Dental Implants vs Bridges, a great article

Recently the New York Times published an article discussing the long term benefits of dental implants over bridges for tooth replacement.

Keep in mind that although implants can be a very effective solution to tooth loss, the process is a more involved one, and therefore need to be completed in stages.

At Cary Family Dental, we are able to provide dental implants, and the entire process can take anywhere from 3-6 months. While implants are a great long term solution for many patients, those with serious gum or jawbone deficiencies, osteoporosis, or uncontrolled diabetes may not be able to support a long-term implant.

Call us today at 919-439-5330 and schedule a cosmetic dentistry consultation with us to discuss your implant options. You can also visit our web site for more information about dental implants and other general and cosmetic dentistry options in Cary, North Carolina.

Cary Family Dental’s Crystal Koran Named Hygienist of the Year by Crown Council

Cary Family Dental is pleased to announce that Crystal Koran, RDH was recently recognized by the Crown Council as Hygienist of the Year at the organization’s 15th Annual Event in San Antonio, TX held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel. The Crown Council is a multi-national alliance of leading-edge dental teams dedicated to raising the standard of dental care and becoming leaders in health, wellness, and prevention in their communities.

Koran was one of 14 dental professionals who were nominated to receive this award, which recognizes one hygienist among Crown Council's members in the United States and Canada who goes above the beyond the call of duty and works to make his or her practice a success. Nominees possess "certain magical qualities that make them the very best in their profession" and are "hard-working, caring, personable, knowledgeable, thorough, friendly, up-beat, enthusiastic, compassionate, funny, and positive."

Koran graduated from Harrisburg Area Community College in Pennsylvania with a degree in dental hygiene and is currently a part-time student at UNC Chapel Hill working towards a degree in chemistry with plans to apply to dental school in the near future. She has close to 20 years of experience in the dental field and currently serves as the Director of Hygiene Operations and Education for Cary Family Dental.

Koran is a member of the American Dental Hygienists’ Association (ADHA) and volunteers locally at Wake Smiles Clinic. In 2009, she raised $5,400 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society by training and running a half marathon (13.1 miles) in Anchorage, Alaska. She has served as an evaluator for Dental Product Shopper since 2008 and has provided free dental seminars to local preschools and elementary schools for the last several years.

"I am humbled and honored to receive this recognition,” says Koran. “Providing excellent dental care while making personal connections with my patients are my joy and passion. Every day I feel grateful for the wonderful opportunities and great mentors that I have been blessed with. I look forward to continuing in my professional growth and service to our community."

Cary Family Dental Provides Dental Health Presentations to Local Schools for Fourth Year

In conjunction with Children’s Dental Health Month, Cary Family Dental recently presented 16 dental health presentations to over 700 preschool, kindergarten, and first grade students in Cary, Raleigh, Morrisville, Apex, and Holly Springs. Crystal Koran, RDH; Melissa Crouse, RDH; and Melissa Dunn, RDH, BSDH from Cary Family Dental gave the dental health presentations to students at Brier Creek Elementary, Sterling Montessori, Salem Elementary, Holly Springs Elementary, Kingswood Elementary, and Kirk of Kildaire Children’s Center. This is the fourth consecutive year that the dental practice has provided these free presentations to the community.

Cary Family Dental offers these presentations in February to coincide with Children’s Dental Health Month, an annual event sponsored by the American Dental Association to raise awareness about the importance of oral health. Crouse says that early education about the importance of proper tooth maintenance is important to ensuring lifelong optimal dental health.
"We enjoy being able to provide this program to the area children every year,” says Crouse. “It is very rewarding to be able to introduce them to proper oral hygiene and habits. We know that early education is key and establishing good habits at such an early age is very important. We look forward to doing these presentations again next year!"

Cary Family Dental provided 30-minute interactive presentations, which included puppets, a game teaching healthy foods, and information on healthy oral hygiene habits and brushing techniques. The hygienists also encouraged regular dental appointments. Each student was also given a gift bag which included dental supplies, a coloring book, crayons, stickers, and a dental informational brochure for parents.

Kristen Roberts is a Special Programs Teacher from Salem Elementary. She said that the manipulatives and video provided by Cary Family Dental really held her students’ attention. She said that the benefits of the presentation were two-fold.

“The children now have more knowledge of their teeth, and it’s always good for them to see health providers before being put in an office/clinic situation,” says Roberts. “I also liked the way [the presentation] was easily adapted to our population of children with special needs. I hope to see you again next year.”

Cary Family Dental offers free dental health presentations to preschools and elementary schools in Cary, Apex, Raleigh, Morrisville, and the surrounding areas on a first-come, first-serve basis. Any educator interested in booking a presentation at his or her school for next year can contact Cary Family Dental at (919) 460-6884.

Smile Makeover Contest at Cary Family Dental

Last year, we held a contest for a Smile Makeover at Cary Family Dental, in partnership with Cary Magazine. Pat Mitchell entered her photo and story online, and was chosen as the winner of the contest. We were thrilled to work with Pat, and we spent several months reconstructing and improving her smile. Her smile turned out beautifully, and we were so pleased to have such a big impact on her life. In the video below, watch as Pat describes the transformation, and the effect it has had on her life.



The contest was such a wonderful experience that we decided to host the contest again for 2010! You can share your story or nominate a friend on the contest site today to enter for your chance to win a Smile Makeover at Cary Family Dental!

The contest ends on April 23rd, so get your entry in as soon as possible. After this time, we will then hold a public vote online to choose a winner! Be sure to check out the official contest rules to determine your eligibility, and good luck!