Artistic Dental Patient Makes a Difference in Dentistry

Dr. Dougherty originally met Dr. Ken Snyder more than 15 years ago at the St. Vincent de Paul dental clinic. It didn’t take long before the two dentist discovered their shared interests and they began playing volleyball, basketball and hiking together on weekends. Dr. D. describes Dr. Snyder as a family man and real stand-up guy. He also appreciates his great sense of humor and explained that he trains dentists on how to integrate comedy into patient care. Dr. Dougherty continues to volunteer his time and services with St. Vincent de Paul and says, “Anytime Dr. Snyder calls for help with a patient, my answer is yes.”

Dr. Ken Snyder has been a patient at Artistic Dental for 12 years. More importantly, Dr. Snyder is the Dental Director at St. Vincent De Paul’s dental clinic, which provides low-income and uninsured adults and children with comprehensive dental care. After 17 years in private practice, Dr. Snyder began running the clinic in 2001. Since that time he and his army of dedicated volunteers (including Dr. Dougherty) have helped provide dental care to as many as 700 patients a month. Dr. Snyder’s work and dedication was recently recognized when the Society of St. Vincent de Paul was awarded the Henry Schein Cares Medal, honoring an organization that demonstrates excellence in expanding access to oral health care for people in need. In October 2015 the organization was also recognized by the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.
We were fortunate to recently speak with Dr. Snyder about his career in dentistry, the SVdP dental clinic and their recent honors:

What do these awards mean to you and to St. Vincent de Paul?

It means quite a bit. The Henry Schein award  looked at more than 70 clinics throughout the country before narrowing it down to three. The finalists were invited to Dallas, where there was about 2,500 people from the dental industry in attendance. All three finalist received $10,000 credit for supplies from Henry Schein, the largest distributor of dental supplies. As the winner we also received a check for $15,000, which is very beneficial.

The recognition from American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry was also a big honor. The AAPD looked at clinics across the country and narrowed to two. When we went to the event in Chicago last October, we learned that the organization awarded both finalists a grant of $75,000 for 5 years.

We survive solely on grants and donations, so these awards are not only a tremendous honor recognizing the work we do as an organization, it will help us to continue to do the work we do.

What do you love most about working in dentistry?

Getting to help people is the biggest reward. We’ve put 400 children through braces, more than any other in the country. At the clinic we are changing people’s lives every day. I am fortunate to work with an incredible team of people, and I like to say, “I’m just the band leader of a world class band.”

What services do you offer at the SVdP dental clinic?

Thanks to the help of volunteer dental professionals and dental students, we are able to provide general care, oral surgery, treatment plans, orthodontia and implants. We have a small staff including myself, one other dentist and a few dental assistants  – otherwise everything we provide is through our volunteers – like Dr. John.
How did you come to be a patient at Artistic Dental?

Dr. John volunteered with us at the clinic early on, and while he was there we became good friends. When my dentist retired, I decided to go to Artistic Dental and have been a patient there ever since.

How can others get involved or volunteer at the SVdP dental clinic?

We are always looking for volunteers. If you are not in dentistry, you can help in our office. We also love having high school and college kids volunteer, especially if they are interested in exploring a career in dentistry. We’ve also started a dental assistant training program for women living in shelters to help them develop a career. Outside of volunteering, monetary donations are always helpful, and we can also use dental equipment.

How to teach your child good oral hygiene

Teaching healthy habits is much more about what we do than what we say. Children will closely observe their parents’ behavior and other important adults in their lives as they learn and form their own behaviors and habits. In other words, it is important that parents practice what they preach when it comes to maintaining good oral hygiene.

It can be difficult for children to understand the importance of taking good care of their teeth and gums and how it can impact their overall health. Fortunately, there are ways to engage kids using age appropriate activities to help them understand just how vital oral hygiene is. 

Here are a few strategies you may want to try: 

·         Give kids choices. Let them choose their own toothbrush and toothpaste, providing that they’re age appropriate. Before the age of two fluoride-free toothpaste is recommended.  From the age of two on it’s best to use an ADA approved brand containing fluoride. Characters on toothbrushes or a superhero on the tube of toothpaste might encourage them to stick to their brushing routine.

·         Show them how it’s done. Let them see you brush your teeth in the morning and evening. If the message is not resonating consider showing them some fun YouTube videos. Watching what a peer is doing is often more relatable and considered a lot “cooler” than mom or dad!

·         Invest in technology. If the novelty of a manual toothbrush wears off, consider purchasing an electric toothbrush. If you have more than one child, you can save money by purchasing one and then buying individual heads for each child. Turn brushing into fun-time using this new “toy” to do the job. For younger kids consider a less expensive option—adding a fun faucet fountain like a whale or dolphin to make it more entertaining.

·        Turn tooth brushing time into story time. If you are creative you can make up a story where all the bad guys have brown, ugly teeth. Otherwise, there are a number of great books to read aloud, like Open Wide by Laurie Keller or The Tooth Book by Dr. Seuss.

There are many factors that help children learn how to take good care of their teeth and maintain a healthy smile. Beyond modeling good habits, the other most important thing a parent can do is book regular checkups and limit sugar intake. If a dental emergency should occur, contact your dentist immediately.

Know the risks: Oral Cancer Awareness Month

Approximately 47,750 people will be diagnosed with oral cancer this year in the U.S. An estimated 7,500 people will die of these cancers. Fortunately, the death rate has decreased in the last 30 years. However, the scope of the problem is increasing, with new cases exceeding 450,000 worldwide annually.

As April is oral cancer awareness month we would like to highlight the importance of getting screened. Also, we would like to examine the risk factors associated with this type of cancer. Some people have fewer risks than others, but may still develop oral cancer, therefore it is important to schedule regular checkups with your dentist and physician. Here are just some of the risks: 

Tobacco and alcohol

Tobacco products cause about 75 percent of oral cancers affecting the mouth, tongue, lips, throat, and parts of the nose and larynx. Smokeless tobacco carries even greater risks. You have a 50 percent higher risk of developing oral cancer with long-term use of smokeless tobacco. One can of smokeless tobacco delivers as much nicotine as 60 cigarettes. Alcohol also increases the risk of developing an oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers; about seven out of 10 patients with oral cancer are heavy consumers of alcohol.  

Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infection

The leading cause of oropharyngeal cancer is HPV, but a small number of oral cavity cancers also occur from HPV. People with oral cancers linked to HPV tend to be younger and are less likely to be smokers and drinkers, however; smoking increases the risk of oral HPV infection. 

Gender

Oral cancers are about twice as common in men. The recent rise in HPV-linked cancers has been predominantly found in younger males, therefore this trend will likely continue.

While these risk factors are the most common correlation to the disease there are a whole host of other factors including: poor nutrition, long periods of exposure to UV light, genetic syndromes and a weakened immune system. 

The Oral Cancer Foundation highlights several ways to get involved in awareness month. Here are a few things you can do: 

• Schedule a screening: contact your dental office and book an appointment, encourage friends and family to do the same.
• Hold an event at your workplace: schedule a time period where walk-ins and appointments are welcome. Coordinate with the benefits provider/H.R. manager at your workplace to get the message out to the staff members.
• Host a public event: OCF provides a list of resources and tips on their website to help you plan and market the details of your event. 

Artistic Dental is your partner in care and we are happy to address any concerns or questions you may have. Call to schedule a consult today.

Meet Domenic, R.D.H.

Domenic is one of the newest members of our team at Artistic Dental.  He became a hygienist because he always loved going to the dentist, and he wanted to give people the same personable, comfortable experience that he always had growing up.

1.       What three words would you use to describe yourself?

Driven, kind and O.C.D, especially when it comes to cleaning teeth!

2.       How many years have you been working as a dental hygienist?

I began my career 10 months ago. I graduated from Phoenix College in May 2014 and got my license in June 2014.  I worked as a waiter before but always wanted a career in the dentistry field.

3.       What is the one tip that you give to patients about oral health time and again?

Thorough plaque removal!  Most people forget to brush the tongue side of their teeth people tend to concentrate their efforts on the outer sides on their teeth but I encourage our patients to focus on this area. I’m a fan of brushing with Crest Pro Health toothpaste. I am also super passionate about community water fluoridation!

4.       What do you like to do most in your free time?

I like to workout at the gym but I also enjoy eating! The Windsor is one of my favorite dining spots, and I enjoy ethnic food too, especially Thai food.

5.       If you could have any superpower what would that be?

Teleportation. This would be an awesome superpower to have as I could spend my weekend’s teleporting from city to city and get to see the world!