Dentistry at Pelham Pointe

Digital Imaging

As your dental healthcare providers, we carefully choose which radiographs to make and when they are made. We follow specific guidelines that determine how often these radiographs should be made. Generally speaking, routine radiographs are made on our patients once a year.   Radiographs allow us to see the things we cannot visualize during the clinical exam. The radiographic images enable us to detect cavities in between your teeth and under existing restorations, to assess bone levels around the teeth, and to discover early infection, or abscesses, within the bone. We can also examine the roots and nerves of teeth, diagnose lesions such as cysts or tumors, and assess damage when trauma occurs.  If there has been a change in your home care (less meticulous) or eating habits (more sugar), we want to see how your teeth have been affected and intervene.

As many of our patients already know, we utilize digital imaging technology for the radiological exam.   Exposure times for traditional (film) dental radiographs were minimal.  With intra-oral sensors, exposure time is about 50 percent less when compared to traditional radiographs which results in up to 1/10th of the radiation exposure to you.  Digital imaging helps us retrieve valuable diagnostic information. By viewing the images on a computer monitor, the technology allows us to enlarge and focus on a specific area.

The latest tool in our arsenal of digital imaging is the Planmeca ProMax 3D–a cone beam CT (CBCT) imaging device utilizing the unique Planmeca Ultra Low Dose™ imaging protocol, enabling CBCT imaging with an even lower effective patient dose than standard 2D panoramic imaging. This pioneering imaging protocol is based on intelligent 3D algorithms developed by Planmeca and offers a vast amount of detailed anatomical information at a very low patient dose.  The images eliminate the “guesswork” from two-dimensional radiographs, allowing us to easily diagnose issues with problem teeth as well as plan procedures like dental implants with unparalleled precision.

For those patients who experience difficulty with intra-oral sensors, the Planmeca ProMax 3D offers a state-of-the-art alternative.  In addition to panoramic and CBCT views, the ProMax 3D offers extra-oral bitewing radiographs–no more sensors placed into the mouth.  This has been been a wonderful addition to our practice.  For patients with a strong gag reflex or small mouths, this device allows for comfortable radiographs without compromising detail.  The best part is the Planmeca ProMax 3D produces these amazing images with the lowest possible exposure for you, the patient.

Thank you for reading our blog.  Until next time…

Dr. Jill and Dr. Chad

Here are a few more photos from our Kenya mission trip with Grace Church.

Drs. Jill and Chad Colson before church services at Kanunga Baptist Church in Karatina, Kenya.

Here we are supporting our Kenyan brothers and sisters with medical and dental care.  Thank you to the local pastors for assisting us with treatment by holding flashlights for about 8 hours each day.  Sometimes field dentistry can be a challenge but we were able to treat approximately 300 patients with minimal complications.  Patients waiting for dental treatment (L), Dr. Chad Colson extracting teeth (C), and Dr. Jill Colson extracting teeth (R).

Our last day in Kenya, we were able to enjoy the beautiful landscape at a conservancy near Mt. Kenya.  The lioness was just a wee bit close but thankfully she wasn’t interested in us!

Thanks to our staff for taking care of our patients while we were gone.  We appreciate all the well wishes and prayers!

This Friday, October 16th, Dr. Chad and I will heading to Kenya to support the mission relationship that Grace Church has established there.  Our group includes Dr. Aaron Burleson, a dental colleague of ours, several physicians/healthcare providers from Greenville and Gaffney, and church staff.  We will be there for a week extracting teeth and supporting our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Our office will be open next week Monday through Thursday but a few days we will close a bit early.  Our staff will on hand to help you and Dr. GW Allen will be in the office as well.  We return on Monday, October 26th.

Thanks!  Until next time–Dr. Jill

Does this picture look familiar?  It may be time for your snoring mate to get some medical attention…

We work very closely with Sleep Specialist Physicians Dr. Freddie Wilson and Dr. Mary Sokhandan of Southeast Regional Sleep Disorders Center in Greenvile, SC.  The Southeast Regional Sleep Disorders Center is accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) –the gold standard by which other organizations and companies evaluate sleep programs.

There are many clinical indications for sleep disorders.  These include, but are not limited to, loud snoring, loss of energy, non-restorative sleep, nodding off while driving, night sweats, morning headaches, or gasping episodes at night.  Risk factors such as obesity, high blood pressure, and depression can complicate the diagnosis for sleep disorders.

We feel it is important to have your sleep disorder diagnosed by a sleep specialist physician.  We are happy to refer you for a sleep evaluation with Dr. Wilson or Dr. Sokhandan.  With certain sleep disorder diagnoses, it is possible to make an oral appliance to treat the condition. If your evaluation with the physician determines that you are a candidate for an oral sleep appliance, we are happy to fabricate that as prescribed.

Please contact Dentistry at Pelham Pointe with questions at 864-271-6705.

Until next time…

Thanks, Dr. Jill

The cutting edge of dental anesthesia–The Wand® STA is a computer-controlled injection system that provides painless anesthesia for all dental injection types.

We used this technology on a patient the other day for an injection and she said, “You need to tell people about this!  I didn’t feel a thing!”.  So, here we are– telling you about it.

What causes you the most anxiety during dental treatment?  Most people will say it is the dental injection or “shot.”  We, as dentists, try to avoid saying the word “shot” when we are talking with patients about dental anesthesia.  But no matter which word is used, it still elicits anxiety for patients.    The Wand® STA utilizes the same type and amount of anesthetic–the method of delivery is different.  The computer regulates this delivery to a slow drip which eliminates the pressure of the injection–hence, a “painless” injection.

I know from personal experience that the The Wand® STA works wonders in reducing discomfort during dental anesthesia.  I can also tell you I have lost count of how many people (especially kids!) who have said, “So, I’m not getting a shot today?” after I have used it on them.

Thanks and God bless!

Until next time…

Dr. Jill Colson

Oh–yes we do! When we’re not with them, we’re blue!  Well, you get the idea…

June’s Patient Appreciation Month was a tremendous success.  We really had a wonderful time celebrating our patients and our anniversary.  We had prizes and give-aways that everyone seemed to really enjoy.  So again, we say thank you.  Dr. Chad and I are so grateful for our patients and for our amazing team.  Natalie, Kasey, Sandra, Katie, Shera and Kathy– you are the heart and soul of the practice.

And fear not, Patient Appreciation Month will be making an appearance next year.  We will change it up every year and rotate the month so everyone can experience it.

Thank you and God bless.

Until next time…

Dr. Jill

Click below to check out our first edition!

Newsletter June 2015

You won’t believe what we have planned for our patients this month!  June 2015 is PATIENT APPRECIATION MONTH here at Dentistry at Pelham Pointe.  We are celebrating all of our patients.  Look for fun give-aways, contests to win prizes, and a newly published newsletter called ‘News Bites’.  Follow us on Facebook for the chance to participate.

June 6th is our 1st anniversary.  The year has gone by quickly!  We are so grateful to Dr. Strickland for the opportunity to provide for your dental needs.  What an honor it is for us to carry on with the practice Dr. Strickland started in 1967.   We are so fortunate to work with his AMAZING team.  Thank you Shera, Kathy, Sandra, Natalie, Katie and Kasey.  It has been a blessing!  So many exciting things have happened in the practice this year:

-a new name!  Dentistry at Pelham Pointe

-office remodel with new flooring, countertops, and cabinetry

-new, comfortable, and soft dental chairs for our patients during their hygiene visits

-new Mac computers, Apple TV’s, digital radiography, and intra-oral cameras

-new website and Facebook page

-a variety of new services available to our patients

Look for our advertisement in TALK Magazine (shown above) celebrating our 1 year anniversary.

As always…thanks for your interest and loyalty.  God bless.

Drs. Jill and Chad Colson

Dental Savings Plan

Our practice offers an in-house dental savings plan for our patients who don’t have dental insurance, are unhappy with their current dental plan or are looking for an alternative to dental insurance.  For more information, please contact our office at 864-271-6705 and ask about our Dental Savings Plan.

Online Payments

For your convenience, we are now able to accept payment on our website.  Visit www.dentistryatpelhampointe.com, click on the “ONLINE PAYMENTS” tab in the middle of the page, and you will be directed from there.  Our website uses a PayPal portal so your information is safe.  You don’t need a PayPal account in order to use this feature.

Thank you for your interest!  Until next time….

Dr. Jill Colson

We sure have a unique story to share! It all started back in 1991. Thanks Dr. Strickland for hiring a high school kid from Mauldin (now Dr. Chad)–the rest is history! Check out the Greenville News article published today in the paper.

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