San Francisco Surgical Arts

“Studies conducted throughout the past 65 years have consistently shown that fluoridation of community water supplies is a safe and effective method in helping to prevent dental decay in both children and adults.  Simply by drinking flouridated water, both children and adults can get the benefit of cavity protection whether they are at home, work or school.

Studies prove water fluoridation continues to be effective in reducing tooth decay by as much as 20-40%, even in an era with widespread availability of fluoride from other sources such as fluoride toothpaste.” **http://www.ada.org/fluoride.aspx

Nationwide the number of states that are issuing fluoridated tap water are growing with recent studies showing that at least 73% of the population is being reached.  The targeted date to reach the optimal fluoridation goal set by the US Department of Health and Human Services is in the year 2020.

https://www.ada.org/news/7031.aspx

According to an article written in the New York times on May 1^st, 2012, there has been an upraise of people arriving at the ER with complaints of severe pain from dental disease.  Several of these patients are requesting pain medication to dull their symptoms, leaving ER doctors scrambling to decide the best way to treat these common dilemmas.

The problem is not that the ER doctors do not believe that the patients are in pain or that they need to be treated, the question is “how” to treat the patients.  Most patients are given antibiotics and pain medication and sent home only to return later with more severe symptoms.  It is difficult for a medical doctor to properly diagnose dental disease, so instead they end up treating the symptoms.  One must see a dentist in order to properly diagnose and treat dental disease.

Unfortunately, there is a bigger problem at large.  State ran dental programs vary too widely and the primary focus is on children.    I am confident, that our country would benefit greatly from a blanketed Federal Dental Aid Program.

sites:

American Dental Association Comment on the New York Times story, ‘E.R. Doctors Face
Dilemma on Painkillers’

www.ada.org

We are so excited to be the first to accomplish this monumental challenge.  It is possible to be “surgically green” while providing the highest quality care.  SFSA is now on par with the other companies much larger who are also Platinum LEED certified: Adobe, Cisco and even the California Academy of Sciences.

“LEED” or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design is an internationally-recognized green building certification system. Developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) in March 2000… “   *U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) website: http://www.usgbs.org

The LEED program promotes efficiency and environmental conciseness by monitoring several aspects during building and operation. Among these are the following: • Sustainable Sites – helps to develop buildings with minimal impact on the eco-system • Water Efficiency – inspires smarter and more efficient use of water • Energy & Atmosphere – rewards the use of renewable and clean energy sources • Materials & Resources – encourages waste reduction and the use of recycled materials • Indoor Environmental Quality – applauds the use of natural day light and quality air.

So how were we able to accomplish this:  by using recycled products in the construction of the office, use of LED lighting, solar keyboard, paperless electronic medical record, Energy star computers and appliances, low-flow faucets and toilets….and the list goes on.  For more info visit: www.sfsurgicalarts.com

The doctors and team at San Francisco Surgical Arts are advocates in environmental awareness.  We realize the importance of reducing our carbon foot-print while providing the highest quality of care.

Help us spread the word: Let’s all do our part to be to reduce our carbon foot print, so we can leave a better planet for our children and future patients.

Dear Colleagues,

You are invited to the first San Francisco Surgical Arts Study Club meeting for General Dentists!

Our first meeting will take place on Wednesday, May 30th, 2012 from 6pm-8pm
Topic will be Advances in Bone Grafting and Stem Cell Technology
Meeting will be located in the Infinity Building Board Room.
Dinner and 2 C.E. Credits will be provided and is complimentary.
Speaker – Dr. Alexander Hoghooghi DDS MD
Please RSVP 415-813-6400, (there is limited seating)

…   An exact literal definition of oral and maxillofacial surgery when taken from the dictionary would be as follows:

Surgery 1. The branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of injury, deformity, and disease by manual and instrumental means. 2. A surgical operation or procedure, especially one involving the removal or replacement of a diseased organ or tissue. ¹

Maxillofacial 1. Relating to or involving the maxilla and the face.²

Maxilla 1. Anatomy Either of a pair of bones of the human skull fusing in the midline and forming the upper jaw. 2. A homologous bone of the skull in other vertebrates.³

However, in the modern day era the role of the oral and maxillofacial surgeon in the healthcare field is an ever expanding one.  Oral and maxillofacial surgery covers the correction of a wide spectrum of diseases, injuries and defects (both congenital and acquired) in the head, neck, face, jaws and the hard and soft tissues of the oral and maxillofacial region. It is an internationally recognized surgical specialty. In the US (and many other countries) it is one of the nine specialties of dentistry, however, it is also recognized as a medical specialty in certain parts of the world…⁴

^{It often times can represent a merger between the medical and dental fields.} 

All of the doctors at San Francisco Surgical Arts are Board Certified Oral Maxillofacial Surgeons with both medical and dental Degrees.  This means that upon completing dental school, the doctors extended their education with 3 additional years of medical school as well as a general surgery internship year.

View Resume: http://sfsurgicalarts.com/meet-us/doctor.asp

As Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons the doctors at SFSA perform many specialized procedures.  Among these include (but are not limited to):

Wisdom Teeth  – The extraction of wisdom teeth is necessary when they are prevented from properly erupting within the mouth.

Dental Implants – The science designated to the implantation of components that are a foundation for the replacement of teeth that look, feel, and function like natural teeth.

Facial Cosmetic Surgery – surgical correction of aesthetic deformities including Botox, fillers and surgery.

Oral Pathology – The detection of abnormal defects of the lips, cheeks, palate, and gum tissue around the teeth, tongue, face and/or neck.

Orthognathic Surgery (Jaw Surgery) – The treatment of deformities and abnormalities of the jaw.

Distraction Osteogenisis  – A relatively new method of treatment for selected deformities and defects of the oral and facial skeleton.

Facial Trauma – The emergency care, acute treatment and long-term reconstruction of facial and intra oral lacerations, avulsed (knocked out) teeth, fractured facial bones (cheek, nose or eye socket), and fractured jaws (upper and lower jaw).

Teeth In An Hour – The revolutionary concept providing patients with fully functioning teeth on dental implants in one single procedure that lasts about an hour.

Bone Grafting – The repair of inadequate bone structure due to previous extractions, gum disease or injuries.

TMJ Disorders – The treatment of TMJ (temporomandibular joint) disorders or problems related to the jaw joint.

Cleft Lip and Palate – The correction of a condition that creates an opening in the upper lip between the mouth and nose.

Sleep Apnea –The diagnosis and treatment of obstructed airway passage.

For more information on any of these procedures please visit our website:

http://sfsurgicalarts.com/procedures/dental-implants.asap

1. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/surgery

2. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/maxillofacial

3. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/maxilla

4. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oral_and_maxillofacial_surgery

temporomandibular joint: The joint that facilitates mandibular movement, located between the head of the mandible and the temporal bone.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/temporomandibular+joint

Dental Implants : A dental implant is a “root” device, usually made of titanium, used in dentistry to support restorations that resemble a tooth or group of teeth to replace missing teeth.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dental_implant

palate: (Anatomy) The roof of the mouth, consisting of an anterior bony portion (hard palate)  and a posterior muscular portion (soft palate)  that separate the oral cavity from the nasal cavity.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/palate