit of the morning stress, mission accomplished!!

Contact McLean Family Dentistry today for more information or to schedule an appointment.

Spring Cleaning for Your Teeth! McLean Family Dentistry

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It’s that time of year again.  The weather is warming up.  People are trading their sweatshirts for t-shirts. And…oh yes! Your dental office is calling you to remind you of your six month cleaning.  The cold weather and snow days kept most of us under the covers and rearranging our family’s busy schedules.  Well it’s time to store away the down comforters and pick up that phone to schedule your dental cleaning.  Here are some of my tips to help prepare you for a quick and easy visit.
1) Switch out that manual toothbrush for an electric. Studies have proven handheld toothbrushes don’t compare to the work an electric toothebrush can do.  In fact, most electric toothebrushes have timers and pressure sensors on them which help make sure you are are brushing adequately.  Yes, they are expensive. But take my word for it. They last a very long time and make a huge difference reducing the plaque levels in your mouth. Bottom line: Less plaque = less bacteria = less cavities.
2) Find that floss and use it.  Believe it or not floss is not a gimmick a bunch of dental nerds came up with to annoy you.  It actually works! Here’s why. Toothbrushes clean most of the surfaces of your teeth but they can’t get inside the spaces between your teeth very well. They also can’t get below the gum-line very well either. Trust me, plaque and tartar love making a home in there.  Waxed floss easily glides between teeth and picks up what your toothbrush simply can not.
3) Don’t wait too many months in between those dental cleanings.  You would be surprised to see the difference in calculus buildup compared from 6 months and 9 months.  Truly, it accumulates like rust in your pipes.  Less plaque = less scraping at your dental visit = happier patient! Schedule your cleanings ahead of time with your dental office so you don’t loose track of when your last visit took place.
It doesn’t matter how long it’s been since your last dental visit or what your dental history is.  At McLean Family Dentistry, we are here to help make your teeth feel good year round.  So pack away that comforter, pick up that phone, and call our dental office at 703-448-9100 to start making fresh changes for the Spring season.

Manual vs. Electric Toothbrush – Is There Really a Difference?

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Today I got asked by a patient, “Dr.Chand, if you really want us to use an electric toothbrushes then how come you hand out manual toothbrushes at our cleanings?”

Great question. I would LOVE to hand out electric toothbrushes to all of my patients, but unfortunately, they are far too expensive for me to do that. But ideally, yes, I would hope that all of my patients start using an electric toothbrush after they leave my office.

I also get asked pretty frequently, “Does an electric toothbrush really make a difference?”.

Here’s my advice. Buy one. Yes, they are pricey. (Average cost is approximately $150). Use it for six months twice daily. Not only will your mouth feel cleaner, it will actually be cleaner. I can promise you your dentist and hygienist will notice a huge difference from when you were using a manual toothbrush.

So what is it about an manual toothbrush that makes it so much better than a handheld toothbrush you can buy for a couple of bucks at the store? Here are my top 3 reasons:

1) Studies have consistently shown that electric toothbrushes remove more plaque and tartar than manual toothbrushes. That equals less scraping of your teeth at your next dental visit. Now who doesn’t want that?

2) It’s easy. All you have to do is turn the toothbrush on and let the toothbrush do it’s job. It times your brushing and even pauses when you are supposed to switch areas of the mouth.

3) They are technologically savvy. New electric toothbrushes now have bluetooth technology installed in them. No you can’t make phone calls from your toothbrush. What you can do is see if your brushing habits have improved over time. Some electric toothbrushes also have a sensor which will tell if you are brushing too hard.

I’ve personally had the same electric toothbrush for seven years. I just change the heads every 3 months or so. Now, that’s an investment that’s completely worth it in my opinion.

Happy Brushing!

 

Contact us with any questions! Our Dental Practice in McLean VA is here to put your family first!

Your Child’s First Visit to the Dentist

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Your child's first visit to the dentist at Mclean Family Dentistry

I get asked by new parents all the time, “At what age should I bring my child in for their first cleaning?”. Most people are pretty surprised to hear that the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends a child’s first visit be when their first baby teeth erupt. It’s important for dentists to check the teeth and gums for any problems even at such a young age.

Here are some tips to help you have a great first visit to the dentist:

1) Start brushing your child’s teeth as soon as they erupt. Milk and baby’s formula surprisingly has a lot of sugar in it. Make sure you brush it off your child’s teeth to prevent bacteria from attacking the sugar.

2) Try to stay away from the juices. Although juice is usually marketed as nutritious, in most cases it’s no better than sugar water. If your kids really like juice and you are worried about completely omitting it from their diet, try diluting it with tap water.

3) Let us do the dental talk. We see kids all of the time at McLean Family Dentistry. We talk all about “sugar bugs” and how we have to work hard to keep them out of our mouth. Sometimes talking about a dental visit before the appointment can create some unwanted and unexpected anxiety. You are always welcome to accompany your child back in the room. As they watch their favorite cartoon or movie, we work away. Once they are done they get a prize from the treasure chest. Don’t be surprised if your kid begs to come back to the dentist!