Family Dentistry

McLean Family Dentistry: McLean, VA / Archives / Category / Family Dentistry

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.

Can Invisalign Correct My Overbite?

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Invisalign is a unique system of orthodontics that uses clear plastic trays to align your smile over time. Invisalign can treat many of the same alignment problems that traditional braces can treat. Although traditional metal braces are better for more complex cases, Invisalign is capable of treating almost all common problems that braces can treat.

Can Invisalign correct your overbite? Let’s find out what Invisalign can treat and how you can get started with your treatment to secure your perfect smile for life.

Invisalign Corrects Bite Issues 

Invisalign is ideal for treating bite issues, including crossbites, overbites, and underbites. Overbites can be caused by a variety of factors, including genetics, bad oral habits (such as thumb sucking), and even your jaw bone development. People of any age can develop an overbite, although it’s most commonly apparent in childhood.

Regardless of what caused your overbite, Invisalign works to correct the problem regardless of your age. Since Invisalign can deal with many alignment issues, you can talk to Dr.Chand about using this form of treatment to correct your overbite in addition to any other alignment problems that will need to be addressed.

What Else Can Invisalign Do?

Many people have other alignment issues in addition to an overbite. Some patients may have crowded teeth, crooked teeth, or jaw problems that need to be corrected with orthodontics. When this happens, is Invisalign still the right choice for patients who need these other problems solved in addition to their overbite?

Invisalign is perfect for treating crowded or gapped teeth; however, it may not be an option for people who need adjustments to their molars or teeth that need to be moved vertically or rotated. Dr.Chand can help you determine if Invisalign would work for your unique smile.

Getting Started with Invisalign

It’s easy to get started with Invisalign. Simply make an appointment with Dr.Chand. During your consultation, Dr.Chand can examine your smile to evaluate the problems that need to be treated. You can then discuss if Invisalign is right for your treatment.

During the treatment process, you’ll receive a series of trays that are aligned to your smile. Each one will move your teeth into their designated positions over a period of time. You’ll get a new aligner every two weeks during your orthodontist appointment and you’ll need to wear your aligner for about 20-22 hours every day in order for the treatment to work properly.

Have more questions about how Invisalign can work for you? Schedule a free consultation and we will be happy to answer all of your questions!

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!

A Very Thankful Time of Year

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Two years ago our doors opened for the first time.  I hired one assistant, Elizabeth, who worked as my front desk, assistant, organizer, and basically everything else under the sun.  We would wait for the phones to ring and get excited. In the beginning it was just telemarketers and wrong numbers.  At times I’d get so discouraged and think, Was this the right move? With school loans, mortgages, bills, and now a loan for a dental office, did I make the right move? To be honest, I always knew from the bottom of my heart that it was the right decision. It was really the questions from concerned family members that put fear in me. “Are the phones ringing constantly?”. “No, mom. Not yet.” “Are you really busy yet, honey”. “No, dad. We’ll get there.” ” My parents never had any doubts in me. Even though they shared my concerns, they knew as entrepreneurs themselves that success takes time. They lived the American dream for me and my siblings. There is no such thing as success without struggle.

As most of you know, I was an associate dentist for many years before I decided to open up my own practice. Nobody tells you. And I mean nobody tells you how hard it can be.  As an associate dentist, you do dentistry and go on home on your merry way. You don’t have to worry about computers not working, staff concerns, etc. As an owner, your heart becomes invested in the practice. It’s not just work, it’s your life. I spent more time in the office than I did with my husband because there was always something to do.  It took a while, but I started to understand the importance of a good work-life balance.  There will always be work, but family is the most important thing in the world. Our patients are our extended family.

Our first patients were probably terrified with our enthusiasm. YES! WE CAN SEE YOU!  It was only a matter of time before my staff would say, “Dr. Chand, the schedule is full”. We always look at our referrals and are just so thankful when we see how many new patients are referrals from our current patients. We may be busy, but never too busy to take care of your dental care.You are the heart of this practice and we are forever grateful for the trust you put in us. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Happy Thanksgiving!
-Dr.Chand, Edna, Elizabeth, Angela, Gissella, Katie, and Cheryl.

Back to School

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This post was contributed by Bridget Fay, MFD Office Manager

Normally when we think of summer we think of relaxing by the pool, vacations and in general a time for the kids to relax. But the reality is usually summer camps, a mad dash to the beach, pool parties and for high school kid’s band and sports start before the bus radiators have had a chance to cool off.

I have worked for many practices over the years and I will say with absolutely no hesitation that August is the craziest month for dentists and doctors. And we are okay with it because come September, our reception areas because little ghost towns.

We want to remind you to take advantage of the early to mid-summertime to schedule dental appointments instead of waiting until right before school starts. We realize that not everyone can do this because of the time frame of the last visit, but if your insurance stipulates cleanings can be done two anytime in a calendar year, your insurance will be fine with coming in a little “off schedule”.

Give us a call and we will check to see if your family can come in before the dental “mad-dash” starts.

Contact Us Today or Call us at (703) 448-9100 to schedule your next appointment!

McLean Family Dentistry is a complete family dentistry office serving the whole family. From general dentistry teeth cleaning to emergency dental services we put your family first. Serving McLean, Vienna, Great Falls, and all of the DC metro area.