Recent News
April 24, 2012
Laser treatment of Periodontal Disease
As many of you know, I have become very involved with the use of the lasers in dentistry. Currently I am active in the Academy of Laser Dentistry as well as the World Clinical Laser Institute. Lasers have revolutionized the treatment of periodontal (gum) disease. Patients that had been treated in the past with gum surgery and extractions can now be treated with laser energy.
March 27, 2012
Exciting News: Welcome back to Penn Dental and Open Wednesday Nights!
This spring, I am very excited to rejoin the active faculty at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine. To ensure we have enough hours to accommodate our patients, we are opening our office Wednesday afternoons and evenings from 1pm -7pm, in addition to our normal hours.
November 14, 2011
Dental Screenings Linked to Lower Heart Disease, Stroke Risk
Dental Screenings Linked to Lower Heart Disease, Stroke Risk
By DR. MIRJANA JOJIC, ABC News Medical Unit
Nov 13, 2011
Going to the dentist can be stressful, frightening and painful -- but it may also help your heart.
Research presented Sunday at the American Heart Association's (AHA) annual conference in Orlando, Fla., suggests that not only do frequent dental cleanings ward off plaque and gum disease, but they can also reduce risk of heart disease and stroke.
June 20, 2011
Mini Implant: Exciting New Treatment Option
My staff and I are excited to introduce Small Diameter Implants into my practice. Small diameter or mini implants, as they are called, offer many advantages for patients. Mini implants are smaller, narrower, and more conservative than traditional implants. The placement procedure is much less invasive compared to traditional implants and is easily tolerated by most patients. The amount of bone needed for successful placement of mini's is much less than what is required for traditional implants. This makes implant therapy available to patients who previously were not candidates because they had too little bone. In addition, they can be placed for 1/3 the price of a traditional implant, which makes them much more affordable and accessible.
May 23, 2011
Dental Radiographs (x-rays)
The use of dental radiographs (x-rays) has been used for many years as the gold standard for diagnosis and treatment of dental disease. There have been several news reports about dental x-rays recently, and I wanted to clarify the procedures and protocols we use to take dental x-rays.
April 4, 2011
My Favorite Tooth Bleach
There are many options for tooth bleaching. They vary in speed of function, strength, cost, and effectiveness. We offer patients everything from help picking an over-the-counter product, at-home profession options, as well as in-office rapid whitening. When people ask me what I would recommend, my choice is usually the 3-day at-home system.
January 24, 2011
Visit us on a Saturday!
We are pleased to announce that Dr. Spina will now have appointments available on Saturdays. If this is the best time for you and your family, please call or email because these times fill up quickly.
January 9, 2011
U.S. regulators call for less fluoride in drinking water
Americans are getting fluoride from a variety of sources that did not exist in the 1940s, when community water fluoridation first got under way. Water consumption patterns have changed too.
December 20, 2010
FDA panel calls for more research of amalgam risks
Labeling for dental amalgam should more clearly inform dental practitioners and their patients of the potential risks posed by the mercury it contains, an expert panel advised the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) at a two-day meeting in Gaithersburg, MD, this week.
And the FDA should do its own risk assessment and meta-analysis of scientific literature to gain an authoritative grasp of what is knowable about the dangers that mercury restorations may pose, particularly for sensitive subgroups such as pregnant women, their fetuses, young children, and medically vulnerable patients.
November 20, 2010
Single All-Porcelain Crown on a Front Tooth
This is a great patient who had a beautiful smile except for one badly discolored front incisor. Using one all porcelain crown we were able to greatly improve her smile. I am really excited by how well her smile looks now because of one simple procedure. This shows once again that treatment does not have to be 'extreme' to have a big effect.
(Lab work by Dodd Dental Lab New Castle, DE)
Cut and paste the link below to see before and after pictures:
http://drspina.posterous.com/single-all-porcelain-crown-on-a-front-tooth