Dr. Anthony LaVacca

For several months, dental offices were closed, including Naperville Dental Specialists. Going to the dentist during COVID-19, at least in the early months, wasn’t an option unless you had an emergency like severe pain, swelling or an infection. Now that things are slowly reopening and our practice is offering in-person care for all patients and not just emergencies, we know a lot of people are wondering if they should come in for a cleaning or treatment. To help, we’ll be covering what you need to know about the coronavirus and dental care.

Why Did Dental Offices Close During the Coronavirus?

During March, April and part of May, the majority of dental offices closed based on recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). This is because COVID-19 is spread via respiratory droplets. Wearing proper personal protective equipment (PPE) can prevent dentists and their team members from contracting COVID-19. When they wear a mask, it also stops them from expelling respiratory droplets that could then spread the virus to a patient. However, at the start of the pandemic, there was a shortage of PPE and whatever PPE was available went to hospitals and those dealing directly with COVID patients. Our Naperville cosmetic dentists, general dentists and specialists didn’t have the appropriate gear to protect themselves and their patients.

Additionally, because experts feared the hospitals would be overwhelmed, it was important for everyone to stay home, dentists included, in order to help flatten the curve. If enough people adhered to the rules, it would slow the spread and the hospitals could take the time to prepare themselves to safely and effectively battle COVID-19. Pretty much all resources were directed towards fighting the disease and any procedures that weren’t emergencies had to be put on hold.

Is it Safe to go to the Dentist During COVID-19?

Yes, going to the dentist during COVID-19 is very safe if the practice is taking all of the necessary precautions like we are at Naperville Dental Specialists. In fact, it’s recommended that you treat pressing issues like infection, severe decay and gum disease at this time because there are health risks to not getting proper care. Additionally, if you’re worried about having lengthier, more invasive procedures done during the coronavirus, preventative care like cleanings will ward off the need for them. 

What Precautions are Dentists Taking to Prevent COVID-19?

 When it comes to the coronavirus and dental care, it’s important to note that all dental offices are required to follow OSHA guidelines for cleaning and sanitizing to keep patients and staff safe even when there isn’t a pandemic. At Naperville Dental Specialists, we invest in the latest technology, including technology for sanitization and we exceed OSHA guidelines. 

There are additional guidelines necessary to safely provide dental care during the coronavirus pandemic, which we’re also meeting or exceeding at our practice. At Naperville Dental Specialists, we’re:

• Asking every patient to wear a face mask or covering when they enter the office and having them disinfect their hands before entering the clinical area of our practice.
• Pre-screening every patient with a quick health questionnaire and a no-touch temperature check when they arrive at the office.
• Having only the patient attend the appointment.
• Assigning one team member to be our “safety champion.” They’ll greet patients, answer questions, ensure social distancing and be in charge of the overall monitoring.
• Temporarily eliminating our magazines, reading materials, coffee and tea stations, our iBar, kidzCave arcade room and kidzFlix cinema. Our brushing stations are also paused, so please brush your teeth before coming to the office.
• Spacing treatment chairs at least six feet apart so there’s adequate space between patients.
• Continuing to use our state-of-the-art HEPA filters.
• Performing enhanced cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting protocols after every appointment.
• Continuing our hospital-grade sterilization of instruments, which is approved by the CDC.
• Asking each patient to rinse with antiseptic mouth rinse prior to treatment.
• Reducing aerosols by using high-speed suction and DryShield™, an all-in-one, hands-free suction, oral pathway protector, cheek retractor, mouthpiece and bite block.
• Requesting patients reschedule their appointment if they or anyone in their household have been sick in the 14 days prior to their appointment.
• Performing health checks and no-touch temperature checks on all of our team members.
• Having every team member complete additional awareness and prevention programs on safe dental care and the coronavirus.
• Having team members wear the appropriate PPE to keep themselves and patients safe.

By following our usual procedures for sterilization and disinfection along with a whole new set of protocols, we’re able to ensure it’s safe to go to the dentist during the coronavirus. If you go to another dental practice and they’re not taking precautions, such as limiting patients in waiting areas, wearing PPE or taking temperatures, we would encourage you to see a new dentist. If you’re looking for a dental specialist or general dentist in Naperville, schedule a visit at Naperville Dental Specialists where your health and safety are our top priorities. Book your visit by calling us at (630) 848-2010. If you’re not ready to go to the dentist in person, we’re also offering virtual consultations. 

While our Naperville dental office is open again to patients, we understand that you’re busy or you may still be practicing social distancing. Well, we have good news! If you’ve been thinking of improving your smile, you can get started on the process with a free virtual consultation from the comfort of your own home, office or anywhere. 

We’ve always invested heavily in technology at our Naperville dental office and we’re all about identifying and embracing innovations that make treatment more effective, painless and convenient for our patients. Being here virtually for anyone looking to boost their oral health and confidence seemed like a natural step to take. Whether you’re interested in anything ranging from teeth whitening to zirconia dental implants, we’ve got you covered.

How Does a Virtual Dental Consultation Work?

You can start your consult directly on our website. You’ll snap some pictures of your smile and then tell us what you’d like to change about it. Depending on your needs, a Naperville cosmetic dentist, general dentist or implant dentist will evaluate your photos and information. They’ll then record and send you a personalized video. The video will include their recommended course of treatment and other important information, such as the cost and number of appointments it will take. You’ll have all of the information you need to feel confident about moving forward and, if you have questions, we’ll be more than happy to answer them. When you’re ready to begin treatment, we’ll schedule you for an in-person appointment.

What are the Benefits of a Virtual Consultation?

• Convenient and User-Friendly – You can submit your photos and information from anywhere and watch the video on your time. The process is designed to be user-friendly and it will only take a few minutes for you to complete.

• Encourages Social Distancing – While our virtual consultation option is awesome any time because it saves you a trip to the office, during this period of social distancing, it’s even more helpful. Everything is done virtually and once you’re ready to proceed, we’ll get you in for a visit. 

• Saves You Time – Many of our treatments start with a consultation so that we can look at your smile, find out your goals, discuss cost and financing options, and more. With a virtual consultation, we can do all of this but you don’t have to fit an appointment into your schedule or even leave the house. Instead, we can complete a number of steps in advance so you’re ready to go when it’s time to start your treatment.

• You’ll Receive a Personalized Plan – Our expert recommendations are tailored just to you and are meant to bring out the best in your unique smile. Once you decide to move forward, our knowledgeable dental specialists will design a customized treatment plan.

• It’s Complimentary – Our digital consultations are free and there’s no obligation. We’ll simply assess your smile and send you our treatment recommendations. 

If you’re ready to learn more about how we can help you get the healthy, beautiful smile you deserve, start your virtual consultation with a Naperville dentist today! 

Does your sleeping partner complain about your snoring? Do you wake up feeling groggy even though you think you slept the whole night through? You could be one of the estimated 25 million Americans suffering from sleep apnea. The disorder is associated with a host of serious health issues and, unfortunately, it often goes undiagnosed. At Naperville Dental Specialists, we have expertise in obstructive sleep apnea. We can determine if you’re suffering with the disorder and offer solutions to help you sleep more soundly. If you’re wondering, “Do I have sleep apnea?” read on to find out more about the signs, symptoms and causes of this common sleep disorder.

What is Sleep Apnea?

Before we get into the sleep apnea symptoms, let’s cover what the disorder is. A person is said to have sleep apnea if they experience repeated episodes where their breathing stops for at least 10 seconds while they’re asleep. The most common type of sleep apnea is obstructive sleep apnea. While there is another form, central sleep apnea, which occurs when the brain doesn’t signal the muscles that control your breathing, today, we’ll be talking about obstructive sleep apnea. This type happens when the muscles in the back of the throat that support the uvula, soft palate, tonsils, tongue and the sides of the throat relax creating a narrowing or blocking of the airway. Your body isn’t able to take in enough oxygen. Your brain senses that you’re not breathing and wakes you up so that you can breathe again. You may find – or, more likely, your partner may notice – that you wake up gasping or choking for air. Since most people wake up only very briefly, they may not even remember that they did awaken.

This cycle of your breathing stopping and starting during sleep can happen a handful of times or 30 times or more every hour throughout the night. Since you have these frequent disruptions, you may not reach the deeper, restful phases of sleep, leaving you feeling excessively tired during the day.

What are the Signs of Sleep Apnea?

The most common sleep apnea symptoms are:

• Loud snoring
• Gasping or choking for air during sleep
• Episodes where your breathing stops when you’re sleeping (reported by another person)
• Dry mouth or sore throat upon waking up
• Excessive sleepiness during the daytime
• Irritability
• Difficulty concentrating
• Trouble staying asleep
• Morning headaches
• High blood pressure

What Causes Sleep Apnea?

According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, sleep apnea is caused either by a person’s physical structure or medical conditions. There are a number of risk factors for developing sleep apnea, including:

• Being overweight
• Having large tonsils
• Having a large neck
• Having a large tongue
• Having a small jawbone
• Being over the age of 40
• Being male
• A family history of sleep apnea
• A deviated septum, allergies or sinus issues that block the nasal passageways
• Premature birth
• Suffering from certain conditions, including neuromuscular conditions

What Complications Can Sleep Apnea Cause?

A question we hear frequently from patients is, “Can you die from sleep apnea?” While, no, you won’t die in your sleep from not breathing because your body wakes you up, sleep apnea is tied to other conditions and incidents like car accidents and heart disease, which can decrease life expectancy. Because sleep apnea reduces oxygen levels in your blood, affects your circadian rhythms, elevates your blood pressure, and causes other disruptions in the body, it has been associated with:

• Stroke
• Heart disease
• Hypertension
• Learning and memory problems
• Sexual dysfunction
• Depression
• Automotive and workplace accidents
• Heart attack

These are all serious issues that can greatly reduce your quality of life and have a negative impact on your health.

What are My Sleep Apnea Treatment Options?

Thankfully, there are sleep apnea treatment options that can help. It’s always recommended that you try less invasive treatments before moving on to something permanent. As for how to treat sleep apnea, these are the most common approaches:

• Lifestyle Changes – Making lifestyle changes is tough. We know! However, things like losing weight, quitting smoking and refraining from alcohol, particularly close to bedtime, can make a big difference and reduce or even eliminate sleep apnea. When you come in for a consultation at Naperville Dental Specialists, we take a detailed health history and determine some of the factors that could be making your sleep apnea worse. We then recommend changes and healthier alternatives.

• An Oral Appliance for Sleep Apnea – We’ve had a lot of success treating our Naperville sleep apnea patients with the SomnoDent® Mandibular Advancement Splint (MAS). This custom oral appliance moves the lower jaw forward just slightly, which in turn, tightens the soft tissues and muscles in the upper airway, preventing obstruction when you’re sleeping. It also helps prevent the tissues of the upper airway from vibrating, which is a cause of snoring. An oral appliance for sleep apnea can be effective for mild, moderate and severe cases. A lot of patients prefer an oral appliance to invasive alternatives and cumbersome CPAP machines. 

• Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) – CPAP is a machine that consists of a mask that’s connected to an air pressure generator. The device sends air through the throat that is strong enough to stop the tissues from collapsing. CPAP devices are effective but not all patients can tolerate wearing the sleep apnea mask and some find the machine to be awkward.

• Sleep Apnea Surgery – Sleep apnea surgery should be your last resort after trying measures like weight loss, an oral appliance or CPAP. The most common surgical procedure for sleep apnea is the uvulopalatopharyngoplasty (UPPP). During the procedure, a surgeon removes and/or remodels tissue in the throat so that it doesn’t obstruct the airway. Its long-term effectiveness is still being evaluated and it’s not the right option for every patient, however, for some, it does help improve their sleep apnea.

If you’re looking for relief from sleep apnea and you’re ready to reclaim your quality of life, schedule a consultation at Naperville Dental Specialists. Our experts will develop an accurate diagnosis and walk you through our Naperville sleep apnea treatment options. 

Dental technology and techniques have come a long way over the last decade, particularly when it comes to adult dentistry. At Naperville Dental Specialists, we pride ourselves on staying at the forefront of these advances. After all, our goal is to offer our patients the best possible diagnostics, allowing us to avoid problems altogether. When a patient does have an issue, we’re able to treat it comfortably, quickly and effectively and ensure the results look stunning. While there are so many advances in dentistry that have revolutionized the way we practice, here are five that we consider among our top favorites.

 1. Digital Scanning and CAD/CAM Software

In the past, when the dentist needed to get impressions of your teeth, the process involved you biting into a putty-filled tray and holding it in your mouth while you tried not to gag. In fact, some practices still use this method. Naperville Dental Specialists is an impression-free office thanks to our iTero® and TRIOS® digital scanners. We use the small, handheld wands to take quick, comfortable scans of your teeth and gums. A 3D computerized model of your dental anatomy is created and we can use it to plan out your treatment right on our screen. It’s less invasive, faster and a whole lot more accurate.

The iTero and 3Shape TRIOS systems have CAD/CAM software, which is where dentistry meets engineering. We use the software to design custom restorations and create precise surgical guides for dental implant procedures. With the software, we’re able to offer treatments like Teeth-in-a-Day® and All-on-4® dental implants. This means, when you come to us for dental implants, you may be able to leave the office the same day with a new smile. Additionally, because we have an in-house digital lab and mill crowns and veneers from your digital scans, we also offer same-day crowns and veneers.

2. All-on-4 Dental Implants

Our Naperville All-on-4 dental implants are a popular option with our patients and the treatment is a game-changer in implant dentistry. The technique was developed by Portuguese dentist Dr. Palo Malo and is trademarked by Nobel Biocare. With the procedure, Dr. LaVacca can replace all of the teeth in one or both arches with just four dental implants per arch and without bone grafting, even in patients with low jawbone density. The implants are angled and surgically implanted in the posterior of the jawbone, which gives the prosthetic teeth secure support. We can often complete the procedure in a single day so you won’t have to revitalize your smile in phases. It’s less costly and quicker than implant procedures that require bone grafting.

3. Zirconia Dental Implants

Another of our favorite of the latest advances in dentistry are zirconia dental implants, sometimes referred to as ceramic dental implants or holistic dental implants. They’re a metal-free option for replacing missing teeth. While titanium was the most common material for dental implants and it’s still excellent, zirconia does have improved biocompatibility and there’s no chance of having an allergic reaction, galvanization or chemical leaching, making it the safest and healthiest choice. Zirconia implants are also more aesthetic since they’re white and you don’t get a gray cast along the gum line like you can with titanium implants. Zirconia resists plaque, which helps keep gums healthier and reduces post-procedure inflammation. 

4. VELscope®

VELscope is a potentially life-saving dental technology that we offer at Naperville Dental Specialists. The handheld device emits blue-spectrum light that can reveal oral abnormalities before they’re visible to the naked eye. It can detect things like cancer and pre-cancerous lesions, infection, trauma, side effects from medication, chemical irritation and other conditions, which all stand out against healthy tissue. We use it to perform comfortable, quick oral cancer screenings. It allows for early detection while lesions are treatable and still localized, which greatly improves the chances that oral cancer treatment will be successful. The blue-spectrum light is safe and the device doesn’t emit any radiation.

5. ICON Infiltration Technique

Last, but not least, on our list of our favorite dental technology, is ICON Caries Infiltrant. White spots on teeth, such as those due to braces treatment, early tooth decay or fluorosis, have been notoriously difficult to get rid of. Well, not any more. We can now eliminate white spots on teeth in a single session without the need for injections or drilling. We apply the ICON Caries Infiltrant, a fluid resin, to the white spot and it enters the tooth’s pore system, filling it and stopping cavity-causing acids from getting through. This lets us preserve the tooth’s structure, while also blending white spots in with the healthy enamel so they’re no longer visible. It’s completely painless and highly effective.

Of course, we also have to give honorable mentions to some of the other amazing dental technology that we offer at our practice, including DIAGNOdent™, i-CAT® and our intraoral cameras, to name a few. By investing in proven, new advances in dentistry, we’re able to offer the highest quality of care to our patients. If you’re interested in general, cosmetic or implant dentistry with a technology-led approach, contact Naperville Dental Specialists today online or by giving us a call at (630) 848-2010.