Well it has been a while since my last post and life has been hectic.  I had a realization the other day that there are times in life that we ask ourselves the question, "why do we do what we do?"  Many times I have been asked the question, " why did you become a dentist?"  Let's be real, going to the dentist is not on the top of everyone's wish list.  Over the years, I have perfected my standard answer with some standard cliche`s.  As we all travel through life, we tell ourselves these reasons and they can become stale.  Then, a moment comes that wakes up that passion that started your journey.  

To a dentist, there is nothing better than restoring a smile.  When that transformation happens right in front of you, the feeling is priceless.  As a dentist, there is no better satisfaction than to see the face of a patient brighten and a smile emerge that has been missing.  Let me show you an example.

This is the reason I became a dentist.  My whole life I have enjoyed making people smile, and now I get to help restore a smile that was lost.  

Dr. Helton

2011 has started with a bang and looks to be a year of wonderful surprises. As i write this, it seems that January 1st was several months ago. I look forward to what 2011 has in store, but also want to take a moment to reflect on this past year.

Our practice went through a major change with the construction and subsequent move to our new office. We have been in the new office for 6 months now and some days it still seems like we just moved in. The new building has been wonderful, but it also has reminded me what really makes our practice - the people. All the new gadgets and technology can never replace the personal touch and compassion my staff has for our patients.

I want to take this time to thank them for what a wonderful job they do day in and day out. I am lucky to have a staff that strives everyday to make people smile. See, that is what our job is. We are not here to "clean teeth, fill teeth, or even crown teeth." We are here to make a difference in people's lives through the ability to make them smile bigger and brighter than they ever have. That job is made easier by having a compassionate and caring staff. I personally do not thank them as much as I should, so i want to take this opportunity to say thank you.

I also want to take a moment to thank all of our patients. We really appreciate you allowing us to take care of you. We know that it is a privilege and we strive to surpass any and all expectations.

So here comes 2011 with all the surprises. I can't wait to see what is in store for us. I usually leave you with a quote to reflect on, but this time i am going to leave you with two words - THANK YOU. They can never be said enough.

Dr. Brett Helton

As we become more aware of our impact on the environment, some decisions just seem to make sense. The sweet spot is when our decisions to implement new technology, which have a tremendous positive benefit for our patients, also reduces our impact on the environment. For the past five years we have been using digital xrays versus the old film based xrays. You might be asking, how does anything involving xrays benefit the patients? DIgital xrays reduce the amount of radiation to the patient by over 50%. This fact alone was the impetus we used to change all of the xrays taken in our office to digital. With digital, we have improved diagnosis and reduced the harmful side effects at the same time.

Now onto the environmental impact. Film xrays involve the use of lead sheets in the film packets that must be discarded and chemicals used to develop the films. These products must be used everytime an xray is taken. With digital xrays, neither of these products are involved, therefore, our environmental impact is greatly reduced. In our new office, you will not find a darkroom for developing xrays.

As you can see, technology impacts our lives in many ways. My team and I are committed to providing the best experience we can for our patients, and with that comes the use of some wonderful technology. Thanks to all our patients who make us smile everyday.

Our office and staff wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.

Here is my quote for you to ponder. While reading the book Drive by Daniel Pink, I ran across a wonderful quote given to President Kennedy from Clare Booth Luce, the first woman to serve in Congress. She said "A great man, is one sentence." So I ask the question for men and women. What is your sentence? Ask it everyday.

- Dr. Brett Helton

I want to use this blog as a tool to show you what dentistry has been up to over the last several years. I know that the dentist office is not ranked high on the list for the most desirable places to visit; however, no one said that we can not try to make it the best it has ever been. One of the advances, that has really taken off is the use of CAD-CAM (computer aided design - computer aided manufacturing) in the dental office. I personally use a machine named CEREC™ that implements this technology to make restorations, such as crowns, in one visit. I have used this machine since 2003 to produce dramatic results for my patients while also providing strong and durable restorations. Best of all, the esthetics are outstanding. Let's look at a case, before and after, done exclusively with the CEREC™ machine in our office, in one visit.

What a difference. Instead of two or three visits, just one. No impression, no temporary, and best of all, only have to get numb once.

One last thought, dentistry might not be the coolest place to go, but we can sure have fun. The most satisfaction our office gets is building wonderful relationship with our patients. So on that thought, I will try to leave you each time with a quote that has impacted me in a positive way. Not sure of the author or the exact wording, but here it goes.

"When we die, there will be two dates on our tombstone - when we were born and when we die. Between the two dates is a dash that represents our life. Live the Dash."

LIVE the DASH

Dr. Helton