As a dentist, the most important thing a patient can do to prevent cavities is use good oral hygiene. This means flossing and brushing twice a day. Literature shows that using an ADA approved toothpaste with fluoride can significantly reduce the amount of cavities in your mouth. But what if you were stranded on a desert island, with no drug-store in sight to purchase toothpaste and floss? What then?

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“I want whiter teeth!” My patients tell me this at least 10 times a day! Whitening your teeth is a simple and effective way to make your smile more aesthetic. So how do I do it? Whitening products may be administered by dentists or purchased over-the-counter (OTC), and can be in the form of peroxide-containing gels or toothpaste.

Carbamide peroxide, used in many bleaching products, breaks down into hydrogen peroxide and urea, with hydrogen peroxide being the active bleaching agent. This is a safe method of whitening your teeth but it does not come with out some minor side-effects. The most commonly observed side effects with these peroxide-based bleaching agents are tooth sensitivity and occasional irritation of soft tissues in the mouth (oral mucosa), particularly the gums. Both tooth sensitivity and tissue irritation are usually temporary and stop after the treatment.

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This year, Klein Family Dentistry, was proud to sponsor Running for Rachel. Dr. Klein and his brother, Dr. Klein, both ran in the race. The event raised more than $50,000!! It was an amazing event in memory of an amazing person. Read more about Rachel here:

http://www.runningforrachel.myevent.com/3/miscellaneous5.htm

Did you know that 20% of adults have obstructive sleep apnea? That makes sleep apnea a more prevalent disease than both diabetes and asthma. And your risk of a myocardial infarction is more likely due to sleep apnea than smoking.

Dr. Klein recently went to a dental sleep course given in Harrisburg and he is now trained in making the Somno-Med appliance to help with mild-moderate cases of obstructive sleep apnea.

Ask Dr. Klein about this next time you are in!

Many patients have voiced their concerns recently about dental radiographs or x-rays. Much of their concern has arisen from a recent study which has been quoted on local and national tv programs.

The American Dental Association has issued the following statement on this study:

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We use digital x-rays in our office along with a thyroid collar to reduce exposure.

But here is a comparison of different types of radiation (note a full series of x-rays is less than atmospheric exposure):

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We constantly receive compliments on our office design. My father, the late Joel S. Klein DDS had the vision to hire Dr. Mike Unthank of Unthank Design to create our space. Dr. Unthank is a dentist and an architect and is based out of Nebraska. My wife and I visited his office and toured several dental offices he designed in 2005. Dr. Unthank and his team are incredible. They not only improved our aesthetics but they lessened the stress levels in the office by improving the work-flow. Any dentist designing a new office should take a trip out to Nebraska. I could not imagine practicing in an office without Dr. Unthank’s help. http://unthank.com/

Dr. Klein spent his Saturday afternoon volunteering in the Hamilton Health Center in Harrisburg.

Here are the letters he received thanking him for his work:

On behalf of Highmark, I would like to give a very special THANK YOU to each of you who played such an important part in our Partners for a Healthy Community Event this past weekend. Your support and dedication to our community speaks volumes!

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Dr. Klein just returned from the annual Hinman Dental Conference in Atlanta. He took some amazing courses, including one on new materials which will change esthetic dentistry. Dr. Klein also attended a course given by the “Dean of Dentistry” , Dr. Gordon Christiansen. Dr. Christiansen shared some interesting new techniques and insights into dentistry

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By now, numbness is something most of us are used to at the dentist after an injection of local anesthetic. Dr. Klein now has a proven way that may speed up the return of sensation in the soft tissues of the mouth after routine care.

The problem…

Numbness can be limiting, affecting your speech, your smile, and your ability to drink. You may even catch yourself drooling.

The solution…

OraVerse® is a breakthrough that reverses unwanted lingering numbness after routine dental procedures where local anesthetic containing a vasoconstrictor was used. In clinical trials, the patients were able to regain normal sensation twice as fast vs. the control group.

Ask Dr. Klein how Oraverse can help!