Monthly Updates

June 2023 Update

All June long we're celebrating Oral Health Month! (But, we choose to celebrate this all year ). Without good oral care, a buildup of bacteria can create tooth decay, gum disease, and a whole host of severe problems - but you already knew that! What you might not know is the history behind how oral hygiene came to be, so here's a fun, quick rundown:

• About 5,000 years ago, An Egyptian by the name of Hesi-Re becomes the world’s earliest recorded dentist.
• In 1790, dental chairs are created. American dentist Josiah Flagg invents a dental chair with extended armrests to hold medical instruments and an adjustable headrest.
• In 1866, Lucy Beaman Hobbs becomes the first licensed female dentist.
• In 1882, floss is invented making gum health more accessible to everyone!
• In 1905, Irene Newman became the first dental hygienist.
• In 1960, electric toothbrushes first appear in America after being developed in Switzerland.

And there you have it! Thanks to these pioneers of oral hygiene, we've only continued to progress and take better care of ourselves and our health. When it's time for a cleaning once again, we'll be ready to help. If you haven't seen us for awhile or don't have your next dental cleaning scheduled please call us today! 

HAVEN DENTAL loves new faces and we want to continue to care for more people in our community! Please help us grow by referring your friends and neighbors to our practice. Have your friend tell us that you referred them to receive an in-office credit for both of you!

We look forward to seeing you smile!

-Haven Dental PDX Team 

April 2023 Update

Dear patients,

We hope this message finds you healthy and safe. We would like to take this opportunity to update you on our COVID-19 protocols in light of recent changes to the mask mandate in healthcare settings in Oregon.

While the Oregon Health Authority has lifted the mask mandate for fully vaccinated individuals in certain healthcare settings, we want to reassure you that all of our team members will continue to wear masks in the office. We believe that this is an important step in protecting the health and safety of our patients, as well as our staff.

Additionally, we kindly request that all patients come to their appointments wearing a mask, regardless of vaccination status. We will continue to have masks available at the door. This will help ensure the safety of everyone in our office, especially those who may be immunocompromised or at higher risk of contracting the virus. it is also important to continue to follow all other COVID-19 protocols, including regular hand washing and maintaining physical distance when possible

In addition to these measures, we will continue to utilize HEPA air filtration systems in our office, as well as fans to direct airflow out of the office. These measures are designed to improve indoor air quality and reduce the risk of transmission.

We understand that these protocols may be inconvenient or uncomfortable for some patients, but we believe that they are necessary to ensure the safety of our community. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation during this time.

As always, we encourage all of our patients to stay informed on the latest COVID-19 updates and to prioritize their health and safety. If you have any questions or concerns about our COVID-19 protocols, please do not hesitate to reach out to us.

Thank you for your attention and cooperation, and stay safe.

Best regards,

Dr. Alexandra Dahm DDS and the Haven Dental Team 

August 2022 Update: 

Why Gold?

We have many patients ask us why we still choose gold restorations over white restorations. White restorations are “tooth colored” and why would anyone want something that doesn’t blend with their tooth?  We wanted to take the opportunity to share with you why we love gold so much and why most dentists, assistants, and hygienists, when given the choice, would choose an esthetic gold restoration over a porcelain crown any day. Did we just say ESTHETIC GOLD RESTORATION? YES - we love gold because it can be highly esthetic if prepared in the right way! SO WHY GOLD?!

1.       GOLD IS STRONG. Gold will not break in the mouth - unlike many other porcelain restorative materials which are closer to glass than metal, gold is a malleable metal that interacts in our mouth similar to our natural tooth structure.

2.       GOLD allows us to conserve more tooth structure. With gold - we have the ability to treat each tooth individually and prepare a restoration that retains as much of your actual tooth as possible. We think tooth structure is precious and hope that you do too! 

3.       GOLD IS AESTHETIC! We can prepare gold restorations on many teeth so that you don’t see the restorations when you smile. See photos below!

4.       Gold is kind to the opposing tooth - Gold is malleable (a soft metal) that will not do any damage or wear to the tooth it is biting against. 

5.       Gold margins that are finished with a “Tucker polish” are the best margins you can have in dentistry - the margin is where the tooth meets up with our dental restorative materials. Margins that are undetectable and highly polished will not accumulate plaque and are less likely to get another cavity. 

6.       Gold restorations have amazing longevity. The combination of amazing margins, antimicrobial properties of metal, and conservation of tooth structure allow gold restorations that are done well to last 20, 30, 50, and even 60 years in people’s mouths. Unfortunately, no other dental materials on the market have that kind of track record. 

7.       Gold means CUSTOM, CRAFT dentistry. Our doctors are members of the Tucker Gold Study Club. This study club was founded by R.V. Tucker to train dentists in the pursuit of excellence. What we do is not “usual or customary.” It is rare to find dentists who are not driven by lower costs, efficiency, and ease of use. Our office is driven by conserving tooth structure, teaching preventative care, and making restorations that will last. All of the tools and methods we choose are with that in mind. Technology has propelled us forward, but that does not always equate to better dentistry:

1.       Imagine you have a crown placed when you are 30. Most dentists are preparing full coverage crowns that whittles your tooth down to a small stub. (We are not against full crowns - we just don’t believe in “one size fits all”). That porcelain crown can break in 5,10,15 years and then you must have the tooth re-done, and more than likely more tooth structure will be taken away. What will that tooth look like at 90? Will it even still be there? Maybe not.

2.       Imagine you had a conservative gold restoration placed at 30 years old. You retain more of your actual tooth and the gold restoration will not break. It can and will be there in 10, 20, and even 50-60 years if you take care of your teeth and follow our recommendations. You will end up spending less on that tooth and conserving more of your precious tooth structure by choosing gold. So, we hope you do!

See pictures below of the beautiful gold dentistry performed by Dr. May Chang.

April 2022 Update:

Dear Patients and Friends,
Happy Spring! The cherry and magnolia blossoms are in full bloom, the temperature is rising, and spirits seem to be up. I wanted to update you on what’s happening at our office and our updated COVID protocols. We continue to use our window fans circulating inside air out and our air purifiers in each of the operatories. We have our UV light filtration system in our central HVAC. We continue to use high volume suction during our cleanings and dental procedures. We continue to mask up all day except at lunch and try to limit the number of staff eating lunch together.
Dr. Dahm will have been with us for 3 months at the end of March and has been extremely well received by everyone, patients, and staff alike. I have been impressed with her clinical skills along with her thoughtfulness and communication with patients and staff. She has been a huge asset at the office and is helping me manage the extreme need of dental care currently.
The amount of dentistry that is needed presently is extremely high. My sister is a family practice doctor with Kaiser in Los Angeles. She says the symposiums she has been attending says the medical system cannot keep up with the medical needs of people. People are sicker than ever. She says Kaiser is having the general practice doctors focus on educating their patients on wellness and self-compassion. We need to take care of ourselves better because the medical system is not able to keep up. We need to be mindful to take better care of ourselves on reducing stress, eating healthier, exercise, going for walks, be social, treat ourselves and others with kindness, patience, gratitude, and love. Life is short. Presently, doctors and clinics are not able to take care of everyone in a timely manner. It is the responsibility of the individual to make a concerted effort to take care of themselves. I believe the same in dentistry.
Presently, we are seeing significantly more occlusion or bite issues, TMJ related issues, cracked teeth issues, and postponed dental work issues. This is a wakeup call. A significant number of us, me included, must be mindful of keeping the muscles of our face relaxed and not clench or grind our teeth. With tension and stress up, we hold our teeth together which is clenching and activate our facial muscles generating several hundreds of pounds of force on our teeth. Normal chewing generates 20 to 40 lbs. of force on our teeth. This huge increase of force generated by our jaw muscles are wearing our enamel down exposing sensitive dentin and breaking out the enamel up near the gum line of our teeth which we call notching or abfractions. It is breaking or cracking our teeth and can create teeth and jaw pain along with loose teeth. It causes TMJ and occlusion issues along with headaches, migraines, earaches, and sleep interruptions. We have seen significant number of these teeth crack to the point of needing crowns, root canals and unfortunate tooth loss with the need of implants. We are making significantly more night guards now. Most of us are not even aware we clench. Your teeth should never touch 24/7. Remember to keep your teeth apart, tongue up against your upper palate and muscles relaxed during the day and wear a custom-made night guard at night. Be mindful of controlling stress by being aware of it and trying to reduce it. We have copied some information below for those of you experiencing any symptoms. Please ask us next time you are in if you have any questions or contact me now if you have any concerns.
Remember, your health care providers can help you with problems and improve your health by educating you on how to live a healthy lifestyle. You are the one responsible to take care of yourself and maintain health. On the dental side of things, please be mindful to keep your mouth healthy and happy by brushing twice a day, flossing, or using some type of interproximal cleaning aid a minimum of 2-3 times a week, eating healthy meals with less carbs and sweets snacking, drinking less acidic and sweet beverages and seeing us every 6-12 months! If you are on medication that dries out your mouth, please discuss this with us because you are at high risk for getting cavities with no saliva to buffer the acids in your mouth. Also, with more people working from home, we are seeing an increase amount of snacking which leads to higher risk with getting cavities and increased neck and shoulder pain from poor posture working in unideal sitting positions which increase tension in the face and TMJ muscles.
Thanks for reading!
May Chang DDS
Updated as of April 1, 2022. Appointment protocol
If you become symptomatic or have been exposed to the COVID virus within two weeks of your scheduled appointment, please call to cancel and reschedule.
1. Continue to wear a clean fitted cloth or surgical mask to and during your entire appointment except when we are working in your mouth.
2. Brush your teeth at home before your appointment. We will not be having you brush at the office.
3. Bring your own entertainment such as music, ear buds, book, magazine, iPad.
4. The office may be cold due to all the PPE we have to wear at this time. Please bring a sweater or jacket and you may want to wear long pants.
5. We will continue letting you know ahead of time what your portion of the cost will be to pay by visa or with debit card by phone or have check premade ahead of time. It has been helpful with social distancing and too many people up at the front desk at one time.
6. We are having our patients and their companions come in the office and wait in our reception room instead of on the porch. You do not need to call us to come into the office. The door is now unlocked.
7. Once in the operatory, we will have you rinse and gargle with hydrogen peroxide for 30 seconds. We have hand sanitizer for your use before and after your appointment.
8. If, in the two weeks following your appointment, you show any symptoms of COVID, please inform our office so we can keep our staff and other patients safe.
9. We will minimize our screening questions to if you have had or were exposed to COVID virus or have flu or COVID like symptoms within two weeks of your appointment.
We hope these steps will help minimize risks at our office.
Thank you for your understanding, patience, and loyalty.
TMJ & Jaw Pain
1. Apply moist heat or cold to the joint or muscles that are sore. Heat or ice applications used up to four times per day can reduce pain and relax the muscles. For heat, microwave a wet towel for about 1 minute or until towel is warm. Then wrap the warm towel around a hot water bottle or heated gel pack to keep it warm longer. Apply it to the affected area for 15-20 minutes. For cold, use ice wrapped in a thin cloth. At first, you may feel a burning sensation, and this is normal. Keep ice on the painful area only until you first feel some numbness, but not more than 5 minutes. Use what feels best but in general, heat is used for more chronic pain conditions and cold for acute conditions. Never use heat on a tooth ache, only on joint pain.
2. Eat a pain free diet. Avoid hard foods such as French bread or bagels. Avoid chewy foods, such as steak or candy. Cut fruits and steam vegetables into small pieces. DO NOT chew gum!
3. Chew food on both sides of your teeth at the same time or alternate sides. This will reduce strain to the muscles and joints. If biting into food with your front teeth is painful, then cut up your food with a fork and knife and chew with your back teeth.
4. Keep your tongue up, teeth apart and jaw muscles relaxed. Closely monitor your jaw position during waking hours so that you maintain your jaw in a relaxed, comfortable position. This often involves placing your tongue lightly on the palate behind your upper front teeth (you can find this position by saying “n”). This allows the teeth to come apart while relaxing the jaw muscles. If it is a nighttime issue, we can make you a night guard to help relieve symptoms.
5. Avoid caffeine. Caffeine can interfere with sleep and increase muscle tension. Caffeine or caffeine like drugs are in coffee, tea, soda, power drinks, and chocolate. Note that some decaffeinated coffee has up to half as much caffeine as regular coffee.
6. Avoid oral habits and activities that put strain on the jaw muscles and joints. Oral habits such as teeth clenching, grinding (bruxism), teeth touching or resting together, biting cheeks or lips, tongue pushing against teeth, jaw tensing, biting objects, shoulder shrugging, neck tensing, and other activities such as overextending yawning, prolonged dental treatments, resting your jaw on your hand, over chewing, excessive singing, or use of musical instruments can strain the jaw. Remind yourself to check regularly to see if these activities are present through reminders such as stickers or timers. If noticed, these habits should be replaced with positive habits such as tongue up and teeth apart. Use your own good judgment to minimize activities that cause discomfort.
7. Keep head up, chin in and shoulders down and back. Closely monitor your head position over your shoulders to maintain a balanced relaxed head, neck, and shoulder muscles with a forward head posture. This will help in reducing strain to jaw, neck, and shoulder muscles.
8. Learn and practice relaxation and abdominal breathing. This will help reduce your reactions to stressful life events and decrease tension in the jaw and neck. 9. Avoid events that trigger the pain. Use a pain diary to review daily activities that aggravate the pain and modify your behavior accordingly.
10. Get a good night’s sleep. Manage your sleep environment. Reduce light and noise and lie on a comfortable mattress. Reduce stimulating activities in late evening including computer work and exercising. Avoid stomach sleeping since this puts adverse forces on the jaw and neck muscles.
11. Use anti-inflammatory and pain reducing medications. Short term use of over-the-counter ibuprofen, naproxen, acetaminophen, or aspirin (without caffeine) can reduce joint and muscle pain. If compatible with patient conditions and lifestyle, consider use of combination of analgesic and muscle relaxant in the evening. Self-care is often a first step in the management of TMJ. Recognize that this is not a life-threatening situation, even though it can be very uncomfortable. Injury to the TMJ and jaw muscles is extremely common and joint noises (clicks, pops) and locking of the jaw is also not uncommon. Most often these symptoms are transient or will come and go. Changing habits, relaxing the area, and avoiding additional strain or injury will better manage your pain.