Dr. Bernstein's Blog

A Note from a Thankful Patient

2009-06-24T13:15:00.000-07:00

I just received this note from a thankful patient:

I came into your Dental office a couple of years ago for a consultation. I just wanted to send you a message. I guess I could have emailed you.
You suggested that I have my tonsils removed and thought that that would help me immensely with several factors including my TMJ. Well I wanted to let you know that I had my tonsils out one year ago June 13th and it has changed my life DRAMATICALLY!! I cannot even tell you what a difference it has made in my life. I think of you often and wonder why it took twenty years and seeing a dentist to get the problem taken seriously. The ENT who preformed my surgery has been in practice almost 30 years and had never seen anything like it. He is convinced that you saved my life.

I just wanted to thank you for taking the time to see me and for being so kind and honest with me. I will never forget when you told me that my tonsil were so large that they could be obstructing my air way at night. You turned to me looked me in the eyes and said "Nicole this is serious, this could kill you." That sent chills down my spine. The next day I called my Dr and demanded that he give me a referral to an ENT. And the rest is history.

Anyways I hope that you are doing well and wanted to thank you again!

Nicole

Yosemite Dental

2009-06-20T21:37:00.000-07:00

Here is my very best staff member doing a dental exam on my daughter at Glacier Point in Yosemite. It appears that her wisdom teeth are coming in!

Josh Bernstein, DDS Founder and President, Dental Comfort Academy http://www.allnewsmiles.com

All New Smile Reminder

2009-06-08T09:33:00.001-07:00

Sometimes, something comes along that is just a great improvement in customer service.

In our busy dental practice, a big part of our administrative job is helping patients find and keep valuable appointment time. With my busy schedule, we like scheduling patients as soon as possible to accommodate their needs. We recently implemented "Smile Reminder" to assist us with this.

With everyone having so many phone numbers these days, it is often difficult to connect with people by telephone. "Smile Reminder" sends messages to our patients by email and by text message. This allows us to reliably confirm appointments, remind patients about an upcoming appointment, fill appointments on late notice, and encourage patients who are overdue.

All we need is your email address and your cell phone number and "Smile Reminder" helps us help you in an all new way.

Karen's all new smile

2009-03-03T09:54:00.000-08:00

Karen: Karen is a beautiful, intelligent, super-nice baby boomer, working hard for a well known biotech company. As part of a makeover for herself, she decided it was finally time to take care of her smile. We replaced all of her old restorations, including the old silver fillings and porcelain-metal caps. At the same time, we did porcelain veneers on her upper and lower front teeth to give her the straight, white, beautiful smile she's always wanted.

Janice's all new smile

2009-03-02T18:57:00.000-08:00

Janice: Janice is a pretty, young professional who has never been happy with her crooked front teeth. She would rarely show her teeth when she smiled. She tried orthodontics recently but did not like it. Doing a very conservative case with porcelain veneers on only her 2 front teeth, we were able to give her a beautiful new smile, just in time to meet her what may turn out to be her future in-laws! (Photos were taken immediately post op so she is still numb and her gums are a bit red from removing the extra cement.)

The Cottage Inn--Outstanding Service Wins Repeat Business and Referrals

2009-02-16T05:18:00.000-08:00

One of our favorite places in the world is a perfectly charming Bed and Breakfast on the West Shore of Lake Tahoe. The Cottage Inn is everything you imagine an Old Tahoe Inn should be. Impeccably restored cabins, a warm, cozy main house and dining room, and a fitting bear theme that really works--considering the frequent woodland visitors on the West Shore.

Melanie, The Cottage Inn's innkeeper, is a gem. Although she barely knows us from our infrequent visits, she treats us like close family friends. As impressed as I am with The Cottage Inn and its normal routines of providing a great place to stay and a fabulous mountain breakfast, I am even more impressed after a recent customer service experience.

As some of you know, I speak to dentists nationwide on the topic of customer service, a subject sadly not familiar in the world of healthcare. We could all learn a thing or two from Melanie and The Cottage Inn--especially when it comes to "policy." Personally, I don't like to use the word "policy" in my office because it's negative, but of course every business has certain guidelines meant for following.

A few years ago, we stayed at The Cottage Inn and cut our stay short. Despite the "policy," Melanie gave us a full credit for the days we did not stay. Recently we wanted to use our credit and discovered that, according to the "policy" our credit had expired. Melanie quickly checked with the owner and fully honored our credit to make a last minute reservation.

As if that weren't enough, when winter storm warnings made travel a bad idea the next day, Melanie ignored the "cancellation policy" and encouraged us to come again within the next 3 months. As former innkeepers ourselves, this is something Allison and I might have done, too, but I don't know too many other businesses with such a keen instinct for outstanding customer care. If any of you ever have the chance to visit the West Shore of Lake Tahoe, there is only one place to stay--The Cottage Inn. Be sure to say hi to Melanie.

2008-12-29T09:24:00.000-08:00

Clifford: Clifford has been a patient of ours for many years. He travels to our office from Sacramento several times each year, when he is not white water rafting or weight lifting! Over the years, his teeth became chipped and worn from grinding. To restore him, we placed porcelain on his more severely worn front teeth. Now he's ready to smile his way down the rapids this Spring! (He was still numb in the "after" pictures so his smile wasn't working completely just yet...)

Suzanne's All New Smile

2008-12-05T14:54:00.000-08:00

Suzanne: Suzanne found us on the internet and drove all the way from California's Gold Country to see us. She is very friendly and outgoing, but the old crown on her front tooth was making her a bit self conscious to smile. And she smiles all the time! She was also getting concerned about the wear and chipping on her other front teeth. We gave Suzanne a laser gum lift and porcelain restorations on her 4 front teeth, giving Suzanne the confidence she's been looking for to go with her all new smile and her heart of gold.

Recapture that Dazzling Bright Smile

2008-12-03T04:59:00.001-08:00

Dr. Bernstein's office offers three of the most advanced tooth whitening procedures on the market today. We offer "Deep BleachingTM," in-office whitening using Zoom! technology, and take-home whitening kits.

"Deep Bleaching" blends in-office and take-home technology to give you a bright, white smile in a matter of weeks. Dr. Bernstein will treat your teeth at his office. He will then send you home with whitening materials which you will use for two weeks. You will then need to return so that we can treat your teeth one more time in our office. The "Deep Bleaching" method is extremely effective even for very badly stained teeth.

If you would rather see your results in one afternoon, we can perform the entire process for you at our office using Zoom! tooth whitening technology. Sit back, relax, and watch TV as Dr. Bernstein transforms your smile in just one 90 minute session. Zoom! uses a hydrogen peroxide gel and a special light to bleach your teeth. After three 20 minute applications, your smile will be up to 8 shades brighter.

If you prefer to do all of the work yourself, Dr. Bernstein can provide you with the highest quality take-home whitening kits available.

Whatever your preference, our East Bay area cosmetic dentistry office in Piedmont can take care of all of your tooth whitening needs. It is a simple and painless procedure that will leave you feeling more confident in your daily life.

Please contact our cosmetic dentistry office in the San Francisco Bay area to learn more about our tooth whitening services.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T07:02:00.000-08:00

We all have a lot to be thankful for.

Smile!

Clear Braces

2008-11-25T06:12:00.001-08:00

Many adults shy away from getting braces to fix their poorly aligned teeth due to the embarrassment of walking around with a mouth full of metal. However, by avoiding correcting your teeth, you may be setting yourself up for future dental problems.

At Dr. Bernstein's office, we offer an alternative to traditional braces that will eliminate the embarrassment and self-consciousness experienced by adults who need their teeth straightened. We can fit you with clear braces that will be hardly noticeable to others. Dr. Bernstein is proud to use Invisalign clear braces.

Invisalign uses a series of clear plastic aligners to shift your teeth into their proper position. Each aligner is worn for about two weeks, and you will probably require 20-30 aligners to complete the procedure. You can enjoy the benefits of correcting your teeth without drawing the attention of others to the process.

There are many advantages to using Invisalign clear braces. They are removable, allowing you to eat whatever you want and maintain better oral hygiene. Since they are made out of plastic, they are considerably more comfortable than traditional braces. You will also spend less time in our office for adjustments. Invisalign patients only need to come for a maintenance visit once every six weeks.

It is important to understand that Invisalign clear braces are not for everyone. Dr. Bernstein will need to evaluate your goals and your current dental health to determine if this process is right for you.

If you are considering clear braces in the Oakland, California area, please contact Dr. Bernstein today to schedule an initial consultation.

Do Cosmetic Dentists Do "Regular Dentistry?" Yes!

2008-11-18T08:10:00.000-08:00

50% of our cases are porcelain veneer cases. But the other 50% is general dentistry, including oral conscious sedation for phobic patients, TMJ treatment, full mouth rehabilitation--including cases of collapsed vertical dimension, Invisalign, athletic mouth guards, whitening, crowns, bridges, non-surgical perio treatment, extractions, root canals, partial dentures, and implants. And yes, we do fillings! Here are 2 fillings we did today on one of our favorite patients, Steve.

Famous Children's Author gets her Secret Wish

2008-11-03T13:16:00.000-08:00

This world famous children's author, recently honored at The White House, wished to remain anonymous, but she can't help but show the world her beautiful all new smile!

Bob's All New Smile

2008-09-09T09:04:00.001-07:00

Bob is a successful executive and a fantastic endurance athlete. He was always afraid of the dentist and neglect took a severe toll on his teeth. With encouragement and the help of a safe, common sedative, we were able to rebuild Bob's mouth and give him an all new smile. We're not finished yet, as he still needs implants on his lower left, but he has come a long way.

Robin's All New Smile

2008-09-02T09:41:00.000-07:00

Robin is a very nice 23 year old accounting student. She slipped on a wet floor in a restaurant and fell flat on her face, breaking her beautiful front teeth less than a week before her 24th birthday celebration. We were able to see her immediately and make her these temporaries on the same day--which should hold her over until her beautiful new porcelain veneers are made and delivered.

Theresa's All New Smile

2008-08-13T10:50:00.000-07:00

Theresa is a fabulous globe-trotting wife and mom, originally from Zimbabwe.
She picked up her accent in Australia and now, here she is in the good old USA! She was concerned about the wear and color of her teeth and wanted porcelain veneers to upgrade her teeth. We did 12 veneers for her and gave her an all new smile that makes her popular wherever she travels!

2008-08-11T17:40:00.000-07:00

I have been carefully following the development of the Pure Power Mouthguard. A colleague in Nova Scotia developed the PPM using the same principles that I use in my practice to treat TMJ and to rebuild entire mouths. I was initially hesitant to get involved because everything PPM is doing is brand new--except that the scientific principles used as the basis to make the PPM are 30 years old, FDA approved, and well documented.

In measuring actual athletic performance it turns out that some mouthguards significantly decrease athletic performance, and going without a mouthguard limits athletic performance. Initial studies on the Pure Power Mouthguard impressed me so much that I asked to be the Bay Area's provider of PPM's. By simply wearing the Pure Power Mouthguard, proper jaw alignment and balance are achieved that measurably increase athletic performance.

This is not a gimmick--it is for real and 100% safe and legal for athletics.

The Pure Power Mouthguard is all the buzz among professional athletes, including Manny Ramirez and many others. To read more about the PPM, go to: http://www.ppmmouthguard.com/

By the way, if you are involved in a non-contact sport and think you don't need a mouthguard, think again. PPM also makes a very low profile device that fits on the lower teeth to achieve the same results without the protective features of an upper mouthguard.

Pure Power Mouthguards are ideal for athletes who wants to increase performance, whether they are professional, student or recreational. There is a small percentage of athletes that will not see improvement from a PPM so to find out if PPM will work for you or your athlete, please call my office to schedule a consultation. Our phone number is 510-601-7645.

Team Profile--Leah

2008-08-11T09:22:00.000-07:00

Leah Partible, RDH, has been with us for 4 wonderful years. Her reputation with our patients is outstanding. Leah is friendly, gentle, meticulous, observant, and compassionate. She frequently diagnoses problems at the earliest stage, when they are easiest to treat. Our patients frequently comment, "That's the best cleaning I've ever had!" As her patient myself, I agree! As her boss, she is such as pleasure to have around the office because she is always cheerful and always happy to lend a helping hand. Leah has experience with teeth whitening, non-surgical gum treatments, microultrasonics, anesthesia, oral conscious sedation during dental cleanings and periodontal therapy, dental x-rays and diagnosis. She now has her sights set on non-surgical laser therapy for periodontal disease. In her spare time, Leah likes to travel and drive her BMW roadster.

Julia's All New Smile

2008-08-07T14:59:00.000-07:00

Julia: Julia is a twin. She and her sister both had small discolored teeth with spaces in between them. Her sister lives in L.A. and had her teeth done there. When they got together, people would comment on how much they looked alike, except for their teeth. Julia came to us for a smile makeover and she left with an all new smile that really has people doing a double take!

Sun Medical

2008-08-06T06:33:00.000-07:00

In our never ending quest for the world's best dental materials, we were very happy to recently host our new friends from Sun Medical of Japan.

Sun Medical is a leading edge company, sincerely interested in finding out what the dental profession needs and then delivering it. Our Japanese friends asked us numerous questions about practicing dentistry in the United States and how our style of practice differs from the Japanese style.

Our practice was of particular interest to Sun Medical because we are free from dependence on insurance contracts whereas Japanese dentists are having difficulty working within the national healthcare system. I was pleased to tell them about how a select group of dentists from around the world have found a niche by investing in the most advanced postdoctoral education in the world at The Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies (LVI).

On their next trip to the U.S., representatives from Sun Medical said that they would make a point of visiting LVI to see what the leaders in dentistry are doing. In the mean time Sun Medical has outstanding products that they currently market such as Hybrid Bond and Superbond, exceptional bonding agent and adhesive.

We look forward to hearing more from Sun Medical and their incredible advances in dental materials. Just as important, we look forward to networking with Sun Medical to see how we can better serve our patients by improving communications between clinicians and manufacturers.

Digital Cameras and Big Screen TVs

2008-08-03T19:30:00.000-07:00

I love having a high tech dental office but 2 of the most useful pieces of technology we own are not all that fancy. Our digital cameras and our big flat screen TVs allow diagnosis, education, and communication that we just didn't have so easily in the past.

Historically, if we wanted this level of photography, we had to take photos with slide film, develop them, then use a projector and movie screen to view them. Now, during all of our new patient consultations, we take a complete diagnostic series of photographs using a digital Canon camera, which we then immediately show to the patient on the big flat screen TV.

When teeth are magnified to that extent, problems and solutions naturally present themselves to everyone. I love my laser, my computer diagnostics, and all my other fancy gadgets, but please don't take away my camera and my big TVs! They are indispensable!

A Happy Patient!

2008-07-02T19:04:00.001-07:00

Hi,

Around the 1st of May I woke up to "Planet of the Apes Lips." I wondered what I ate to cause such a reaction??? I called Kaiser and they suggested an allergy pill. In the mean time, my lips were growing at a fast pace. I could not work because of the way I looked. I knew I had a loose front tooth. One bite of an apple would have taken the tooth. My daughter decided to call Dr. Bernstein. I had discovered him on the web since he was near where I lived. She thought it was worth the call. Carmen, my daughter, was on the case and an appointment was in progress. I was still thinking "I hate dentists, maybe I can still avoid going." No chance of that! His assistant called and gave me a same day appointment. As I entered his office, I felt an air of peace and knew this dentist is indeed different! All was explained. He gave me a prescription to take my lips to a normal size. I was happy! Most of my adult life I hated my teeth. That space in the middle kept growing because my teeth had shifted with age. My dream was to have veneers on those ugly teeth. Little did I know how close my dream was to coming true. With the understanding and encouragement of Dr. Bernstein I realized I could make it happen. Now I have a "BEAUTIFUL SMILE!" Dr. Bernstein is a different dentist from most. It is very simple. "HE CARES."

My heartfelt THANKS goes out to you, Dr. Bernstein, Carly, and your nice wife, Allison. Thanks for giving my daughter an outstanding teeth cleaning. We appreciate the kindness shown to both of us.

Ruth G. Thompson (A HAPPY CUSTOMER)

Albert Einstein's Solution

2008-06-24T08:28:00.000-07:00

Albert Einstein said, “We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”

Everyone is feeling the pressure of higher gas prices. I'm not an economist and my thinking may be overly simplistic, but it seems to me that higher gas prices are a simple function of supply and demand. More countries aside from industrialized Western countries, India and China in particular, are using gas for cars far more than ever before.

Some people say we should ask the oil producing countries to lower prices, but why should they? Others say we should drill our own oil off of our beaches and in our wilderness areas. This modest dentist says we should stop using oil--or at least drastically lower our consumption.

We have the technology available now for electric cars which can be plugged in at home for charging. Yes, the electricity produced may come from power plants that burn oil. But what if every roof in America had solar panels that produce electricity? Not only is this technology also available now but there are even photovoltaic shingles that look like a good old fashioned roof. It may temporarily rock our economy if the oil companies and electric companies lose business but we will adjust. And building the new infrastructure--solar roofing and electric cars--will boost our economy on another front.

While we're at it, let's expand our trains, subways, and other public transportation so that it's just as convenient (and cost effective) to take public transit as it is to drive. Less traffic--gas or electric--would be nice.

Whether you believe in global climate change or you simply want to save money, electric cars and public transit make a lot of sense. And remember you can always walk or ride a bike!

Let's take Einstein's advice and move away from oil which is 19th century technology.

Tonsils, airway, and orthodontics

2008-06-13T12:56:00.000-07:00

This very sweet 12 year old girl came into my office for an Invisalign consult. She has already been through the first round of orthodontics with traditional braces. She only bites on her 1st molars. No other teeth touch. Her tongue is constantly resting between her upper and lower teeth and she has been in speech therapy for many years to correct her tongue thrusting habit. She has a crossbite in the molar area, too.

So why is the orthodontics not working? Why is the speech therapy not working? Take a look at her tonsils, particularly her right side. They are huge! Every time she swallows, thousands of times every day, her tongue comes forward to allow the swallowing. The tongue may also come forward to assist her breathing as she has allergies that require medication. This is a situation that puts a patient at risk for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA).

So what's going on here? As the tongue comes forward, it opens up the bite between the upper and lower teeth. At the same time the tongue comes forward, the cheeks collapse inward putting pressure on the upper molars, which causes the crossbite and a high palate. This patient needs to have a thorough evaluation and treatment by an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist before proceeding further with orthodontics. And she most likely needs her tonsils removed.

As dentists, we need to look beyond the teeth, gums and bones to see what is really going on. The success of our dentistry depends on this, but so does the life and health of our patients.

A glimpse into the future of dentistry

2008-06-08T18:44:00.000-07:00

My wife and I had a most pleasant lunch this week with one of the giants in dentistry, Dr. Stephen Cohen. Dr. Cohen's claim to fame is as the author of Pathways of the Pulp, the definitive textbook on root canals that is required reading for every dental student. One would be hard pressed to find a more polished, refined, true gentleman. He is a living example of good manners, decorum, chairside rapport, and a reminder that today's man has a lot to learn about how to conduct himself in polite society. He has a stunningly gorgeous state of the art office in the Tiffany building on Union Square in San Francisco where he and his staff break for high tea at 4pm everyday.

Well into his 70's, Dr. Cohen is completely engaged in leading technology and in editing his 10th and final edition of Pathways of the Pulp. Advancements that he discussed included technology that is currently being tested to complete root canals in 5 minutes. He also discussed non-surgical instruments and techniques for resolving persistent recurrent dental infections that now require surgery. Most astonishingly, he discussed research into using stem cells to incubate new tooth nerves and tooth buds that will make implants obsolete in the future. He could not yet provide details on these techniques and instruments as the information is proprietary and does not belong to him. But stay tuned for more information in 2009!