Dr. Antolak Discusses The Pulse Oximeter

January 29, 2012 by · Leave a Comment


Hi, this is Dr. Antolak and Jessica from thegentledentist.com, we’re in Shelby Township, Michigan. And our phone number is (586) 247-3500. You’re probably wondering what I’m doing with this. This is called a pulse oximeter. We use this device when we provide oral sedation to our patients. What it does is it has the ability to detect the blood pressure, the oxygen saturation, the oxygen that’s in your blood and your, your heart rate. So what I’ll have Jessica do is first of all put on the blood pressure cuff and this is all automated and so this goes on like that and then also we have what’s called a pulse oximeter and through this device, there’s a little red light there and what that does is that red light that’s in there measures through your skin and through your nail bed.

The amount of oxygen, don’t ask me how it does it, it just does it. Through the oxygen through there. So, Justin you could go ahead and push the start button.  And what it’s going to do is it’s going to inflate the blood pressure cuff. And it does it automatically, which is very nice. And that way, we can see our patients, and treat them throughout the whole process, then we can monitor the blood pressure. We actually have probably around 6 or 8 different patients. We’ve been able to screen them and find out that they had high blood pressure that they didn’t know of. I mean serious high blood pressure. So this is 1 of the parts that we do during our initial visits to provide a screening exam for that.

What way if somebody does have high blood pressure you can send them to a physician and then they’ll know.  If they do, then we try to do some things to help calm them down. At the same time, we want to make sure that their pulse rate doesn’t slow down too much, or their blood pressure doesn’t go down too low. So we just have a good estimate.  The good thing is when they do oral sedation, it’s very safe and very effective when people, when they leave and I call them later on that evening many times they don’t even have any clue or memory of, of the procedure that was done with them. This is once again is a very.

One of the ways that we try to provide the most safety that we can for our patients, and a way that keeps us, just more in touch with modern technology. So if you’re interested in oral sedation, if you have the fear of the dentist. Well, we can help relax you with basically a couple of pills that you take.

Give us a call. And our phone number is (586) 247-3500, or visit thegentledentist.com. Thank you.

Filed Under: Dental Videos, Sedation Dentistry Tagged With: , , , ,

10 things to look for when selecting a dentist for your family in Shelby Twp, MI

September 3, 2011 by · Leave a Comment

There are many ways to select a dentist to select for you and your family and I would like to have you consider some of the factors I feel that are important when selecting a new dentist for yourself and family.  10 traits customers look for when choosing a new dentist and a new dental home are as follows:

  1. Personal Referrals- The most trustworthy way to find out who a dentist is they can use is to ask their friends and family. We find that many of our new dental patients come from personal referrals and reputation in the Macomb, Shelby Twp., Clinton Township community.  Facebook is a wonderful way to find out who a good dentist is by just posting the question “who is  a good dentist I can trust?”
  2. Homey atmosphere-Since dentistry is such a personal thing, selecting a new dentist for you and your family must assure that you will feel comfortable with the environment, people who serve you and total atmosphere.  Details from the reception area to the bathroom must feel like yours at home.  I is critical to be treated with respect and feel listened to during all steps of the process.  Since your time is so vital, it is important to get in when your dental appointment is and not be waiting for an extended period of time.
  3. Sterility of equipment and Cleanliness-A new dental home needs to be not only comfortable, but must conform to the strictest OSHA guidelines to make certain that you and your family are safe.   Everything must be sterilized or thrown away that was previously used in someone else’s mouth.  The sterilizer must be monitored to make certain that it is always working properly.  Treatment rooms must be wiped down all the time and be very clean.  Before choosing a new dentist home it is your right to ask for a tour and ask how things are sterilized and taken care of.  We love to show off our level of attention to detail at our dental office so please ask.
  4. Technology- Computers and high technology are a must to make sure the new dentist you choose is current. The advancements in dentistry require technology such as computers in each room, digital x-rays that reduce radiation exposure up to 75% over regular x-rays, digital photos to relate with the patient. Paperless charting and paperless forms help to speed the process of filling all necessary forms before even stepping into the dental office.  This makes the office green and is more friendly to the environment.  Lasers and sonic cleaners used to clean the teeth help improve the comfort in treating dental patients.
  5. Full spectrum of dental services including emergency care-This is important because it allows for consistency of dental treatment.   Communication can be difficult between general dentists and specialists so if  you find a new dentist who provides a complete level of dental care you can also have more dental treatment done in fewer visits and therefore it is more convenient.   For our high fear patients or those who  require that multiple procedures be done at one visit oral sedation is available.   At our dental office we perform both the surgical placement and restorative aspect of implants; complete cosmetic dentistry including porcelain veneers, Zoom whitening, white fillings, and bleaching.   Root canal, tooth extractions, dentures, crowns, bridges and other general dental treatment is performed in the office.
  6. Interest Free Payment Plans-Because dentistry can be a large financial investment finding a new dentist who has interest free plans available is important.   This gives the customer the ability to have more procedures done at one time and spreading out the payments over time.   They must also accept all of the major credit cards including Master Card, Visa, American Express and Discover.
  7. Accept dental insurance plans-Each dental insurance plan is different so it is important to call the new dental office to see if they participate with your dental insurance plan.  You certainly get what you pay for especially when it comes to dental insurance.  Be aware that if it seems too good to be true, it probably isn’t.   The expertise of the dentist and dental team are a reflection of the fees they charge.  We accept Delta Dental, Blue Cross and other dental insurance plans and or fees are in the middle of the road so we may or may not be the dentist for you, but it is worth it to see if we take your denal insurance plan.
  8. Time spent Explaining and having all of your questions answered- This is important because in this rushed world our biggest commodity is the time we have so it is important to respect the patient’s time- giving them the time they need for all of their questions to be answered.   And at the same time, not spend too much time and too much detail if the new patient doesn’t need the detail to make a decision.
  9. Community involvement-it is important to give back to the community both locally and internationally.   I believe that your new dental team should give back to those who they serve.   We do this through our Candy Buy Back program, our Good Deed contest and through Christian mission in Haiti to treat the under privileged people there.
  10. Convenient location, wheelchair access  and office hours-It is important to have easy access with ample parking, wheel chair access and convenient office hours including evenings and Saturdays.  If you choose The Gentle Dentist as your new dental office we have Saturdays and evening appointments.  Since we are in a detached medical office building located on 22 Mile Rd. just west of Hayes in Shelby Township, it is easy for us to treat “wheel chaired” patients.

Dr. Antolak treats his dental patients in a relaxed, friendly atmosphere where you are treated like a guest in the home.  His motto is to “relax while we take care of your smile”.   He specializes in cosmetic dentistry, implant dentistry and general dentistry using sedation dentistry if necessary for his high fear patients. He has been treating patients for the past 24 years and is located in Shelby Township, Macomb County, Michigan.

Filed Under: Cosmetic Dentistry, General Dentistry, Green Dentistry, How to choose a dentist, Payment Plans, Sedation Dentistry, Welcome

Overcoming Fear of the Dentist- Dr. Antolak in Shelby, Township Michigan

August 24, 2011 by · Leave a Comment


Hi, my name is Dr. Robert Antolak at thegentledentist.com. We are located in Shelby Township, Michigan, and our phone number is 586-247-3500.

What I’d like to talk about today is, which is something that obviously has been a part of me, what I’ve been doing dentistry for the last 24 years, is the fear of the dentist.

Dentistry is a very fearful place. That’s why we are thegentledentist.com. And it’s something that I’ve have an appreciation with the dental patients who come in here, who give me the opportunity to serve them. It’s through our dental office that we try to make a difference. And we do that by people who’ve been putting off dentistry for years and years because of the fear that develops and lives within them from the dentist.

I’d like to just address a couple of those issues. One would be, some really bad childhood experiences. For example I’ve had stories of people who had dentists who slapped them and yelled at them who didn’t listen to them when they were having fillings done in their teeth and hurting them and they were saying, it hurt, it hurt and they, they just ignored it.  They just finished doing it. So from me to you I apologize for those really bad experiences that have taken place back in childhood. Now with more modern, compassionate techniques that we do at our dental office I would like to invite you in so we can help you, deal with those issues that have taken place.

You know there’s a few things that come in with that and we find is number one is having someone who your gonna trust- it’s all about trust. It’s all about, having some compassion on, on the issues that are going on.  Many times they have to do with childhood, which we talked about the childhood experiences

There is a certain amount of, of space that’s required with people so that they feel comfortable. Normally when we’re a nice distance away people feel comfortable with that, then the closer we encroach upon their personal space, it’s in those moments that people start getting a little bit more nervous. And, so when we get closer and closer and then, we ask you to open your mouth up, and then get into a situation where we’re in your most, very vulnerable, most personal space, called your mouth. That’s gonna create a lot of anxiety for people. And so, I don’t assume that we’re gonna be able to do that without your permission, okay? The reason why the mouth is so sensitive is that it’s very personal.

You now, people don’t always see in there and a lot of times it’s an avoided space. And because we use sharp instruments and if you don’t trust what we’re going to do then you make yourself very vulnerable to those potential issues that have taken place. So we try to work through it and talk to you about it.

One other important thing in our office that we’re going to do is that we’re going to talk to you first before we actually make that appointment and we set you down and we can work out.  I try to make my phone calls before your first visit to see how we can do to make your visit more comfortable. And that first call is very inviting to many people who have this level of fear.  So this lack of control that people have is very, very intimidating, and sometimes we need to just work through it like I discussed. We’re constantly thinking about the need to go and the problem is when somebody’s always thinking about their desire to go. They need to go. I need to go to the dentist. I need to go to the dentist, and their fear overcomes them. Then they beat themselves up.  So that’s really a problem that develops within the psyche of our dental patients. And many times you find that, that phone call I just referred to helps invite them in. To make that stepping into that office a more comfortable experience. Because then they get to know who I am and I get to know who they are. And so the question is, how are we different?

We’re going to listen to your needs, find out what’s there. We want to become your friend. Our office staff is very friendly here. We try to make it a good experience for you, as good as possible. And I’m not going to start before we’re ready to just move in. I’m going to make sure that there’s a relation developed enough so that, so that you’re going to trust what we’re going to do.

I’m also going to inform you of what is being done so there are no surprises. We’re going to make sure that you really, really have a good understanding of what we’re doing. And if there’s, for example, if there’s a time when there might be some sensations that’s uncomfortable. I’m gonna warn you ahead of time. I’ll say, “okay, right now, you’re going to feel something”. And that way, that person’s prepared for that. I try to really limit that amount. I can tell you that when I was a sophomore in dental school, that’s about 26 years ago, that my instructor said, you know, if you want to do a good job with your dental patients in your future, he said, “numb yourself up right here in the front”.

And I did, I realized where it hurts. So since that time, I just make sure that if I’m going to try something new, I do it on myself first as far as anesthetic goes. Then I have some compassion and understanding about that experience. So, since then, I inject very slowly.  We use topical anesthetic too, before we give the injection and what that does is it helps to eliminate that picking sensation that you’re gonna get.

Number one is you always have the ability to stop me, at any time whenever we’re doing something. To make sure you’re feeling comfortable and relaxed. And for those who have that high level of sedate of uncomfortableness and fear. We use sedation dentistry, which helps us to relax you. It’s a little pill that you take. You come in, your relaxed, a lot of times no memory of the experience which is really great. (Sometimes we’ll just use gas, nitrous oxide)

If there’s any questions you may have, you can call us at the office at 586-247-3500 or visit our web site at thegentledentist.com. Thank you, have a blessed day.

Filed Under: Dental fear, General Dentistry, Sedation Dentistry Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
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