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Britesmile one-hour teeth whitening

One of the most exciting procedures we get to experience with our patients is one hour whitening.  Using BriteSmile, we get safe, effective results that last.

Sit back and relax for an hour while you experience our safe and gentle tooth-whitening system in 3 steps:

1. BriteSmile whitening gel is carefully applied to your teeth.

2. The gel is then activated by BriteSmile’s patented gentle blue light for 20 minutes while you relax and listen to music.

3. This process is repeated twice more before you go home with a naturally brilliant new smile (and your personal “Before & After” photos).

When it comes to the most “bang for your buck� procedures, BriteSmile is hard to beat!

Most people are surprised to learn that one American dies every hour from oral cancer; a death rate that has remained virtually unchanged for more than 40 years. In fact, recent statistics published by the American Cancer Society indicate that while the incidence and death rates for cancers overall has decreased, the incidence of oral cancer has increased by 5.5% and the death rate has increased by 1.5%

Oral cancer is far too often discovered in late stage development, the primary reason for the consistently high death rate. Oral cancer treatment often results in disfiguring effects on patients, and can seriously compromise their quality of life. Early detection and diagnosis can make a tremendous difference in life expectancy; oral cancer is 90% curable when found in its early stages. Unfortunately, 70% of oral cancers are diagnosed in the late stages, III and IV, leading to a five-year survival rate of 57%.

ViziLite Plus is an oral lesion identification system that is used as an adjunct to the conventional head and neck examination. It is comprised of a chemiluminescent light source (ViziLite) to improve the identification of lesions.

Examination of the Oral Cavity with ViziLite

Examination of the oral cavity under chemiluminescent light (ViziLite) after rinsing with a dilute acetic acid solution, abnormal squamous epithelium tissue will appear distinctly white. Lumenoscopy^TM has demonstrated in numerous studies to improve the ability to visualize mucosal lesions and initially identify clinically suspicious lesions. 

With a 1-minute rinse with a special acidic solution beforehand, the Vizilite illumination helps detect these early signs of tissue changes, so they can be evaluated for potentially life-threatening cancers.

Just another way that advances in technology and science are helping to improve Dentistry every day.

Dr. Crosby

Living with an incomplete set of teeth can impair your confidence and cause you embarrassment. You may cover your mouth when you laugh, avoid having pictures taken, or find meals with friends less enjoyable. There’s no need to keep hiding your smile. Using the latest in modern technology, Dr. Crosby improves his patients’ quality of life by providing a natural-looking, beautiful smile with dental implants.

Dental implants can fit your unique needs
Whether you want one tooth replaced or need to stabilize your dentures, dental implants can meet your needs. To replace one or two missing teeth, individual implants topped with custom-fabricated porcelain crowns are usually prescribed. For a few missing teeth, an implant-supported bridge is a great option. If all teeth on one or both arches need replacement, implant-supported dentures offer a sturdy, long-lasting solution. In some cases, a variety of implant types may be involved. At your consultation, Dr. Crosby will offer expert advice and help you decide on the best course of treatment.

Implants are secure, contribute to jawbone health
All of the implants Dr. Crosby offers patients have one thing in common: biocompatible titanium. As the first phase of the procedure, you will have one or more titanium posts implanted in your jaw to serve as anchors for restorations (crowns, bridges, or dentures). As your mouth heals from the procedure, the bone in your jaw will fuse to the metal post, so the implant can function like a natural tooth. Patients with missing teeth may suffer from jawbone loss, but an implant stems the tide of bone loss by stimulating the jaw and keeping it healthy.

Dental implant placement is more precise, less invasive than ever

Traditional X-rays can be an unreliable measure in planning implant placement. Not only do they rely on a certain amount of interpretation, but they often display a distorted image. To ensure accuracy and the best outcome for patients, Dr. Crosby employs a low-radiation 3D CT scan to plan procedures. He also relies on a custom-made implant guide for precision placement. This removes the guesswork.

For more information, and to find out whether dental implants can give you a full, attractive smile, call our office today to schedule a consultation with Dr. Richard Crosby. He’ll work with you to determine the best solution for improved self-assurance and the oral health you deserve.

Selecting a good dentist can be a daunting task. You’ll often have a list of names to sort through, but you may not have any idea of the criteria that will make one stand out. You want a professional you can trust, someone who cares about your wellbeing. When you’re satisfied, you know it. But how do know what to look for to make the right decision? Dr. Richard Crosby wants you to be armed with the knowledge that will lead you to the best choice. We invite you to apply your high standards to him. Dr. Crosby is confident in your consideration, because he continually offers the best in patient care at his Anchorage dental practice.

You should be able to glean all the relevant information about a dentist’s practice from their website. Look for things like:

• Education—Is the dentist qualified?
  Aside from the necessary dental degrees, does the dentist have specialty training or certifications? Is he or she affiliated with acclaimed associations?
• Experience—Has the dentist invested time?
  In addition to education, evidence of the desire to be up to date with techniques and trends as dentistry advances is very important. Participating regularly in continuing education is a good sign that he or she is serious about keeping skills sharp.
• Approach—Are patients the priority?
  You won’t feel like you’re getting quality care if you’re not seeing the dentist directly and having your questions answered one on one. Good dentists will take time to treat each patient individually and are committed to educating patients about necessary procedures and good oral health. If you’re nervous about visiting the dentist, look for one who has a strategy for how to help you relax during your visit.
• Technology—Is the office current?
  Look for the ways a dentist incorporates innovative machinery and techniques into his or her practice. For example, Dr. Crosby places implants using interactive 3D planning software and low radiation CAT-scans, providing greater accuracy during surgery and a better post-operative experience.
• Evidence—Are you impressed with the dentist’s work?
  Look for examples of work the dentist has performed. Are there recommendations from actual patients? Pictures of patients who have had procedures done?

Take a look around Dr. Crosby’s website and see if he’s the right dentist for you. If you’d like to schedule an appointment, call our Anchorage office. We look forward to meeting and exceeding your expectations.

With today’s techniques and materials, there is really no reason anyone should have to go without teeth any longer.

Solutions can be summed up in the “big three.”  Dentures, bridges, and implants can all be used to replace teeth gone MIA.  Even more exciting is the potential to use a combination of these three, giving literally endless options for patients depending on how many, and which teeth are missing.

When just a couple teeth are missing, the most likely candidates are either a bridge or individual implants. 

If a few teeth are missing, a bridge supported by implants is a great solution!

As more teeth need to be replaced, the options increase to include dentures or “plates.”  Don’t worry, these aren’t your dad’s dentures!  Using as few as two implants to anchor a denture adds stability and starts to make the dentures actually begin to function like normal teeth.  Of course they are still a poor replacement for natural teeth, but as we add more implants, they become dramatically more stable.  With enough implants, we can even remove the plastic that typically covers the roof of a denture patient’s mouth, which is often blamed for decreased taste sensation.

As you can see, today’s options for replacing missing teeth are vast.  The excuses for going through life without teeth are dwindling.  Thank goodness.

Dr. Crosby

Frequently the best way to restore a damaged tooth comes in the form of a crown, the workhorse of modern dentistry.  Usually it is a tooth that has had previous restorations like a filling or root canal and the fillings are aged or the tooth just needs more protection.

For decades this required two steps.  In the first step the dentist prepared the tooth for a crown like #2 in the picture above.  Once the tooth was prepared an impression was made and a temporary crown, usually made of aluminum or plastic, was glued in place to protect the tooth.  The second step needed a dental laboratory to make the crown using the impression the dentist made of the tooth.  The patient wore the temporary before the final crown could be glued in place at a second visit, generally two weeks later.

And then along comes technology, in the form of  CEREC…

Now the crown can be made in about ten minutes right in front of the patient so there’s no need for an impression, a temporary, or a second visit.  After preparing the tooth for the crown, a 3D scan is taken of the tooth and the doctor designs the crown using the sophisticated dental software.  Once the design is complete, a small block of ceramic material is placed in the milling unit and diamond bits mill the crown to fit the tooth exactly.

Once the porcelain is milled it can bonded in place to help support the tooth.

On occasion some teeth require custom shading which can easily be done in a few minutes in a small glazing oven.

The benefits that technology allows dentistry and therefore dental patients have never been better.  Cerec now adds the benefit of custom, single-visit crowns to save time for patients.

Dr. Crosby

Titanium dental implants have long been available and now they are even stronger and easier to place!

Dental implants consist of a titanium post placed in the jawbone with a porcelain crown attached.

Historically, the placement of implants has been challenged for two reasons, 1. because two professionals were responsible for one outcome, and 2. because  traditional 2-dimensional x-rays have their limitations. 

Often the job of an implant was done by two Doctors: an Oral Surgeon placed the implant post and the General Dentist placed the crown.  The Dentist knew where the crown should end up but the Surgeon knew where the bone was and often placed the implant independant of where the crown would go.  Neither Doctor was wrong but, because the process was divided, the implants were frequently compromised for one reason or another.

Because x-rays are only a 2-dimensional image, they required a certain degree of “interpretation.”  They are also notorious for distortion which is why a measurement on an x-ray – whether film or digital – can’t be used for anything more than a guide that must be confirmed on the patient.  “Confirmed on the patient” means that, at the time of your implant surgery, the gums were cut back from the bone to help verify the measurements.  This method was not only less accurate, it also meant significant post-op pain and healing.

Now comes the advent of the 3-dimensional, highly accurate, low-radiation CT scan dedicated to the dental office.  This gives Dentists the information necessary to be confident when placing the implant, knowing it will be in exactly the right spot for the future crown.

Using specialized software that maps vital structures like nerves, an implant can be “virtually placed” in the patient’s image.  From here, a laboratory can fabricate a guide or template that fits the patient’s mouth.

With an accurate template that fits in the patient’s mouth, now the implant procedure is as easy as drilling a small hole and placing the implant.  Our patients with these procedures are often in and out of the office  around 30 minutes because all the guesswork has been removed.  Even better is they rarely have to take any pain medicine because the procedure is so non-invasive.  Because the implant was planned on the computer, we can also ensure that it is aligned with the future crown placement.

This is what 3D implant planning is all about and why we use it at our office.

Dr. Crosby

Two choices: Pain or No Pain?

Which would you prefer?

Like it or not, pain is what many people think of when they think of coming to the dentist, but here more than ever dentistry is making huge advances.

A tool not many people know about is called the “Wand� or “Compudent.�  Essentially it is a computer-controlled dental injection. The flow rate of the local anesthetic is controlled by a computer. This means that the injection is guaranteed to be slow and steady and therefore comfortable.

Most people who have had a bad experience with injections think that needles sting because the skin is pierced, but this is usually not so! Most often, the sting was caused because the anesthetic was fired in too quickly. Obviously, it is possible for a dentist to control the speed with a standard syringe, but the idea of the Wand is to take out the “human error”. This can be very reassuring for people with previous bad experiences.

 

What does the Wand look like?

 

It doesn’t even look like a syringe! Welcome to the space age…

As you can see in the photo, the “hardware” looks similar to a miniature computer tower.

The handpiece device looks just like a ball point pen.

It is even held like a pen! Using the Wand is far easier to use because it is so light and easy to handle.  One of the reasons I like using the Wand is its accuracy.  As you can see, my hand is very close to the tip (yes, there is still a needle albeit a small one), unlike a traditional syringe where my thumb can be as much as 8-10 inches away from the “working end.�

Once I’m ready to dispense the anesthetic I have a small foot pedal to get started and that’s it!

Our patients routinely ask about the Wand and we find their friends that are new to the office are also asking about the Wand as well.

Dr. Crosby

 

Reggie had just returned from a tour in Iraq and wanted a new smile. His wife found us on line at www.crosbysmiles.com. The determining factor for choosing our office was the customer service they received. His wife felt very comfortable talking to Stefanie, our treatment coordinator, and was readily given answers to all of her questions.

Reggie’s treatment included eight veneers on his upper front teeth and whitening on his lower teeth. His new smile is remarkable. He describes our office on a scale of 1 to 10 as being, “off the charts�.

Reggie’s overall experience with us changed his life. He is happy, excited and always ready to show his new smile.

Gail is a genuinely happy person, but found herself holding back on her smile because her teeth were discolored. She found us on line at www.crosbysmiles.com.

Gail instantly felt at ease at our office. We made her feel relaxed. She could tell that we were genuinely concerned about what she wanted, which was a smile that matched her personality. So that’s what she got!

Gail’s treatment included veneers.

Gail said about her experience at our office, “It’s just not your typical dental experience – it’s really life changing.� She added, “A person can go from being really unhappy with their smile to having the prettiest, most perfect teeth. I literally went from not wanting to smile to receiving compliments on what beautiful teeth I have. I have always been a confident person, but my new smile has kicked it up a notch.�

Gail put off having her teeth done for years; she didn’t want to be selfish by spending the money on herself. Afterwards, her only regret was waiting so long.

Gail said, “My first appointment with Dr. Crosby was to be just that, one appointment. My intentions were to visit with other dentists and make my decision then based on how comfortable I felt and their qualifications. After meeting Dr. Crosby and his staff, I knew that he was the one I trusted with my smile. Dr. Crosby is passionate about what he does and is one of the best in his field. Professional, confident, accommodating… and he has a great sense of humor, which I really appreciate!�