Living a healthy life style is very important to me. My friends and patients know that I enjoy cooking and eating healthy meals. I eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and belong to a CSA (community supported organic farm). I also grow my own herbs and a few vegetables. I exercise regularly at the gym and yoga class and spend holiday weekends and vacations in the nearby White Mountains and Adirondack Mountains where I am an avid hiker.
It is important to me to integrate healthy concepts into my dental practice. I talk to my dental patients about the connection between oral health and systemic health, about healthy foods and exercise and weight control - and about what smoking does to the teeth and gums. I refer my patients to natural products, when appropriate, such as pomegranate toothpaste and tea-tree oil mounthwash. I have referred patients to alternative practitioners for stress-related symptoms. I keep up with the literature and pass on to my patients information about natural remedies and alternative therapies that impact on their dental health. Check out the links on "Dental Wellness" and "Dental Safety" in my blog where there is information about products that promote dental health. An example is my April 28, 2009 blog entry on "Canker Sores and Vitamin B12".
I use the safest dental materials and avoid biological and environmental contaminants. My office is equipped with a mercury separator, a nitrous oxide scavenger system and a fresh air circulator. I use a strict sterilization protocol. I understand that some patients object to use of fluoride and I suggest alternatives. Many patients do not want amalgam fillings placed or ask that their old amalgam fillings be replaced. We discuss the alternatives and pros and cons of each approach. I buy quality products that incorporate superior ingredients. For example, dental sealants may contain harmful Bisphenol-A, (BPA), so I use Helioseal from Ivoclar for my patients because it does not contain BPA. I use a quality dental laboratory, and there is never lead in the crowns that I seat.
Check out the article written about my Suffolk County, Long Island dental practice: "Conventional dentistry meets pomegranate," and visit me at my East Setauket dental office for a cup of green tea!
