Elite Dentistry : Expect To Smile!

Elite Dentistry appears in the East Orlando Sun! | 2005-04-19

Searing, excruciating pain.
Itís what sends people in droves to the dentistís office ññ in search of relief, and possibly a lollipop. But it is the fear of this primal emotion that keeps many others away.

Mark Ashy, who is opening up a new dental practice in downtown Avalon Park, said the fear associated with a visit to the dentist office is an archaic notion that simply no longer applies. Modern technology has supplanted brute force in dentistry, and Ashy is here to say that comfort and care are welcome substitutes for past suffering.

"I want to change the way people think about dentistry," said Ashy, owner of Elite Dentistry, which provides family and cosmetic dentistry. "Everything we offer is geared to create a positive experience." The angst sometimes created by a trip to the dentist office can be broken down into three basic causes, he said.

First, there is the fear of the unknown, a powerful deterrent to those who havenít been to a dentist in the last 20 years. Secondly, an unfavorable past experience may keep folks away, especially for those who, indeed, visited a dentist 20 years ago and came out of there vowing never to return. Or, finally, and most importantly, the generic fear of pain, in almost any form or fashion.

To counter these aversions, Ashy boasts a cadre of conveniences with which to soften the overall experience. There is a play area for younger kids, and video games with plush chairs and LCD monitors for the older ones. Also, since pain is closely associated with sound, a set of noise-cancelling headphones is provided in the treatment room. So, as you sit with your mouth open, your ears are in a similarly locked position, welcoming in your favorite CD music or DVD soundtrack from your private collection or one provided by the office.

"The procedure is pretty much pain-free anyway. The real fear is the sound of the drill," Ashy said. "Our clients can close their eyes and almost be in a different place."

Technological innovation also provides an additional safety benefit through the use of digital X-rays, which produce 90 percent less radiation than traditional X-rays.

Another high-tech tool that proves useful is the cordless wand camera, which projects ññ in either real time or as a photograph ññ a picture taken from inside the patientís mouth. Ashy uses this to help show clients what the problem is and what he plans to do about it.

Offering assurance and information to the patient throughout the procedure is key to alleviating fear of the unknown, Ashy said.

"Before I get started I explain to the patients their options and tell them exactly what to expect," said Ashy, who belongs to a number of professional organizations such as the Florida Dental Association, American Dental Association and the Academy of General Dentistry. But the real advancements are in patient care. Among the five stations set around the 2,000-square-foot office, patients receive a complete array of services and products, including veneers, porcelain crowns, invisible braces, tooth-colored fillings and one-hour whitening.

And in providing a number of child-friendly services in family-oriented Avalon Park, Ashy hopes to become part of his clientsí families and the surrounding community.

As part of this effort, Elite Dentistry will network with local schools, providing Teacher Appreciation Week promotions, as well as custom acrylic mouth guards for athletes and updating them as the students grow. "Our goal is patient care in a friendly environment," he said. "I want to change the way people think about dentistry."