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Dental Blog


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What Dentistry Is Really All About
By Vladana Babcic Tal DMD MPH MA, Partner/Owner Cameo Dental Specialists LLP
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Over the years that I’ve practiced dentistry, I’ve come to realize it’s not just about the tooth. It’s really about the experience—the emotional experience, to be specific.

So much emotion is part of the dental experience, and especially root canals. You do root canals? Why would you want to do that all day? It sounds so painful. Every time I hear comments like these, I’m amazed. In 2010, President Obama compared the bailout of the banks during the fiscal crisis to being as popular as a root canal. Most of the country probably laughed—but we endodontists cringed.

Somehow, our profession has earned a reputation for being associated with pain and bad experiences. Yet, that’s the opposite of what we see when we practice.

Every day, we spend time relieving pain. Many patients come into the office nervous, apprehensive and suffering, and they leave happy, smiling and talkative. They often go on to have a productive, pain-free day.

How does that happen? It’s the expert, compassionate and caring experience they’ve just had.

When we hire new team members to support our practice, we don’t look for people who’ve only worked in the dental field. We look for those who have experience in customer service industries and working with people. These are the team members who will make a positive difference, from the moment patients call the office to their first interaction with the dental assistant who welcomes them into the treatment room. And that experience continues as we engage with them.

I take time to get to know each of my patients. I accommodate their needs and requests, whether for a comforting blanket, noise canceling head phones, their favorite Netflix show, or maybe just a real conversation. I don't mind taking that extra time because I do my best work when patients are calm and trusting.

We understand that patients have a choice in their dental care these days. They research doctors, read reviews, follow social media, analyze websites and google everything. As informed consumers, they want to understand the procedure even before they make an appointment, and they want to connect with the doctor.

Dentistry is becoming more patient-centered, as it should be. There have been huge improvements in dentistry over the past few generations, from the days when alcohol did the job of local anesthetics, tooth pain resulted in extractions, and fear filled the air. Slow and steady improvements, though, are not enough. We need to innovate and recreate. As author Oren Harari says, "The electric light bulb did not come from the continuous improvement of candles."

As endodontists, we’re lucky because we’re experts in a procedure that relieves pain almost immediately. My passion and purpose are making patients happy and relieving their suffering. That’s why, at the end of each day, I go home feeling so much satisfaction. And, I look forward to coming back the next day.


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What Is The Difference Between Maxillofacial Surgery And Oral Surgery?

Posted on 9/25/2023 by Vladana Babcic Tal DMD
Maxillofacial surgery is a branch of dentistry that involves the treatment of the conditions that affect the jaws and the facial appearance. This type of surgery requires a degree in both the field of dentistry and medicine. Maxillofacial surgeons are specially trained and equipped with the skills to perform such operations. Maxillofacial surgeons offer a wide range of services like facial trauma treatment, corrective jaw procedures, orthognathic surgery, and removing cysts from the face. They also perform reconstructive procedures like dental implants and root canal cleaning. Oral Surgery Oral surgery, on the other hand, focuses on the treatment of oral conditions. They only have a degree in dentistry. These surgeons focus on the teeth, gums, and jaws. They perform procedures like extraction of teeth, dental implants, jaw disorder treatments, and oral pathology management. Cosmetic procedures like corrective surgery for the palates are also their major. Key Differences It is notable that, oral surgery and maxillofacial operations are almost similar. This is because they deal with the correction of abnormalities that lie in the oral or the facial parts. Their differences however are in their major. Oral surgery is concerned with surgical procedures inside the mouth. They mainly address the issues related to the gums, jaws, and teeth. That is why they only have a degree in dentistry. Maxillofacial surgeons, on the other hand, involve a broad range of operations. Remember, they have two degrees, one in dentistry and another one in medicine. Therefore, their procedures involve procedures that correct facial reconstruction and jaw misalignments. They also perform oral surgeries like dental implant placement. This field is more complex since it needs training in the medical and dentistry field, allowing them to perform skillful and complex operations. In conclusion, the two types of procedures involve almost the same thing. However, they can both take you through the examination and diagnosis. In the case a situation is above either of them, they are going to refer you to the necessary professional. For more information about surgeries and any dental-related issues, call us or visit our offices today....
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What Options Do Our Oral Surgeons Have to Treat TMD Pain?
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Which Jaw Exercises Can Help Reduce TMJ Pain?
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Why Dental Trauma is So Common During the Spring and Winter
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Things You Need to Know Before Getting New Dental Implants
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How Your Diet Impacts Your TMJ
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Foods to Have on Hand Whenever You Have Oral Surgery
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Why One Missing Tooth is A Problem You Should Not Ignore
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What Symptoms Come with a Fractured Tooth?
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The Many Facial Injuries We Could Help You With
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What Are the Symptoms of Fractured Teeth?
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Most Common Reasons to Seek Out Oral Surgery
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Managing the Discomfort of an Impacted Tooth
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Cleft Palate Issues can be Treated Through Oral Surgery
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Can Sticky Foods Dislodge Oral Surgery Stitches?
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What a Tongue or Lip Piercing Can Do to Your Teeth
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Types of Temporomandibular Joint Disorders
3/15/2019
Getting a Full Understanding of a Peg Tooth
2/25/2019
Foods to Have On Hand for Oral Surgery Recovery
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Orofacial Pain Does Not Need to Rule Your Life
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How to Treat a Cleft Lip
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Snoring is Not Just a Noise Problem
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Signs Your TMJ is Dislocated
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What Age is Best to Begin Oral Cancer Screenings?
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We Can Also Help Treat Facial Injuries
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How Posture Can Impact Your Jaw Pain
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Times Where an Oral Splint is Necessary
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What Oral Surgeons Like Us Specialize In
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Ask Us to Show You How to Check for Signs of Oral or Neck Cancer on Yourself
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The Basics of a Peg Tooth
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How Sticky Foods Can Ruin Oral Surgery Recovery
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Daily Jaw Pain is a Sign of a Problem
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The Importance of Detailed Notes About Pain When Talking with the Oral Surgeon
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Top 3 Symptoms of TMJ
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Chicago Oral Surgeons
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What Makes an Oral Surgeon So Good at Tooth Extraction?
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Why Doing the Same Oral Hygiene Routine Each Day Can Be Problematic
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Dental Blog - Chicago • Cameo Dental Specialists
We provide this educational dental blog as a resource to our patients and the community around Chicago. We hope it will cover subjects that you may be interested in.
Cameo Dental Specialists, 148 N. Addison Ave, Elmhurst, IL 60126 ~ (630) 425-4488 ~ cameods.com ~ 9/29/2023 ~ Page Keywords: Oral Surgeon Chicago IL ~