Doctor's Corner
I hope you had a wonderful holiday and are looking forward to a great 2007. It is always nice to spend time with families and have time off. I appreciate the support our patients have given us over the years and the referrals of your friends and families. Last year was a great year on a personal and professional level. Two of my children started college, one graduated and our two hygienist started families. Annilee had a boy December 11, 2006 named Cannon Jeremiah Cook at 9 pm weighing 7lbs. 6 0z. Sejal is due in January. Both are giving up working to be full time Moms, we will miss them, but are excited for them. Melissa Lester is our new Periodontal Therapist replacing Annilee and Sejal. We are blessed to have such a great person to replace them. I have been very impressed with Melissa's commitment to excellence as well as being an enjoyable positive person. Also 2006 was exciting as we geared up to implement Implant placement into our practice. In 2005 I did a preceptor ship with the University of Texas Dental School San Antonio and 2006 we completed our preparation and started placing implants as well as restoring them. This year I will receive my fellowship in the International Congress of Implant Dentistry at the annual meeting in San Francisco for my work in Implant Dentistry. Now we are able to offer all components to Cosmetic Dentistry from simple bleaching to the preparatory work such as gum lifts, gum grafts, bone grafts, implants and minor orthodontics.
Topic of the Month: Invisalign
In the last 2 months I have covered Veneers and Bleaching. Often patients ask me about invisalign. Invisalign is an esthetic clear retainer that is very difficult to detect which is ideal for straightening your teeth. It is made from a cad cam technology and is a series of clear retainers that are changed every 3-4 weeks resulting in sequentially moving your teeth into correct alignment. The usual treatment time is 6-12 months. There are some complete cases that they cannot manage and they must be worn 24/7, otherwise it is an ideal system. It is perfectly suited for adults who want their teeth straightened but do not want people to know or be able to see braces.
Many patients only want their lower front teeth straighten as they are getting veneer on the upper teeth, in this case the Inman aligner is ideal and only takes 3-6 months. So if you have always wanted to have your teeth straightened and didn't because you thought you had to go through braces for 2 years, the time in now.
Hygiene Hangout
As most of you know by now, Annilee and Sejal are no longer part of our team. We are sorry to see them leave but are excited for them as they both start new chapters in their lives. We will be staying in touch with both of them and will keep you all updated on their new journeys.
I'm sure most of you are wondering, "Who is this new hygienist?" I would like to take this opportunity to tell you a little about myself. I am originally from Lubbock, Texas. I attended Texas Tech University my first two years of college to my prerequisites for dental hygiene school (Go Red Raiders!!!) In 1999, I moved to Dallas to attend Baylor College of Dentistry's Dental Hygiene School. I received my Bachelors of Science in Dental Hygiene in 2001. I have now been practicing in private practice for 5 and a half years. I was extremely excited to accept a position from Dr. Sowell in October. It is such an honor to work for someone who has accomplished so much professionally (Master of the Academy of General Dentistry, Fellowship in the International Academy of Dental Facial Esthetics, alumni of the distinguished Pankey Institute, to name a few)
One thing that was important to me in finding a new office was a dentist dedicated to giving their patients the best care possible. The only way to achieve this is by attending continuing education courses to stay up to date with the newest research and techniques available. I was excited to know Dr. Sowell has the same goals. As a matter of fact, Dr. Sowell just took the entire staff to Las Vegas for a 3 day continuing education class on the newest and latest techniques in cosmetic dentistry. We had an incredible time and are all tremendously eager to incorpate the things we learned into the treatment for our patients.
I understand you have all established relationships with Annilee and Sejal through the years. They are very talented and I have gained the utmost respect for them during the short time I had to work with them. I have enjoyed getting to know all of you so far and am looking forward to meeting everyone else. Please know I am available for all of you with whatever you need. Don't hesitate to call me with the smallest of questions. I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season!
Melissa Lester, RDH, BS
