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This beautiful flower was sent to us this week from a patient, fresh from her garden! Just for fun, you can win a free teeth whitening procedure if you are the first person to leave a message on our office voicemail or with our reception desk with the correct name of the flower. One catch though... You must be willing to come to us because we cannot deliver teeth whitening over the internet :).
Our office number is 408-867-8648
Happy New Year ! ! ! May 2011 bring you the best of Health, Luck, and Prosperity !!!
In a marketing driven country, consumer dental products are often pushed with claims to do wonders for your dental needs. Mouth rinses and toothpastes have been introduced with claims to help promote combinations of treatments. Here is a case where the FDA has contacted CVS to address inappropriate claims on the label of their CVS Complete Care Anticavity Mouth Wash. Apparently, we need to be cautious when choosing a product with the claim : “Helps prevent cavities, Kills germs that cause bad breath, Rebuilds enamel and strengthens teeth, and Promotes healthy gums.”
Which mouth wash and toothpaste are you using at home, and how did you make that choice?
Read the letter in the link below, and be careful when choosing your dental products.
Warning Letters CVS Pharmacy, Inc. 9/27/10.
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Alex Nguyen, DDS is a Saratoga Dentist who practices General Dentistry, Cosmetic, and Implant Dentistry. For over 20 years the practice has been serving the residents of Santa Clara County and San Francisco Bay Area.
I recently had the opportunity to explain the meaning of “cost” to a patient of mine. Crystal called the office and asked a question on her friend’s behalf. Crystal: Dr. Nguyen, my friend got charged $500 for deep cleaning. Is that expensive? How much does it cost?
Alex: I don’t know… What did your friend’s dentist do for her?
Crystal : Well… he put some numbing gel on the teeth that were sensitive, and then he cleaned her teeth for about an hour. When he was done… he told my friend that she just had a full mouth deep cleaning done, and the receptionist asked her to pay $500.
Alex: I see. Here is what I do in my office… The mouth is divided into 4 quadrants. Each quadrant is charged separately...
Crystal: So how do you do your deep cleaning sequence?
Alex: Ok … so typically we do 2 quadrants at a time. In 2 appointments we can do the entire mouth. Then, we need another appointment to follow up with a complete cleaning and evaluation.
Crystal: Ohhhh. So you actually spend 3 times as long as what my friend had just experienced. But wait… If that guy charged $500 for one hour worth of work, then if he were to do exactly what you do… in three appointments, then his costs would actually be $1500… which would make it way more expensive then your over all fee for your 3 appointments for deep cleaning.
Alex: Well…You do the math. My job is to do the dentistry.
The message to take home is: You will not get a fair answer for “How much does it cost?” without asking “How will it be done?” and “What will be done?” and “Why is it being done”. Furthermore, the last thing you want to do is to call up an office, ask how much things cost, and make a decision to choose your dentist based on simply ... Cost .
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Alex Nguyen, DDS is a Saratoga Dentist who practices General Dentistry, Cosmetic, and Implant Dentistry. For over 20 years the practice has been serving the residents of Santa Clara County and San Francisco Bay Area.
As you celebrate this special day with your mother, take a moment and really enjoy her smile.
There is something magical about the smile. Whether the teeth are perfect, worn, stained, chipped, or irregular, at the happiest moment... the smile always exerts life and ... life's best emotional state. For some of us, the smile defines age, lack of proper dental care, neglect, or maybe...simply: we are too busy to take care of it. That's when we restrict ourselves from displaying this wonderful asset.
People often spend great efforts and resources towards their skin, hair, clothes, jewelry... etc. Often time, the smile is never a priority.
The next time you try to think about what would be the best present for your mother, consider giving her the smile that resets all effects of age, restores her confidence, and revives her emotional state.
It may be the one thing in life where you can truly say : Yes, money can buy happiness!