Timeliness: The Dental Connection!

It is important to our entire team that we provide the highest quality of dental care in an informative and friendly environment.  That includes helping our patients and their parents get the most out of their appointments, and making sure that they know how to practice good oral hygiene. Today, we would like to discuss two very important topics: Prevention and Timeliness of Treatment.

Prevention:  As your Broken Arrow dentist, our entire staff want to help you attain a beautiful smile that will last a lifetime!  We are more than happy to help our patients formulate an individual  prevention program that fits their needs.  For our teenage patients, this may mean coming up with a nighttime routine that includes brushing and flossing their teeth before bed.  For our patients that are "moms and dads", a family prevention program can be as simple as outlining the most effective ways for parents to motivate their children's oral health habits.

Timeliness of Treatment.  Patients often ask us if their dental treatment should be done right away.  In some cases, we can keep an eye on problem areas if the patient has a lot going on in their personal life.  But often, we do recommend that patients take care of a problem when it is small.  It is usually easier on the patient, less invasive and more cost effective. If problems get too large, bigger issues may arise that are more challenging and expensive for the patient to treat.

As always, please let us know if you have any questions about your dental treatment at Thomas Family Dentistry.  Take care of your teeth, and keep your smile bright!

God Bless,
DRT

Priorities: The Dental Connection!

Over the past few months, our team at Thomas Family Dentistry has noticed that many patients are limiting their expenses to only necessary procedures, while opting out of elective procedures.  As the U.S. economy has been slow to recover, we also understand that many folks are losing their dental insurance, or are adjusting to downgraded plans.  Patients are being mindful of every dollar.

When a patient learns that their dental insurance will be ending,  Dr. Thomas has seen many situations where the patient will immediately schedule an appointment in an attempt to complete as much of their dental work, which had previously been delayed.  Unfortunately, many times there isn't enough time or allowable benefits to complete all of their necessary dental work.

Here are a few tips to decrease the stress related to these situations:

• Talk it out.  If you lose your dental insurance, or if your insurance is downgraded, we recommend that you talk with your Human Resources Department to see if the company plans on making any changes.
• Stay current on your dental care.  This way, you aren't in the position of trying to do a lot of treatment in a short period of time.
• Keep your appointments!  Patients who lose their dental insurance are sometimes reluctant to keep their appointments for a dental cleaning and exam.  This is one appointment they should keep--if we find problems while they are small--often before they are hurting--it is easier to fix and less expensive.  Once problems get larger, the treatment to correct the problem is more extensive and the costs increase.

As we've mentioned before, prevention is always the best policy.  Please give our office a call at 918-455-0123 if it's time to schedule your next checkup with Dr. Thomas.  We look forward to seeing you!

God Bless,
DRT

Congratulations Veronica: The Dental Connection!

Dr. Thomas and the entire staff at Thomas Family Dentistry want to extend our congratulations to Veronica on her 16th year of employment! Veronica has been the office manager since August 22, 1995! Besides cooking, walking and spending time with her family, she counts it a pleasure to "get to know" our valued patients, which is one of her favorite aspects of working in the dental profession.  Our staff and patient family are very blessed and grateful to have her involvement in our dental care!

Congratulations again,
God Bless,
DRT

Staying Current: The Dental Connection!

We at Thomas Family Dentistry hope that you have had a great Summer!  With most Green Country families starting the transition back into the new school year mode, we know that life can be very hectic and busy.  If you find that your plans might interfere with you keeping your scheduled dental appointment with our office, please let us know as soon as possible so that we may be able to accommodate you, as well as schedule another patient during that time.

With the start of school, providing contact information is a common "back to school" first day activity.  We also ask that if any of your contact information has changed, please call our office at 918-455-0123 and update your phone numbers, addresses or any other changes that may have recently occurred, so that we are able to reach you.

Thank you, enjoy the rest of your summer, and have a great school year!
God Bless,
DRT

Stress Gettin' You Down: The Dental Connection!

Did you know that the unpleasant sound of hearing someone grinding their teeth has been on the rise according to a recent study published in the Journal of Head & Face Medicine?  The report suggests that people- adults and kids- faced with stress tend to cope by grinding their teeth while asleep.  In addition, the Chicago Dental Society suggests that since the recession began in 2007, teeth grinding, or also known as bruxism, has been on the rise. Nearly 75% of dentists found that their patients reported increased stress over the past year, largely due to the economic recession.

During stressful times, teeth grinding can be a nuisance that causes headaches and sleep problems.  It can also cause long lasting problems for your teeth and gums, including chipped teeth, worn enamel, chronic pain, or even TMJ, a painful jaw disorder.

The first step of recovering from teeth grinding is noticing the problem.  Unfortunately, 90% of individuals that are grinding or clenching their teeth while asleep are unaware of the activity. Symptoms of teeth grinding include:

• Sensitivity in the teeth
• Tightness or pain the the jaw
• Dull headaches, earaches, or facial pain
• Chipped, worn down, or loose teeth

An important thing to remember is that people frequently grind or clench their teeth in response to stress, and taking measures to reduce or eliminate stress can help solve the problem.  However, if the teeth grinder in your house can't stop, schedule an appointment to see us by giving us a call at 918-455-0123.  Our team at Thomas Family Dentistry can help!

God Bless,
DRT

Summer Memories!

Although this has been one of the Hottest Summers of recent memories, it has been a season full of vacations, adventures and great memories.  Whether you headed to a barbecue, a camping trip, hit America's open roads or just had fun in the backyard, our team at Thomas Family Dentistry would love to hear all about your favorite summertime activities.

As summer starts wrapping up and everyone's focus starts to shift to the start of yet another school year, we encourage you to post any stories or photos from your Summer Adventures on our Facebook wall!

Thanks for staying connected with us,
God Bless,
DRT

Purple Heart Day!

A debt of gratitude goes to all of our military personnel that are presently serving or have ever served our country. The Medal of Honor that is now the Purple Heart began as the "Badge of Military Merit."  First awarded by General George Washington, the badge was a figure of a heart in purple cloth.

The Purple Heart is awarded to any member of the Armed Forces that has been wounded or killed, died as a result of a wound in battle, or otherwise designated by the President of the United States.  Purple Heart Day is now celebrated on the anniversary of its inception, August 7th.  On this day, it is our patriotic duty to remember and recognize those people willing to serve our country, no matter the price!

May God Bless,
DRT

Lieutenant Commander Thomas, USCG

Dr. Thomas was raised in Arkansas and moved to Oklahoma to obtain his dental degree at Oral Roberts University.  After graduating in 1986, he received a commission as a Lieutenant in the USPHS and worked with the Indian Health Service for 3 years. Upon his promotion to Lieutenant Commander, he was reassigned to the United States Coast Guard and stationed in Cape May, New Jersey.  During his two year assignment, LCDR Thomas was on active duty during the first Gulf War to liberate Kuwait from the invasion that Sadaam Hussein had led.  Under Federal Law, the USGC falls under the direction of the Secretary of the Navy during wartime activities.  One of Dr. Thomas' most important duty assignments at the USCG New Jersey recruitment facility was to ready troops for deployment to the gulf during this time.

Dr. Thomas received an honorable discharge in 1991 and returned to Broken Arrow to start his private practice.  He continues to keep in touch with his fellow dental officers that he served with and he feels very blessed to have been able to serve his country during his time in the United States Coast Guard!

Go Coasties!
Semper Paratus
"Always Ready"