Archive for the ‘News and Specials’ Category

NYC- Here we Come!

Monday, May 20th, 2013

Over the years a number of patients have bemoaned the fact that we can’t see them in New York City.  We have heard repeatedly, “If only you had another location in Manhattan I could send my spouse, cousin, sister… whomever!”  Others have complained, “If only you were in the city it wouldn’t be so difficult for me to keep my appointments.”  Well…..we have GREAT NEWS!!  Beginning this summer we have secured a location in Manhattan to see our patients who would like the convenience of a New York City office.  We are also accepting new patients at this location for your friends or family members that want to frequent the same dentist as you. Both general dentistry as well as hygiene will be available in NYC just as in Woodmere.  These NYC hours will not affect our normal hours or availability to you in Woodmere; rather they are additional hours.
This is one way of saying we appreciate the feedback that you so kindly offer to us.    If this interests you or you have someone that you would like to refer to the Practice, we’d love to hear from you as soon as possible to secure appointment times as they are limited to us for the time being.  We will begin seeing patients in our Manhattan location in the 60s between Park and Lexington towards the end of June 2013.
Another important feedback that we listened to was the need for Sunday hours.  It has been nearly a year since Dr. Andrew Lermer joined our practice and has been accommodating patients who need weekend appointments.  Dr. Lermer will also be adding more weekday hours as of July in order to accommodate the demand for his services.
As always, we value your comments and help in making what we do so rewarding.  If there is anything we can do to enhance your dental experience, please give us a shout!

 

Oral Cancer Awareness Month

Tuesday, April 16th, 2013

Oral Cancer and Detecting It

Have you ever thought about Oral Cancer? Some may think this is a rare form of cancer, but 100 people will be diagnosed with some form of mouth cancer today. Last year alone,  37,000 people were diagnosed and every hour each day one person will die from it.  It is commonly called mouth cancer, tongue, tonsil or throat cancer.  Men get oral cancer twice as often as women and until Michael Douglas was diagnosed, it was not something people thought of. Yet, at every routine dental examination you have received an oral cancer screening. Isn’t that great? Early diagnosis and treatment greatly increases your chance of survival, so keeping to your routine visits is extremely important.

Oral cancer commonly involves the lips and the tongue. It can also be found on your cheek lining, gums, palate, larynx and under your tongue. Some symptoms of this form of cancer are:

-         a sore, lump or ulcer in the mouth

-         pain and difficulty swallowing

-         tongue problems

-         swollen lymph nodes in neck

-         chewing problems

-         a pale, dark or discolored area

-         fuzzy white patches on the sides of tongue or cheeks

Factors that increase the risk of oral cancer are:

-         smoking and other tobacco use

-         heavy alcohol use

-         chronic irritation from teeth, dentures or fillings

-         medications that weaken the immune system

-         Human Papilloma Virus

Different techniques are used to detect oral cancer. In the past we have checked thoroughly to determine if you are at risk.  Because so many people have been diagnosed, I have decided to add a device called the VELscope to help in our assessment. For an additional nominal fee, this hand held device can help our hygienists and I determine if you are at risk, along with our routine head and neck exams.  In just two minutes, The VELscope’s blue light allows us to see precancerous, as well as, oral cancer not yet visible to the naked eye. It’s simple, quick and painless.  By adding the VELscope to your visit we can detect lesions that, left untreated, may otherwise develop into oral cancer.

Routine dental hygiene visits are not only important for the care of your teeth and gums but to increase your overall health.  Our team, at Smiles 4 A Lifetime, wants to provide you with the latest technology and we are always continuing our education to increase our awareness of all levels of your health.  If you have any questions regarding this new device, please feel free to call the office.  We would be happy to discuss it with you.

 

In Office Zoom Whitening Special

Thursday, March 21st, 2013

Have you looked at your smile lately?? Would you like to have whiter teeth?? If so, this is the perfect time to whiten! We have the opportunity to offer you, the opportunity to have our ZOOM Whitening  procedure at an incredible savings. For a limited time our supplier has offered us a special rate and we would like to extend that offer to you!  Zoom Whitening  is an in office procedure to whiten your teeth with immediate results.  In about an hour, you can lighten your teeth up to eight shades!! We also include take home trays, this way you can “touch up” if you feel the need to in the future.
For just $350.00 you can have a brighter smile without waiting weeks for results!! Normally, the cost for this advanced whitening procedure is $700.00, you are saving 50%!!  As stated, this is for a limited time so please call or email us to schedule your appointment. People say, “A smile is the first thing they notice,” so why not dazzle them with a brighter smile?
We also have a great new product  that will whiten teeth if ZOOM is not for you.  Forever White is a teeth whitening pen. You just simply smile wide and brush the gel onto each tooth. For more information on either Zoom or Forever White, we are always available for you.

 

Spring Cleaning

Tuesday, March 19th, 2013

It’s hard to believe that next week, the winter will be over!  Spring is a time for new beginnings.  We are working hard on our spring cleaning in the office.  We are cleaning out the basement and donating items we no longer use, recycling others, and even selling a few on Ebay.  You would be surprised what a market there is for old, outdated, dental equipment.
Whether you have items to donate, toss or recycle, we hope that the other “Spring Cleaning” that you consider is your dental cleaning.  If you are like the majority of our patients, we have seen you in the past few months, we pride ourselves on teaching our patients the necessity and value of proper oral hygiene.  If somehow the winter got the best of you and you haven’t seen us since it was last warm out, please call or email us.

 

How Can This Happen to My Kid?

Thursday, March 14th, 2013

We here at Smiles 4 A Lifetime are always asking our patients to keep to regular hygiene appointments and  take xrays on a yearly basis.  Our hygienists are constantly explaining the absolute necessity of proper brushing and flossing.   The doctors are adamant about limiting soda, juices and sticky candies.

So how on earth did my kid get 7 cavities?  Yes, you heard correctly, Dr. Neil and Beth’s child has 7 cavities!  Did he miss his appointment? Did we forget his xrays? Has he been eating the wrong foods?  Truth is, teenagers are their own people.  Although we bring him into the office when he is supposed to be seen, we are not in the bathroom with him overseeing his brushing and flossing as we did when he was a little boy.  Just as we can’t check every homework, or monitor what happens when he is out of the house, we can only give him the tools to help himself and then trust that he does so.

The reality is, as parents, we can educate our children, but at some point the responsibility falls on them.  Luckily, he is seen frequently in our office and we can treat the teeth before the decay gets even worse.  We will educate him again on the virtues of brushing and flossing.  Most of all, we will remember that he is only human, and while 7 cavities is horrible, it is not the worst thing in the world.  Especially when he has a fantastic dentist filling them!

Happy flossing!

Dr. Neil Berman

Dr. Andrew Lermer

And the Team at Smiles 4 A Lifetime

 

Happy New Year

Tuesday, January 8th, 2013

 

First and foremost, we hope this New Year finds you in good health.  If you are still recovering from Hurricane Sandy, we hope everything is falling into place as quickly as possible.  Our thoughts and prayers are with you.  Additionally, we wanted to wish everyone a happy and healthy 2013.  We hope this year brings you all that you desire.  As always, if there is anything we can do to help you; please do not hesitate to ask. 
We wanted to let you know that in February we will be switching to a new email and text messaging system.  We are always looking for better ways to communicate with you.  This new system will help you confirm your appointments with greater ease, as well as receive other important information from our office.  We apologize in advance if there are any glitches in switching over to this system.  It may take some input on your part to have the system confirm your appointments the way you wish.  If you have any questions or concerns, or have a problem setting up your preferences, please give Nina or Beth a call and they will be happy to do it for you. 

 
Happy Smiling!
Dr. Neil Berman and Dr. Andrew Lermer

 

Dr. Neil DiscussesTeeth Whitening

Monday, January 7th, 2013

 

Use it or Lose it

Monday, November 26th, 2012

 It is hard to believe that 2013 is around the corner.  This year has flown by and we thought we should give a quick reminder to all of our patients that have any kind of dental insurance.  Once the year ends, so do your benefits for 2012.  With dental insurance, if you don’t use it, you lose it.  Additionally, if you had a deductible that you satisfied in 2012, your deductible will start over again in January.  If you give the office a call, Nina has a wealth of information about insurance, and she will be happy to help you maximize your benefits, so you reduce your dental costs.
    Another fact about insurance that we wanted to remind you about, is Dr. Lermer.  Dr. Lermer joined us a few months ago and we have been receiving rave reviews.  Dr. Lermer is enrolled on most insurance plans, so if seeing someone in the network is a concern of yours, we can help you with that .  Also, if you have any friends or family that will only see an insurance provider, we can now help them.  Again, Nina will be happy to assist you with helping them.
    Our annual coat drive has been successful once again.  Thank you to all of the patients that have dropped off coats and clothing.  They have found their way to their new homes.  Please feel free to drop off any other items you wish to be donated and we will take care of it for you.
    Lastly, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, we wanted to say thank you to you, our valued patient.  We are thankful for your patronage, we are thankful for your friendship, and we are thankful that we know you. 
Enjoy this holiday season, and keep SMILING!
Dr. Neil Berman, Dr. Andrew Lermer and the team at Smiles 4 A Lifetime

 

We are here for you

Tuesday, November 13th, 2012

To our Dear Patients,
We wanted to reach out to you, our dear patient and friend. While Beth and I were fortunate to have had no damage to our home ond office, many of our staff family, friends and personal family have suffered great losses. We are here to help in any which way we can. We have extra bedrooms and showers at home, and the office has a washing machine and dryer. You are free to use whatever we have or even just spend the day in our warm office using our electricity to charge devices.
Our office phone number is operational and the answering machine lists my cell phone number if you need to reach me after hours.
Additionally, we usually hold our annual coat drive in November. This year, of course, all donations will be going to Sandy relief funds. Besides coats, there is a great need for all clothing, cleaning products, food and supplies. We will collect all supplies that you are able to donate and we promise to get them to people that need them the most.
Please stay safe, and healthy and try to keep your spirits up. Try to keep SMILING.

 

Keeping It Clean!!

Wednesday, August 8th, 2012