Our office is located in downtown Winnipeg in the Medical Arts Building. The office has been around for a long time and came under the ownership of Jeffery Schau Dental Corporation in the summer of 2007. The office will be undergoing numerous upgrades over the next couple of years to better serve you, some of which you will find mentioned below.
MERCURY FREE
Our office is a mercury free office. This means we no longer place amalgam fillings (silver in color, mix of mercury, copper, nickel, and other metals).
Why have we done this? As you are likely aware mercury is a know toxin to humans. Mercury is also a key component to silver fillings. Once one of these silver fillings is set (hardened), the mercury is bound in the filling and only released with heavy grinding or drilling. This means that unless you have a severe mercury allergy (roughly 1 person in 1 million have this) this will have little to no effect on you. However, with the manufacturing of this product, its placement, its removal from teeth, and when people are cremated, this mercury is released into the environment. This is where our major concern comes from and why we have banned the use of mercury fillings from our office.
LATEX FREE
As the number of people with Latex allergies and sensitivities increases we have decided to become one of few dental offices in Winnipeg to do away with Latex altogether. As of August 30′ 2007 our office will be 100% Latex free. To do this we have switched all our gloves and other Latex products to materials such as Vinyl and Nitrile. These products are highly effective and don’t pose the same health and safety risks associated with commonly used Latex products.
For those with Latex allergies this will bring great relief. No more having to remind the staff that you have a latex allergy as we will always be using a non Latex product.
I have found over the years that some individuals are hypersensitive and would end up with cold sores after their dental visits. With switching to Latex free gloves, many of these patients have found relief.
PERFUME ‘FREE’
Due to the increase number of people with allergies to perfumes our office is going perfume free. At no time will any of our staff be wearing perfume or cologne. However, staff will still be wearing deodorant, and in some cases these may contain various perfumes. If this is a concern for you, please let us know and we will do our best to accommodate you.
COMPUTERIZATION
Each room will be fully computerized allowing us to upgrade your old paper charts to electronic charts. The software we use is from The Bridge Network and allows for comprehensive visual charting, scheduling, and record keeping. So what does this mean for you?
Improved financial records: With all transactions electronically linked throughout the office there is less chance for communication errors to occur. These records also permit easy future reference for patient tax purposes, communicating with insurance companies, “warranty” type issues, etc…
Improved claims submission: The majority of insurance companies accept electronic submission of claims. This allows for quicker submission of claims as well as an improved way of tracking claims once they have been submitted. With this process we often receive a real time response from the insurance provider informing us immediately what the benefit coverage is for the submitted claim. For patients set up with direct deposit with their insurance provider, it has happened where the funds are deposited directly into the patients account the same day the claim was submitted.
Improved dental history and treatment planning: With the use of photos, digital x-rays, and advanced computer charting a comprehensive record of your oral health and treatment is maintained. Treatment plans are created and can be printed off along with educational materials so patients know exactly what their treatment will involve.