How would you feel if your pain and headaches from TMJ went away?

Clenching your jaw at night can leave you with aching muscles, pain, stiffness, headaches, and discomfort in your teeth. If you don’t get it evaluated and treated, over time it can be harder to help: you can wear down your teeth and experience ongoing chronic pain.

We can prescribe a special device for you to wear over your teeth at night. It will make unconscious clenching almost impossible to do. It’s a tiny plastic device that fits over your front teeth called “NTI-tss” or Tension Suppression System.

“NTI-tss”?

Good Morning America did a story on NTI-tss with the dentist, Dr. James Boyd, the inventor. It can help prevent migraines also. The device seriously reduces the intensity of clenching jaw muscles.

Patients who begin to use it regularly have remarked about the shift in how they feel when they wake up in the mornings, more refreshed and without pain.

The health of our teeth affects us increasingly as we get older. We need to care for our teeth so we keep them healthy for our longer lives.

If you’re grinding your teeth at night or waking up with a sore jaw or headache from clenching, call us for an appointment and let’s find out if this “NTI-tss”device will make you more comfortable and protect your teeth.

Call today for a better night’s sleep tonight.

(919) 462-9388

We at the offices of C. Ashley Mann, DDS, welcome your call. Call before 2 p.m. Monday – Friday to be sure to reach us. See our daily hours here.

It helps you with better treatment. The digital x-rays and photographs are more precise and get more in-depth images. Tooth repair and replacement materials are of higher quality, with closer matches to your existing teeth, and more easily placed.

It helps you with greater comfort. Using the iTero digital photography and modeling system to photograph your mouth and create a virtual 3-D model is much easier on you. You don’t have to sit with a mold in your mouth.

It helps you understand your treatment better. With the patient viewing monitor (see photo) you can see what the dental team sees. For example, they can point out where the cavities are and how the tooth looks after it has been filled.

And there’s another advantage.

You can make changes faster. When it comes time to change dentists because you’re moving, or need specialty work, your dentist can email any recent x-rays to the next dentist for almost instant delivery.

One of our patients came to us after having had a set of x-rays with another dentist. When we were getting her history we learned she’d recently had x-rays. We were able to get the x-rays from her former dentist emailed to our office while she was here.

Little efficiencies like that go a long way to easing the stresses of our busy lives.

Do you have a question about your teeth? Is there a dental service you want to know more about?

Call us, our team welcomes your questions.

Call the dental offices of C. Ashley Mann, DDS. (919) 462-9388

"I love it here at Dr. Mann's dental office!" says Sally Cornelison.

A volunteer?

Yes, Dr. Mann’s office has a volunteer.

How ? Why?

We weren’t looking for a volunteer; dental offices aren’t usually places people volunteer. New dentists may observe or train, as may hygienists or dental assistants, but not volunteers.

So why is Sally Cornelison volunteering at Dr. Mann’s office?

Sally is a mid-career professional with an interest in changing paths, possibly going into office management.

“I had watched something on CNN that talked about new careers for people,” Sally said. “It stated that if going back to school wasn’t an option that volunteering somewhere would still give you the opportunity to see if you like it and are really interested in beginning a new career.”

Sally had an “in”, because she knew about Dr. Mann’s office and knew the wife of one of the dentists in the office, so began discussing the possibility with her. One thing led to another, and before she knew it, Sally had a spot one day a week, on the front lines, at the front desk, where every question in the world comes up.

How is it being a volunteer in a busy dental office?

“You asked about a learning curve???” Sally said. “Well we have a running joke at the front desk that every time I do just about anything I have question….Kimmie??? Kelly?? Kim and Kelly are not only very experienced members of Dr. Mann’s team, they are very helpful too! Front desk work in a busy office like Dr. Mann’s is not something that just anyone could drop into and handle. But Sally is doing so well at it that patients are singing her praises to the office manager. Sally loves it. “They all have a contagious smile – I love being around each and everyone of them!”

“I am proud to say that I volunteer at the office of Dr. Mann,” Sally continues. “Every time I say that to a patient or someone that I just met, their response is always the same..Really?? With their eyes extremely big. I enjoy it here so much that they can’t get rid of me…”

How does Sally do as a newcomer?

Really well. The whole reason we thought of having this blog post about her was because she gets so many compliments from our patients for how she answers the phones and their questions.

Thank you Sally, for choosing our office to volunteer in as you explore your interest in dental office management.

Do you have questions about your teeth, or getting an appointment with us? Give us a call at (919) 462-9338. And on Wednesdays Sally may just be the one answering your call.

Electric toothbrushes, like this Philips Sonicare, are much more effective in keeping clean teeth and healthy gums

The first most important question about brushing your teeth is, “Are you brushing your teeth?”

The second most important question is, “Are you brushing at least twice a day, in the morning after you wake up, and in the evening after dinner?”

And, the third most important question should be, “What kind of tooth brush you use?” We’re not talking about what “brand” of tooth brush, we’re talking about whether it is manual, or battery-powered, or electric.

What kind of toothbrush are YOU using?

• A traditional manual toothbrush
• A battery-powered toothbrush
• A high performance electric toothbrush

Many people are still using manual toothbrushes. At least they are brushing their teeth. Electric toothbrushes, may seem like a luxury, but the quality of the cleansing made possible by their high speed movement, far exceeds what we can do with our own brush strokes.

Here are a few reasons why people switch to electric toothbrushes.

1. Electric toothbrushes clean your teeth better
2. Stimulate your gums and keep them healthy
3. Help prevent periodontal disease
4. Remove plaque more effectively
5. Last longer than manual toothbrushes
6. Reduce the hundreds of millions of toothbrushes that go into landfills each year
7. Leave your mouth feeling that “after the dentist’s visit” clean

What’s stopping you from using an electric toothbrush?

Dr. Ashley Mann’s offices:

We sell a children’s version and an adult version of a Philips Sonicare electric toothbrush at cost to their patients.

To make an appointment or ask questions, call 919-462-9338, or visit www.drashleymann.com and use the LiveChat feature or send an email.

Time may speed up or slow down in an emergency. Be prepared. Find out how your dentist handles emergencies.

Do you know what to do in a dental emergency?

Life threatening?

If your dental emergency seems life threatening, with loss of blood or unbearable pain, you may have to call 911 immediately.

If you have time to get a ride or drive, then you can

1. Call your dentist’s office
   
2. Call another dentist’s office
3. Call ahead to a local urgent care clinic, or
4. Drive to the nearest hospital emergency room

———————–

At Dr. Ashley Mann’s Dental Offices in Cary, NC call (919) 462-9338

Office Hours. When you call us with an emergency during office hours, we fit you in as soon as we can. The more urgent it is, the sooner we’ll fit you in. We will treat your pain, and stabilize the situation, if not fully resolve it.

After Hours. When you call us after hours, the voice message lists the phone number for the on-call doctor. Call and tell the answering service what your emergency is, and the on-call doctor will call you back and guide you through what to do.

Depending on what the emergency is, we may call in a prescription for pain, tell you about an over-the-counter temporary solution until we can get you an appointment, or if it’s critical, you may be asked to come to the office to be treated right away.

C. Ashley Mann, DDS, 315 East Chatham Street, Cary, NC Parking at the rear of the building.

As you prepare for big events where keepsake photos are taken, if you plan ahead, you can have time to have your best smile ready also.

Brides and grooms both often prepare as much as a year in advance to be in their best shape for their big wedding day. If your smile, or the smile of someone you love isn’t all it can be, help them think ahead. Six Month Smiles™ can be a part of preparing for that very important day, whether a wedding, a prom, a family reunion, or class reunion.

Six Month Smiles™ is conservative, inexpensive, and highly effective. Thousands of people around the United States have been very pleased with the results! For more information see our website page.

We’d be delighted to talk with you about your teeth and how we can make your smile the best it can be. Give us a call 919-462-9338. We are located in Cary.

Note: Six Month Smiles™ dental work does not address the “bite”, the fit between your upper and lower teeth. That is a more complex and lengthy process which falls in the purvey of orthodontists.

3-D Digital Imaging for Modeling Teeth

We’ve already written a blog post about iTero 3-D computer aided design for modeling teeth. This ultra-modern way of perfectly mapping out the teeth without having to use the molds and rubbery material to create an impression is better for everyone – you, your children and your dentists.

State of the Art X Ray with Galileos 3-D

Galileos 3-D Dental Cone Beam is another new technology that provides the best 360 degree X-rays with the least exposure to our patients. Patients stand up next to the base of this equipment, while the imaging piece rotates around them.

CEREC by Sirona is very much appreciated by our patients. The fact that you can now get a crown or a filling replaced in a single visit for less money usually than in the past, not only saves you money, but also time with an increase in comfort.

The CEREC technology

Take a look at this high tech piece of equipment. It’s small and actually carves out the shape of tooth needed from digital imaging. It “mills” a modern resin-like square into the exact shape needed for your tooth repair.

This is the first part of our New Technology post. There’s more to come in our Changing the Way You Feel about Dentists mini-series.

(Each of these images is the property of their respective manufacturers.)

A waiting room like a lounge

The amenities at the offices of Dr. Ashley Mann are like a first class airplane flight.

1. You get first class waiting room accommodations like in an Admiral’s Club at the airport, with large comfortable leather and cloth seats.
2. You get free refreshments – distilled water, hot water, tea, little snacks.
3. You are offered cookies. (Yes, we did say cookies. Look at the picture.)
4. When you are invited to your seat, you are accompanied by a gracious team member.
5. They offer fancy state-of-the art X-ray equipment that protects you.
   

   Luxurious First Class Seat

6. Your flight seat is large, comfortable, padded with memory foam, has a window view, and rolls back to a full laying down position.
7. You are given water to drink if you’re thirsty. A blanket if you are cold. A hand to hold if you feel anxious.
8. You can listen to your iPod or other music with a special headset, but unlike airplanes, you don’t have to pay for it.
9. You are shown a monitor – though the movies aren’t from Hollywood, there are movies about the different treatments you may be getting.
10. You have a mirror more like Star Trek than a first class flight: the monitor can show you all your teeth, with and without cavities.
    

    Cookies for a treat

11. Like a first class flight, after your teeth have been cleaned, or after you’ve been treated, you are given a wash cloth to clean your face.

Unlike a first class flight, the bathrooms at Dr. Mann’s office are king size, with plenty of room to move around.

Something to drink

But like a first class flight, perhaps the ones of yesteryear, you can pick up free disposable toothbrushes to brush before your appointment.

With state of the art technology, the topic of our next Changing the Way You Feel about Dentists mini-series, you’ll see further how 20th century dentistry seems like a century ago!

Have you ever been to a professional’s office where you didn’t feel welcomed? We hope not. But if you have, you know how uncomfortable that feels.

We all deserve to be treated with respect and kindness, and we aim to do that at Dr. Ashley Mann’s dental practice.

At Dr. Mann’s dental offices at 315 East Chatham Street in Cary, we are all part of a team committed to provide you with excellent dental care, and a warm and fun experience, as much as we can.

We know that more people are uncomfortable about seeing the dentist than most other medical professionals, and we want to change that, one person at a time, one visit at a time.

You’ll find that we care about how you are doing. We care about how you are feeling. About your comfort. About any discomfort. About whether you are hot or cold, thirsty or out of breath. We will be gentle with you when we see you are afraid. We will pay close attention and notice when you need us to stop what we’re doing.

Our team is all about giving you the best experience you could have at a dentist, both in the quality of work we do, and in the way you feel while you are in our care.

One of our patients said this about her visit:

“I felt so cared for, even as I felt silly as an adult being scared. When the assistant put her hand on my shoulder and told me, ‘It’s OK. It’ll be over soon. We’ll take really good care of you.’ I felt myself calm down.”

The mother of one of our child  patients, wrote us to say, her daughter was turned away from another dentist, but that in our office, she was able to receive her full teeth cleaning. She was thrilled.

We post our patient feedback on our Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/drashleymann.

If you’re looking for a special experience at the dentist, we welcome you to make your next appointment with us.

Welcome, come in and relax.

A number of people, as adults, when they can do what they want to do, decide to visit the dentist as little as possible, sometimes not going for years. There are many reasons for this, but one of them is plain and simple, wanting to avoid discomfort. So we’re addressing the elements of comfort in a dental office in a series of blog posts.

Dr. Ashley Mann, like other modern dentists, is very aware of the fact that many people would rather do many things than visit a dentist. It is one of his personal goals to change the way his patients feel about dental visits.

A Beautiful Space

Lovely Afternoon Light in Dr. Mann's Waiting Room

Dr. Mann chose his office in a beautiful modern building, on the ground floor, with windows all around. The first sight you’ll see as you open the doors to the office is this large stone wall fountain.

Natural Light

As you turn to the right to step into the waiting room, you’ll see a wall of windows and large comfortable chairs to relax in. Step up to the circular registration counter and you’ll be greeted by someone from Dr. Mann’s team, welcoming you.

Soothing colors and windows to the outside.

Soothing Colors and Windows

The colors used in the office are soothing, warm light browns, quiet green tones.

The patient treatment rooms have windows to the outside as well.

An Aquarium

The gentle movements of fish swimming through water and the swaying of anemones communicate an ease to us as we look at an aquarium.

Since coming to visit a dentist is stressful for many people, we at Dr. Ashley Mann’s office invite you to relax and enjoy your visit. We want you to feel welcome, and hope all these details that we’ve prepared for your visit will let you know we mean it. Welcome!

The soothing feel and look of an office aquarium

Our next post in this mini-series on Changing the Way You Feel about Dentists is Quality of Care.