Planning Your Cosmetic Dental Treatment
By Anna Marie Mazoch, D.D.S.
Do you think that your dentist can just perform a cosmetic procedure and not take into account every aspect about your health and bite function?
In our office, a comprehensive evaluation is required prior to any cosmetic procedures. In order to perform a new patient evaluation, we need to have your teeth generally cleaned (a debridement if there is periodontal disease or much stain and calculus; a routine dental prophylaxis professional cleaning if tissues are healthy); a recent full series of radiographs; periodontal pocket readings; diagnostic casts; and a series of photographs. At the comprehensive evaluation, we take about an hour to thoroughly record all existing conditions, perform an oral cancer examination, chart new problems, listen to your wants and needs, educate you in proper oral hygiene techniques specific to your needs and discuss possible treatment plans. Unfortunately, cosmetic issues will often have to take a back seat to more important issues such as unhealthy gums, tooth decay, bite problems, or jaw dysfunction. So, if you are interested in changing or improving the look of your smile, get started soon. You may have other, more pressing concerns about which you are unaware.
Here is a young man, M., who had disliked the look of his front teeth for many years. He hated the spaces. You might ask why we didn’t recommend braces or invisalign for him. Upon careful examination of his occlusion (bite), it was obvious that his front teeth were in exactly the proper positions for his mouth. If we attempted to close the teeth together, his bite would be constricted and no longer “fit” together in a natural way. Also, M. is a tall person and his teeth were just too small, not only for his mouth, but for his body. Widening the teeth with porcelain veneers was the best alternative. I recommended that he also have gingival recontouring so that the teeth could be longer as well as wider to more proportionally fit his face. He did not want the additional treatment and expense, so in order to determine how this would look before actual treatment, I placed composite resin material on his teeth (what we call a “mock-up”) so that he and I could both agree that the look was acceptable. Because he had much plaque (bacterial film) on his teeth, my hygienist, assistant and I insisted that his daily home care improve in order to make this work. M. was very compliant; we proceeded to make porcelain veneers for his front four teeth and place composite resin bondings on his two canines. The result speaks for itself, but here, also, is M.’s testimonial:
My new veneers are awesome! Signed M.
My dental team and I truly enjoy helping our patients overcome obstacles of fear and financial difficulties. My office manager, Dawn, has several payment options to offer and explains the ins and outs of treatment; my patient coordinator, Maribeth, works to maximize insurance payments and get you scheduled in a timely fashion; my assistants, Shaima and Joanie, help to make your visits comfortable and stress free and will answer all clinical questions; and I offer the best care of which I am capable and give options for various treatments. We hope you will try us out during this new year of possibilities.
Dr. Anna Marie Mazoch received her B.S. degree in Biology, summa cum laude, from Ohio University and her D.D.S. from Northwestern University. She is a member of the American Dental Association, the Delaware State Dental Society and several local dental study clubs. She has been practicing general dentistry for 32 years, first in Cincinnati, then Montpelier, Vermont, and the past 11 years in Delaware. Her keen interest in continuing education for herself and her staff stems from a quote by G. V. Black, the first dean of Northwestern University Dental School and the father of modern dentistry: “The professional (wo)man has no right to be other than a continuous student”.
2601 Annand Dr., Suite 18, Wilmington, DE 19808
We are conveniently located near the corner of Kirkwood Hwy and Milltown Rd, near Pike Creek and Milltown shopping center.
Email [email protected]
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Phone: 302-998-9594
Fax: 302-998-8207
This month we are featuring Dr. Mazoch in our staff spotlight.
Dr. Mazoch is a native of Bridgeport, Ohio, graduating with her bachelor’s degree from Ohio University in Athens.
She moved to Chicago, Illinois, to attend Dental School at Northwestern University. Her dormitory (mandatory for the first year of dental school) was a former Naval Officer training center on famous Lake Shore Drive.
After graduation, Dr. Mazoch worked for several years in Cincinnati, a city where she met her future husband, Edward Blanchard. Edward finished his PhD. in physiology at the University of Cincinnati and then they moved to Vermont, where Dr. Mazoch established her practice in the state capital of Montpelier.
They lived in the country, rode horses, gardened, renovated their 100 year old farmhouse and had two children, Alexander (Alex) and Anastasia (Stacey). In 1997, she and her family moved to Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, where they still reside. Their children attended Unionville schools, with Alex completing his BA in History and Government and his Law degree from the University of Virginia, and Stacey completing her BA in Fashion Merchandising from the University of Delaware.
Dr. Mazoch loves to work in her flower garden, practice yoga, walk for exercise and paint (oils are her medium). She and Ed love to spend time in Annapolis and hope to soon obtain a boat for fun on the water; her motive for a boat purchase is to be able to entice future grandchildren to visit her – and her boat!
Dr. Mazoch bought her existing practice from Dr. David Annand in 2001 and has been growing, modernizing, remodeling, and improving ever since. Her main area of interest is, and always has been, her relationships with her patients. Patients always come first. Every procedure, recommendation, new equipment, staff hire and continuing education course is determined by whether or not it is in her patients’ best interest. She and her team try to make their patients’ visits as enjoyable as possible by striving hard to be on time, providing fresh, free beverages, listening to and acting upon new ideas taken from surveys, furnishing music and ear buds to drown out noise, providing blankets for cold patients and fans for hot patients, trying to allay whatever anxieties our patients may have.
Her most recent acquisition is a buffering pen which reduces the “burn” of the local anesthetic as it enters the tissue. It has been very successful in diminishing the discomfort of lidocaine injections. Onset is quicker and duration of anesthesia is longer with this device. There is no extra charge for this rather expensive addition to our equipment.
Dr. Mazoch recently made the decision to no longer charge patients for the Velscope light examination. This light provides an aid to her visual oral cancer evaluation by focusing in on areas of inflammation which may be precancers. She feels that, after several years of a modest additional fee for this exam, her costs have been covered, so why not provide the service free of charge.
All of us at Dr. Mazoch’s office would love to show you our hospitality and friendliness. Why don’t you visit our website or give us a call to set up an appointment today?
