Dr. Sowell's Corner

If you get a chance to pick-up a copy of August edition of “D magazine” we are featured under “The Best of Dallas” if you’d like to see it.

This summer has been very busy making beautiful smiles and in August I will be traveling a lot for continuing education and family events. I have two children going to college – Lauren to the University of Mississippi and Nathan to the University of Texas – Austin. Two weekends will be devoted to settling them in. Another weekend I will be meeting my Ceramicist in British Columbia to review new technologies in dental laboratory procedures. The last weekend will be devoted to climbing the “Grand Tetons” in Wyoming with my son Nathan for his High School graduation gift.

Remodeling the office will continue through August, as we have been all summer. Gayle and Brenna have been doing a great job; I hope you have enjoyed the changes. I am particularly excited about putting up the portraits of our patients who volunteered to be “models” for us. It was a lot of fun doing the photo shoot with Vanessa, our professional photographer we work with.

I am very excited to announce our two hygienist Annilee & Sejal are expecting Mothers. I know both of them will be excellent Mothers and raise kids we will all be proud of. They are both wonderful people that I respect very much.

What makes an excellent venner? Are all veneers the same?

Big Dental Laboratories have undertaken major marketing campaigns to promote their products. They imply their veneers are the best, like a commodity such as, a car, refrigerator or cell phone. If you'll remember the drug companies started all this be advertising directly to the public. Veneers are different from drug companies in that they are an “Artistic Creation” by a skilled and gifted craftsman. The material is important, but like any other piece of artwork made by hand, the talent & skill of the ceramicist and dentist is the “differentiator”. You will hear the term “Mac veneers” (Micro dental Laboratory), “Lumineers” (Den mat Laboratory) and "Da Vinci veneers". These are big labs giving their veneers made of similar porcelain a “trade” name. All porcelains today are pressed ceramics (Lumineers, Mac veneers, Empress veneers and Da Vinci veneers) on Fledspathetic porcelain. They are both in our practice as they have different physical properties and I pick out a material and create a design that will hold up to the functional stress the patients individual muscles put on it and will create the esthetic look the patient wants. So if you hear friends or advertisements about the “names”, please do not get confused, marketing can be misleading as we all know. I’ve worked with these materials for twenty years and know them well and will always use what will serve our patients the best. Our Ceramicist is vastly superior to what these big labs employ and come to our office to customize the experience. There is no substitute for “personal” team coordinated effort between the ceramicist and the dentist. This is how I became one of only 200 dentists in the United States accredited by the “American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry”. The other 140,000 in the US who use those big labs can achieve satisfactory results but will never achieve the customization and detailed designs that we do.

Hygiene Hangout

We thought it would be fun to talk about child oral health this month. Especially since not one but both of our hygienists are expecting a baby. Proper dental care begins even before a baby's first tooth appears. Teeth actually begin to form in the second trimester of pregnancy. Running a damp washcloth over your baby's gums following feedings can prevent buildup of damaging bacteria. Schedule regular oral health appointments starting around the child's first birthday. Your oral healthcare provider will check for cavities in the primary teeth and watch for any develpmental problems. At age two or three, you can begin to teach your child proper brushing techniques. Allow and encourage your child to discuss any fears he or she might have about oral health visits. Also, dtermine if the water supply that serves your home is fluoridated. If there is not fluoride in your water you may want to inquire about fluoride supplements. The best way to ensure that your child does not get cavities or gingivits is to instill proper oral hygiene habits early. Good oral hygiene routines should be established as early as infancy and continued througout lfe.

Updated news in our hygiene department; Annilee is having a baby boy and our other hygienist Sejal just found out that her and her husband are expecting their first baby in February. So as you could image there is alot of excitement in our office.

Recipe of the Month

This is a refreshing summertime dessert on those hot days, I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does.

"Water Gate Salad"

I pkg of Jell-o Pistachio pudding mix
2 cups of mini marshmallows
1 can on crushed pineapples (undrained)
1/2 cup of crushed pecans
1 sm container of Cool Whip (lg if you want to use as topping when serving)

Mix all ingredients together and chill until set. Can serve with topping it off with cool whip or addition marshmallows & pecans for decoration on top.