Whitening products work by cleaning out debris embedded in the enamel rods of the teeth. The best active ingredients are peroxides, which are biocompatible and the same in proper concentrations in various environments.
Whitening toothpaste, rinses, gums, and Eastern chants dont do anything. They dont have active ingredients that can maintain effective concentrations long enough to give any benefit. If they started with a high enough active ingredient, they would be dangerous since they cant be contained and kept off the soft tissues.
Charcoal kinds of toothpaste come under the same category. The American Dental Association has not found evidence that charcoal toothpaste is safe or effective. It may harm the teeth and gums. Charcoal toothpaste is advertised as a whitening agent that can remove particles from the teeth, but this is a misleading claim.
White stripes and paint-on gels are the easiest products to use that can have a whitening effect on teeth. Its hit or miss. Individual results may vary. They are inexpensive and an OK place to start. But, weve found theyve routinely left people wanting better results.
If the trays dont fit well, saliva can seep into the gel and disarm it. Its what saliva does. It has buffers that very quickly neutralize substances so they cant harm the body and can be ingested. As I said above, a system must deliver an active ingredient for an adequate period at an effective concentration. This is a roadblock for products you buy and try to fit the trays yourself.
Custom-made trays have been the backbone of whitening for 40 years, but it is still hit-or-miss. Its more predictable than the previous products. However, it is still the most frustrating procedure to predict. As a result, it is still limited in the level of results it can offer.
Typically, one would wear the trays for 45 minutes during the day or overnight for a couple of weeks. However, Ive read studies where they had a person wear the trays and whiten their teeth every day for a YEAR! There was no deleterious effect found on the teeth or soft tissues. Still, they were left with diminishing returns in the process.
The early iterations of these systems had very strong gels that would go directly on the teeth we isolated to protect the soft tissues. Then came the incantations and chants in the form of a very bright light that would shine on the teeth.
The light was soon to be found to be in the voodoo-dentistry bin. The lights did help get the teeth lighter but only based on the merits of dehydrating the teeth. After a day or two, scientific studies found the results were identical whether or not a light was used. Still, the teeth that were subjected to light were crazy sensitivecouple this with the minor burns that come from the strong light. We were more than happy to kick our two lights to the curb and use the gel.
The process is we isolated the teeth and put protective lotions and barriers on the soft tissues. Then we can apply a powerful peroxide on the teeth for several minutes, rinse and repeat three times. The whole shebang takes about an hour.
We decided long ago that we were not happy just being one of the private dental offices that brought this first to the Main Line and Bryn Mawr, but that we want to make sure that we do it the most effectively.
Our protocol starts with an In-Office ZOOM! Treatment. We will give the patients some take-home gel and custom-made trays for them to use for two weeks. We cap it off with another ZOOM! Treatment in the office.
A consensus of studies has concluded that the smile is the top feature we all use to determine attractiveness. Furthermore, this is one of the fastest, easiest and least expensive things one can do to make a profound effect on their appearance.
Weve learned to be very cautious about starting treatment with people with sensitive teeth. There are special products we can use, and they are limited in their total effect. Still, they can be a reasonable solution for many people that have sensitive teeth but want to have a little more POP!
Rachel: Thanks for tuning in at the Medkit page! So, we believe that private and personal health care is a big part of the solution right now, to a lot of the problems we are experiencing in US healthcare. So, due to Covid we have been interviewing private practices and hearing their very unique stories and today we have Dr. David Dillon from Dillon Family Dentistry from Bryn Mawr, PA.
Dr. David: So Id say if there was a specialty I would say its just kind of a customer service aspect of Dentistry. Which seems to be kind of a cliche for a lot of people, my grandfather was actually credited with being the first guy in the Philadelphia area to teach dentists the kind of customer service that we dentists are doing now. My father benefitted from that and I benefited from everything my father learned over his career, and what he learned from his father and one of the biggest things was that its really funny, its one of the things that I keep giving other people saying lectures and I dont know if it was something my grandfather came up with originally, but he was the first one everyone heard saying ithe said just figure every patient has a sign on him that says make me feel special and thats pretty much what we do. We kind of cater to each patient in the office which is easy because we usually just have one patient in the office at a time.
Dr David: So we will cater the environment to whatever patient we have in the office. If we have an engineer in the office, we will explain every little detail of how every little thing is going. If we have someone whos happy to just kind of talk and show pictures and everything else, we all just sit back and have a great time. An anxious person you know we can manipulate the music, we can slow things down, speed it up. Whatever that one patient wants everybody in the office, everybody, everything in the office is catered to that one patient.
Dr David: Most rewarding so I would say, for me its the victory of taking someone whos a dental phobic patient and having them within three visits just come in and be like Jesus! Why didnt I just come here my whole life! They just sit down in the chair and just kind of talk about stuff and everything else and they dont really even its just all behind them. I think just kind of empowering them to let them know that theyre in control is what it is most of the time. Some people, you just have to show them that you can do it painlessly, but its really not as much about pain as people want you to believe. Its about control and its really important to know for each patient exactly, what their trigger is because maybe for one person their trigger is pain so you need to go it another way. But if youre just getting them SuperDuper numb but youre not respecting the fact that their thing is control, it doesnt matter youre not going to make them feel comfortable just because theyre Super Duper numb.
Rachel: Yeah and Im sure the more often people come and address little things instead of waiting, you know Im sure its a lot better for them down the road and they pay less and all that kind of stuff too.
Dr David: Yeah, I was just talking. We just had uh, a woman that I knew, I knew her, she and her husband 35 years ago is now my Sonicare rep and she and I were just in here talking and we were talking about how its really important that if people are limiting, especially older people that are not wanting to go out into public too often, its really important that they do proper home care. Theyre doing like the best home care theyve ever done in their life like everything they can do on the preventative to not have any kind of a dental emergency and you know always be able to do stuff on their timeline. Diana brought up a really good point and it was right now since we seem to be between peaks its probably not a bad idea for people to come in right now. It seems like things are gonna start getting crazier again in July and August and then get real crazy in the fall. So, I would say from now till the middle of July is probably a good idea for people to get out and do things that theyre you know considering whether or not they want to do and and after that would be maybe like September and October and then, man, who knows whats going to come in November in December.
Rachel: Yeah, So now we jump on to the coronavirus train. Tell us, what happened, you know, when we first got, you know, the state home orders from Governor Wolf. Tell us what you thought like, for your dental practice.
Dr David: Wolfe did a great job. He followed a straight scientific protocol and were reaping the benefits of that now. Pennsylvania, New Jersey and I think New York are the three states that are having decreases. Our neighbor, Delaware is one of the worst states for increasing their cases and I think they were kind of opening a little bit earlier. So, they shut us down. They mandated that we close. I had already closed my office by the time they put the mandate out. I saw the writing on the wall and so we were mandated to be closed for two months. They took care of a couple emergencies. A few emergencies saw maybe one or two patients a week and then about a month ago they said Hey! You know Pennsylvanias been doing pretty well. You can do elective procedures and non-emergent procedures. You just shouldnt do anything that produces aerosol. So we started doing cleanings again about a month ago. A week after, they opened up those protocols and just basic stuff and I think probably in the next week or so, I think theyll open up. I think were actually opened up to do pretty much everything we want to do now including aerosol producing procedures kind of like what you said before where people cant let things go. I think they really understand the risk of not being able to do preventive and not even preventive but just taking care of small problems for people before they become big problems. So thats really nice that were able to do that.
Rachel: Thats amazing and I love how you took yourself around, so the people that are watching can actually see when they go into your office. So, you can see the shield and its nice to know that because a lot of people still arent up to date about what their healthcare providers are offering or what theyre doing. And its so great that youre able to really show people thats how were doing this. We want the public to know what great work youre all doing to make things safe for people when they come back for their treatments. Thats amazing. So the next question is I know that youre pretty active on social media for your business. How has that been in favor of you during Covid?
Dr David: Well, the physical world, the real world is virtually non-existent. It exists virtually so having a virtual presence, having an online presence and stuff is really good. So, we put out a lot of PSAs on lower learning community networks or mainline parent network, one of them just saying Hey look, you know right now is the time to do the best home care youve ever done in your life and the most preventive stuff you know, you might not want to get out and about and on lets try to keep you from having problems and just talk really quickly about some of the basics of doing that. It allowed me to put stuff out there that our patients can reference. So we send emails out for patients and send them links and things that we have on our social media and our Facebook page and all and it also its an information portal for people you know. If you know, my parents were alive and they were, you know, compromised and had health risks I would want them to visit my office more than any other dentist office. Theres very few things that have happened in dentistry. Most of the stuff I think one of most things that has happened in dentistry is kind of like whats happened to all the mom-and-pop shops, kind of just like what your intro was saying and thats whats happening with me and my practice throughout my career. Ive been practicing for 31 years. Every change thats happened in society, in insurance companies, in dentistry pretty much favors the large group practices. In all its the most profitable way to practice and thats why everyones kind of moving that way. This is the first time anything has painted us more favorably and its a pretty big paint. Its a pretty big paint, you know what we can offer now is pretty amazing. I was talking with a friend of mine two weeks ago and she works in the open group practice. Where theres no physical walls between all the different operatories. There arent doors and shes like I dont know we can do I dont know, if we can do it all with plastic, so I feel bad for them because I dont know how theyre gonna scramble and do it and even if you have multiple patients in the office at a time youre not going to be offering a clean or sterile environment. Its impossible.
Rachel: No, youre right and Im so glad that youre telling everyone all this because what youre doing is extremely important and the way youre treating your patients and youre, you know, talking in community groups about what people can do. Youre just serving your entire community and I know youre really big into Rotary. Youve been a member for almost thirty years. So thank you for that and we just we really enjoyed having you today and before you leave please tell us, how people can get in touch with you or your Practice.
Dr David: Great! So, our phone number is 6105255497. The office is kind of closed for the next couple weeks. Oh! I was supposed to be on vacation, but I got stopped at the border of Latvia so my whole family is over there for the summer but on my business card and on my website and everything I give out my cell number my cell is 4842221247. If anyones having a problem or even if they just have a question Ill be happy Im the kind of person who answers their phone or gets back to texts very quickly. On Facebook were Dillon Family Dentistry and we have listed our services that include dental implants services , teeth whitening service, dentures, dental crowns, invisalign and various other dental services and thats our email address as well Brynmawrdental.com or DylanFamilyDentistry.com
Reviews
Rating 5.0 out of 5 based on 86 reviews
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newest oldest highest lowestJjgalugie
a year ago
Great dental experience. This was my first time seeing Dr Dillon and he was nothing like previous dentists I have been to. I got a filling done today and there was litterally zero pain or discomfort. The whole appointment didnt even feel like a traditional dental visit. If you are looking for a new dentist I would highly recommend Dr Dillon.
Alice-Lee Vestner
2 years ago
My daughter needed emergency service as a new patient the day before Thanksgiving. Dr. Dillon got back to us after hours and booked the appointment early on the day she was due to fly home. I had called many other providers both in Maine and Bryn Mawr who were not as flexible. We will be forever grateful for his help and look forward to enjoying a nice holiday together thanks to Dr. Dillon. My daughter felt comfortable with his care and said that she can understand why he has so many nice reviews. Thank you Dr. Dillon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Positive Vibes
2 years ago
Initially, I only went in for a consultation and I've never felt so comfortable being seen by a dentist. I have horror stories. But I could tell Dr. Dillion is experienced because of how gentle and informative he was. He gave great advice with a lot of humor drizzled on top. I'm going back to get my teeth cleaned and I referred him to close friends and family.
Jim Saemann
2 years ago
UPDATE JANUARY 2021... I want to heap more praise on Dr. Dillon! Yesterday I went in for a routine cleaning and some x-rays. The x-rays revealed four or five cavities, only one of which was 'bothering' me. Dr. Dillon took a tremendous amount of time to explain everything he saw in my films. Dentists are busy people, so I was very honored that he took so much time with me. He treated two of the smaller cavities, and booked an appointment to come back to fix the rest in a few days. Since it's not like me to get cavities, he took even more time to discuss what I've been eating and drinking lately, and if any of my habits had changed. He suggested a few things that would help prevent future trouble. On top of all that, he even took the time to personally email me to see how I was feeling, and to help me take an inventory of everything I've been consuming lately. I have NEVER had a dentist, or any type of doctor for that matter, take so much care and personal interest in my health. I drive 29 miles and 45 minutes from my home to see Dr. Dillon - there are probably at least 100 dentists closer to my house, but I have no interest in seeing any of them. Dr. Dillon is not only a true professional - he truly CARES about his patients and invests a lot of extra uncompensated time in their care. Finally, if you are at all concerned about covid, rest assured that Dr. Dillon and his staff go through tremendous lengths to clean not only their tools and surfaces, but also the AIR in the office. They meet or exceed all necessary sterilization protocols to keep their patients safe. You will be highly impressed by their procedures when you go there. (Spring of 2020)... The other night I was eating popcorn and bit down HARD on an unpopped kernel. A minute later, a piece of my molar was in my hand! I wasn't in pain, but knew I needed to get in asap. It was a Friday night, so I emailed Dr. Dillon. He got right back to me, and, since I wasn't having an emergency, said I could come in the following Monday. I was worried I was going to have to go through an expensive, painful procedure. But thanks to Dr. Dillon, there was no pain whatsoever. He rebuilt my tooth, and even went the extra mile by removing an old mercury filling and replacing it. Dr. Dillon is a perfectionist. He will never do substandard work. All my experiences with him have been outstanding. He is highly intelligent, knowledgeable, and up to date with the latest dental techniques and technologies. Dr. Dillon will take the time to thoroughly explain to you everything about your dental problems and what he's doing to fix them. His prices are extremely reasonable, and you can rest assured he will only do what is absolutely necessary. He is not the type of dentist to 'run up the bill'. I trust him completely.
Gee Moon
2 years ago
"Best of the Mainline" says a lot about Dillon Family Denistry! After 3 generations in dentistry, they have a whole health approach to exquisite dental care. Dr. Dillon always explains everything about my treatments and he restored my smile!
John Magbanua
2 years ago
Dr. Dillon was able to fix and guide me through a botched procedure from a previous dentist. Happy to find a dentist in the area I can trust.
Enrique Moel
2 years ago
I had just gotten my front tooth chipped and as a college student with limited funds and no dental insurance I was worried about the cost of repairing my tooth. However, when I called Dillon Family Dentistry I was warmly listened to by Joanne, a truly caring and energetic lady, who carefully heard my story. Upon finishing my short monologue she told me to wait a second and came back with news telling me that Dr. Dillon would give me a free appointment. Ecstatic at the opportunity to get my tooth looked over by a professional I immediately made an appointment. Although I was nervous about what the doctor would say about my condition I was eased into my appointment by a great nurse from the Czech Republic, we talked for a bit and she tried to make me feel comfortable and relaxed. Then I met Dr. Dillon who saw my tooth and immediately knew what needed to be done. While the process was a more complex one than what I had initially believed Dr. Dillon made sure to explain everything to me and he was honest and up front about the price, a truly reasonable one compared to many other dentists. Even more, he said he could have it fixed right away which is exactly what I needed. During the procedure both Dr. Dillon and the friendly nurse talked with one another and made sure to keep me involved in the conversation even if I couldn't speak. This helped distract me from the actual repair of my tooth and made me feel at ease and included within the dynamics of the work space. Without the use of too much time or elaborate procedures Dr. Dillon was able to get everything fixed quickly and efficiently. I came out of that office with a newfound confidence in myself and my smile, and while I hope I do not have to undergo any other serious procedure with my teeth any time soon, I know that if an emergency were to arise Dillon Family Dentistry would be the place for me to go, because as their name states they truly are all in for a family environment and experience. All I have left to say is thank you, and if you are reading this believe me this is the dentist you want to go with. For you will truly be treated as you deserve, a unique and important patient.
Positive Vibes
3 years ago
Initially, I only went in for a consultation and I've never felt so comfortable being seen by a dentist. I have horror stories. But I could tell Dr. Dillion is experienced because of how gentle and informative he was. He gave great advice with a lot of humor drizzled on top. I'm going back to get my teeth cleaned and I referred him to close friends and family.
Vijay Rajan
3 years ago
Great service! Thank you Dr. Dillon
Jim Saemann
3 years ago
UPDATE JANUARY 2021... I want to heap more praise on Dr. Dillon! Yesterday I went in for a routine cleaning and some x-rays. The x-rays revealed four or five cavities, only one of which was 'bothering' me. Dr. Dillon took a tremendous amount of time to explain everything he saw in my films. Dentists are busy people, so I was very honored that he took so much time with me. He treated two of the smaller cavities, and booked an appointment to come back to fix the rest in a few days. Since it's not like me to get cavities, he took even more time to discuss what I've been eating and drinking lately, and if any of my habits had changed. He suggested a few things that would help prevent future trouble. On top of all that, he even took the time to personally email me to see how I was feeling, and to help me take an inventory of everything I've been consuming lately. I have NEVER had a dentist, or any type of doctor for that matter, take so much care and personal interest in my health. I drive 29 miles and 45 minutes from my home to see Dr. Dillon - there are probably at least 100 dentists closer to my house, but I have no interest in seeing any of them. Dr. Dillon is not only a true professional - he truly CARES about his patients and invests a lot of extra uncompensated time in their care. Finally, if you are at all concerned about covid, rest assured that Dr. Dillon and his staff go through tremendous lengths to clean not only their tools and surfaces, but also the AIR in the office. They meet or exceed all necessary sterilization protocols to keep their patients safe. You will be highly impressed by their procedures when you go there. (Spring of 2020)... The other night I was eating popcorn and bit down HARD on an unpopped kernel. A minute later, a piece of my molar was in my hand! I wasn't in pain, but knew I needed to get in asap. It was a Friday night, so I emailed Dr. Dillon. He got right back to me, and, since I wasn't having an emergency, said I could come in the following Monday. I was worried I was going to have to go through an expensive, painful procedure. But thanks to Dr. Dillon, there was no pain whatsoever. He rebuilt my tooth, and even went the extra mile by removing an old mercury filling and replacing it. Dr. Dillon is a perfectionist. He will never do substandard work. All my experiences with him have been outstanding. He is highly intelligent, knowledgeable, and up to date with the latest dental techniques and technologies. Dr. Dillon will take the time to thoroughly explain to you everything about your dental problems and what he's doing to fix them. His prices are extremely reasonable, and you can rest assured he will only do what is absolutely necessary. He is not the type of dentist to 'run up the bill'. I trust him completely.
Gee Moon
3 years ago
"Best of the Mainline" says a lot about Dillon Family Denistry! After 3 generations in dentistry, they have a whole health approach to exquisite dental care. Dr. Dillon always explains everything about my treatments and he restored my smile!
Kyle Gillen
3 years ago
The best dentist in the Main Line!
John grimes
3 years ago
I don't usually write reviews but Mr. Dillion really pulled through for me. It's Christmas Eve and my crown fell out, or so I thought... it was the entire tooth. He was able to make it so I didn't have a hole in my mouth going into Christmas! Customer service was spot on, great knowledge and he could have charged me whatever he wanted but he was more than reasonable! Definitely recommend this guy!
John T
3 years ago
Recently relocated to the Bryn Mawr/Wayne area. After trying a long list of dentists, I have finally found the one...Dillon Family Dentistry. Dr Dillon is the Elon Musk (forward-thinker, quick-study) and Warren Buffett (old school customer-first values) of dentistry. He listens, connects, educates, provides options, and flawlessly executes with high quality results all while listening to the grooviest background music on the planet. In addition, JoAnn (@ front desk) and staff are amazing, knowledgeable, and very helpful. My wife and son will be scheduling a visit soon.! Keep up the exceptional work, all!
Jerry Rosenberg
3 years ago
Fantastic, first-class service every time. Highly knowledgeable and friendly. Everyone there is amazing
Victoria Carliles
3 years ago
Dr. David Dillon was thorough in his explanation, and very accommodating with scheduling. Truly the best.
Nicole Rufo (REALTOR)
3 years ago
These guys are GREAT! Clean, professional and a truly enjoyable experience. I felt my needs were well addressed, while still working on the conservative side and not aggressively drilling in to everything. So nice and fun too! :)
Katherine Lohre
3 years ago
I have been to several dentists in the area and I have had the same bad experience with all of them. Telling me I need a ton of very expensive work done, etc.. Along with feeling that I'm just a "number", and at the end of the day- none of them truly cared. I took a chance on a friends recommendation to go to Dr Dillion. I am SOOOOOO happy I did! I will NEVER go to any other dentist as long as he is in business. He was warm, engaging, personable, friendly, knowledgeable and TRULY cared about my concerns. It was so refreshing to go to a dentist that took the time to ask me questions (not only about my teeth, but about the person that I am), that I immediately felt comfortable being a new patient. He did an excellent job cleaning my teeth and at the end of the appointment, I was bracing myself for the bad news (that I had gotten from the other 4 previous dentists). He said, "no need to replace something that's doing it's job". He is the ONLY ethical dentist that I have ever been to who wasn't trying to squeeze a million procedures out of me. I will be telling everyone I know to go to him. Thank you Dr Dillon for reviving my trust in Dentists again. YOU ARE A ROCK STAR!!!!!
Dorothy Labe
3 years ago
Dr. Dillon was amazing in many ways! Right at the beginning of the COVID-19 shut down, I had a crown fall out and another tooth was quite painful. I wasn't a patient of his, but he opened his office just to treat me, a total stranger in a scary time. And he was wonderful!! Took care of both issues, pain-free, and even cleaned my teeth. I am forever grateful for his kindness and professionalism.
Vijay Rajan
3 years ago
Great service! Thank you Dr. Dillon
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