Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Could you be our next team member??

We're looking to add a couple people to our team. Please see details below and follow the application instructions. Please DO NOT call our office regarding employment opportunities.

Dental Assistant

Experience in the dental field and with four handed dentistry is required. We’re looking for someone who is accountable, responsible, energetic, eager to learn, a team player, has excellent communication skills and an overall positive attitude. A person in this position must be able to set up rooms, greet and seat patients, assist the doctor in a variety of procedures, check out patients, set up recare/follow-up appointments and break down and sterilize rooms quickly and efficiently.

If this sounds like something you could excel at please call 888-612-2392 for more details. (You will not be speaking to a live person.)

Front Desk

We’re looking for someone who is accountable, responsible, energetic, eager to learn, a team player, has excellent communication skills and an overall positive attitude. A person in this position must be able to multitask, welcome and check out patients, stay organized, follow through on tasks and learn quickly.

If this sounds like something you could excel at please call 888-612-2392 for more details. (You will not be speaking to a live person.)

As always check out our website to learn more about us www.drtimgardner.com

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

The Hidden Danger of Snoring and Sleep Apnea

The more we learn the more we've realized that our greatest desire is to help the children of our practice. Children should not snore! If your child is snoring please bring him/her in for an evaluation. The sooner the better.

If a young child habitually mouth-breathes or exhibits any of these indications, it is especially important to have them evaluated as these conditions have a significant negative impact on development and form of oral, as well as facial, structures. It is also interesting to note that studies have shown that sleep disordered breathing is common among children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

If you are an adult and experiencing any of the following symptoms please give our office a call to schedule and evaluation:

-Snoring
-Fatigue
-Waking up tired
-Weight Gain
-Dry mouth/throat
-Sleepiness
-Difficulty concentrating
-Irritability

We know how debilitating sleep apnea can be; from chronic fatigue to heart attacks and strokes. In adults all we can do is manage the disease, but in children we can practically cure it by allowing the airway and mouth to develop correctly.


What is sleep apnea?
Apnea means to stop breathing. Sleep apnea refers to a condition wherein you stop breathing during sleep. Most of us know someone who snores during sleep. You may also know someone who has commented that their partner has stopped breathing during sleep for seemingly long periods-long enough to be frightening. While snoring is often made the subject of jokes or teasing, it could be an indication of a serious health problem. The severity and danger associated with sleep apnea range from snoring that irritates your partner to life-threatening medial conditions.

What are some options for treating sleep apnea?
In some cases, surgery to remove obstructions or to stiffen the flabby throat tissue may be recommended for treatment. For cases of severe sleep apnea, a CPAP is often the first choice for treatment. This means wearing a mask while sleeping that is connected to a small device that maintains a positive air pressure, pushing air into your lungs. However, although painless and effective, some patients and their partners do not tolerate sleeping with the CPAP machine very well. In those cases, and in many moderate cases, oral appliances, which are available in our office, are often a good choice.

What is the our role in treatment?
Dr. Gardner can make custom fitted oral appliances that are worn over the teeth at night to prevent the jaw from falling back during sleep, keeping the airway open. There are many designs of such appliances, and we'll help find the best one for your situation.

If you or someone you know exhibits any of the symptoms listed, be sure to bring it to our attention. We can provide further information about this potentially serious condition. You could save a life!

www.drtimgardner.com

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Good Oral Hygiene Leads to Great Kisses

You're probably fully aware of the connection between the health your mouth and the quality of your kisses. Still, a little reminder never hurt. Here's the skinny on getting and giving smooches without embarrassment.

1. Kick the smoking habit. I'm sure everyone is familiar with the smoking lecture. Not only do tobacco products taste awful to your partner, but they put you at greater risk for oral cancer and periodontal (gum) disease. Why put so much effort into knocking your sweetheart's socks off if you aren't going to be around to pick them up? If you don't kick the habit for your partner, do it for yourself!

2. Don't chew gum. The best kisses are spur of the moment, so it's best to be prepared for them. Besides, sugary gum can lead to cavities. If you must chew gum choose a sugar-free variety.

3. Brush and floss daily. Nothing leaves an impression like bad breath, but it's not the kind of attention you want. Besides, healthy white teeth will help you build confidence in your smile. Brushing your teeth and gums is a good start, but take it a step further and floss each night. You'll dislodge food particles and remove odor-causing, not to mention tissue- and tooth-destroying, bacteria. If you don't have your toothbrush handy after you eat, at least rinse your mouth out with warm water. There are also a number of handy little dental products available for great breath on the go.

Take good care of your partner by caring for yourself. If you find that your gums are exceptionally tender or swollen, or if you have habitually bad breath please give us a call at 936-539-3636 to schedule an appointment. These could be symptoms of a more serious problem!

For more information on healthy gums and fresh breath check out our website
www.drtimgardner.com

Friday, September 23, 2011

We're Here for YOU!

Most people have probably been in this unfortunate situation: something, whether it be the plumbing, A/C, water, etc., goes haywire right after closing time for the business that can help. It’s simply not a fun or convenient place to be!

We never want our patients, or any other doctors’ patients for that matter, hurting through a weekend or evening. Besides being painful, a toothache can be indicative of an infection. And as you know infections are never good!

To ensure our patients, new and existing alike, are never put in a compromising dental situation we answer our phones 24/7 and happily see emergency patients on weekends and evenings. You can rest assured that our phones will be answered by a team member and not an answering service. We love helping people and take our job as dental professionals very seriously.

Although we never want to meet you or a loved one under emergency circumstances, please keep us in mind should the need arise.

Also remember that regular check-ups can practically eliminate emergency situations. If you're looking to establish a new dentist, look no further. We're always accepting new patients and would love to make you apart of our dental family.

Check us out online at www.drtimgardner.com or call 936-539-3636 for more information.

Monday, September 19, 2011

A new kind of dental appointment....

As dental professionals, we know that not everyone is our biggest fan. We could get down in the dumps about how some dread seeing us, but instead we have decided to do something that makes dental appointments easier for the more apprehensive patients.

What could it be?

IV Sedation!

Dr. Burch is one of the few dentists in the Houston area qualified to IV sedate patients in-office.

Wait, what is IV Sedation?

Unlike hospital sedation, IV sedation allows the patient to be in what some refer to as a “twilight sleep.” Although most patients do not remember much of the procedure and felt as if they were sleeping, the patient is able to respond to commands and control reflexes like breathing and swallowing.

IV sedation is not only a great option for anxious patients, but also for patients who would like to get a lot of work done at once. Being under sedation makes the appointment feel a lot shorter, making it a breeze to do a large amount of dental work in one sitting.

For more information check out www.conroesmilemakeover.com or give us a call at 936-539-3636.

Friday, August 26, 2011

Night time habits...

We try our best to talk with all of our patients about those "crazy little things at night."

What do we mean?
We've found that the majority of decay can be traced back to night time habits.

Think about this:
During the day the average person swallows more than 1,000 times. You can imagine that at this rate whatever a person is eating or drinking is neutralized by saliva pretty quickly.
At night when a person prepares for bed, their body starts preparing for sleep. Everything starts slowing down - including salivation. Normally a person only swallows 10-20 times during sleep!
This means that whatever a person eats or drinks right before, after or during this time sits in the mouth, mainly the cheeks, causing cavities to form on the teeth.

What do you do?
We recommend that all of our patients enjoy their dinner, dessert and whatever they want to drink with dinner and then stick to water. This gives the body time to restore proper PH levels in the mouth.

But that's just the first part!
We also encourage our patients to floss and brush really well before bed. This means brushing the inside of the cheeks, the tongue and palate.

Just these few little changes and you could be well on you way to living a cavity-free life!