Of course, not all dentists and dentistry are the same. Our job, as advocates for your doctor-patient relationship, is to provide you with a clear, honest understanding for assessing your dental care options, and guidance on factors to consider when choosing thebest dentist for your needs.
Your OPT-In Dental Advantage Dentist blends art, skill, and science to precisely tailor your treatment to fit your needs. That means, even if the best option is a crown, there might also be alternatives that will be fully explained and made available to you. Our dentists understand that it is your right as the patient to be fully educated about your options and to make the final decisions about your care. Unfortunately, not every dental office will take that approach. That's why so often we hear of patients not educated in dentistry, or with only cursory knowledge from the internet, making costly, wrong decisions.
The leadership of OPT-In Dental Advantage consists of dentists who want to support the best dental care. Because we come from dentistry and understand dentists, patients, and insurance, well do our best to help educate you in dental care, and how to find the right dentist for you. We're not career business people just trying to capitalize on a gap in patient education. We want to improve the system we're a part of both as dental professionals and patients. Our goal is to showcase dentists around the United States who are doing right by their patients and at the same time, give patients the right questions to ask to be able to distinguish the best dentists from the not-so-good ones.
We believe that once you are properly educated about your dental care and know the questions to ask, you'll be better prepared to select a dentist who has your best interests at heart, and how to partner with your dentist to encourage the best possible care. To guide you in finding the right dentist in your area, we have sought out the best dentists around the country who are committed to providing excellent patient care. Use our Find a Dentist tool to locate OPT-In Dental Advantage Dentists near you. This tool as well as the education we provide here are free for patients to access. All we ask is that you spread the word, leave reviews, and use these assets to improve the quality of your dental care for life.
You deserve to have a fantastic smile and a great relationship with the dentist you choose. OPT-In Dental Advantage dentists strive to make every visit something to brag about. In fact, we encourage you to return to our website and write a review about each visit to your OPT-In Dental Advantage Dentist.
There is an OPT-In Dental Office just right for you and your family. Regardless of your needs or interests, you should be able to count on the OPT-In Philosophy of Honesty, Transparency, and Integrity of the Doctor-Patient relationship being shared by the entire office.
I want to personally welcome you to our website, an experience we hope you'll want to share with family, friends, and co-workers . Here, you'll be educated on what to look for when choosing a dentist, a dental office, and the dentistry you need. You'll also learn how the OPT-in Dental Advantage Philosophy remains entirely about You, and Your right to Honest and Transparent information that binds Integrity with the doctor-patient relationship.
Today, attempts are being made to reduce the doctor patient relationship from being patient (you) centered, to process (profit) centered. Rather than allow that to happen, dentists, dental technicians, and manufacturers have come together to offer patients (you) an alternative, OPT-In Dental Advantage.
Our website is filled with honest, transparent, and difficult to find information you can rely to find a dental experience you can trust. Check out each page for information on the different types of dental care, what to look for, differences amongst dental offices and dental laboratories, and how to manage dental insurance. Most importantly, once you are better educated, you'll be ready to select the right OPT-In Dental Advantage Dentist for you and your family.
When it comes to all things health, things have really changed. It used to be all about your relationship with your doctor, someone that knew you. Today, we may find ourselves too often being herded, categorized, and processed. Unfortunately, that can happen when those not directly involved in care wield influence over decisions about our care. We believe it should be all about you.
The first difference you'll notice upon visiting our website is our frank honesty. We will tell you that most dentists are also very honest, concerned, and work hard to provide you with great care. Our website will help you find a dentist by explaining what to look for amongst the different types of dentists and dental offices.
A second difference is our transparency. While most all dental treatment is very successful, sometimes things don't work as planned. Sometimes, it's about being human. We make mistakes like everyone else. One dentist likened dentistry to that of a watchmaker working through a keyhole in a pool of saliva. Pretty graphic description, but that is how difficult our world can be. Sometimes things don't work because teeth chew or clench at over 500 psi, a force large enough to cause real damage. Problems can also stem from patients demanding treatment their dentist has advised against. The proper Doctor-Patient relationship is a trusting, true partnership.
The last difference is our belief that the doctor-patient relationship matters. We'll educate you in how to look for a dentist and the differences that can make OPT-In Dental Advantage Dental Offices a better alternative. In return, we ask for your understanding that your OPT-In Dental Advantage Dentist is a true partner in your care.
Please take time to read other pages packed with information to help you. Additionally, our blogs are designed to inform you about important topics and research that will stimulate open discussions. Most of all, don't forget to rate your dental visits so that others will benefit from your guidance.
Dean Mersky, DDS, founder & president, OPT-In Management, LLC. Dr. Mersky practiced general dentistry in Manhattan Beach, CA for 26 years. His private practiced focused on maladies of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), full mouth reconstruction, and cosmetic dentistry. His professional memberships included the American Society for Dental Aesthetics, and the Northeast Gnathological Society. With a back injury forcing his retirement from clinical practice in 2002, Dr. Mersky joined the Captek company as director of clinical communication. In that role, he reviewed and reported on clinical and technical research, authored numerous papers for publication for Inside Dental Technology, Dental Town Journal, Journal of Dental Technology, Dentistry Today, Lab Management Today, and the quarterly issue of American Society for Dental Aesthetics, and lectured nationally and internationally for both dentist and dental technicians. After a year of serving as implant coordinator for a large dental laboratory, Dr. Mersky launched OPT-In Dental Laboratory Cooperative, October, 2012, a dental laboratory organization comprised only of small laboratory owners. Recognizing that private practitioners have the same disadvantages and needs as small dental labs, he launched OPT-In Dental Advantage in June, 2014. Dr. Mersky graduated from the University of Detroit School of Dentistry, 1976, and holds a Bachelors degree in public health, from UCLA.
David Hornbrook, DDS, FAACD, FACE, Co-director OPT-In Professionals CE. Dr. Hornbrook is an internationally acclaimed lecturer, Adjunct Faculty at the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry, University of Texas, Houston Dental Branch, and A.T. Still University Health Sciences. He has served as Clinical Editor, Dental Practice Report, and Editor, Journal of the Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. In 1997 he was awarded Mentor of the Year Award, Crown Council, and in 1999 Lifetime Achievement Award, GenR8TNext for Educational Excellence. Dr. Hornbrook has published numerous research reports and has served as Executive Director, The Hornbrook Group, Director and Founder, Pac-live, and Director, Las Vegas Institute for Advanced Dental Studies. His professional affiliations include American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, American Dental Association, California Dental Association, and San Diego County Dental Association. He currently serves on the editorial boards of Signature Magazine, Practical Procedures and Esthetic Dentistry, and Esthetic Dentistry Research Group. Dr. Hornbrook graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Dentistry, in1986, and holds a Bachelors of Science degree from San Diego State University. He currently practices dentistry in La Mesa, CA.
Peter Pizzi, CDT, MDT, FNGS, Co-director OPT-In Professionals CE, Kois Mentor (Center for Dental Excellence), has been a technician since 1984. Peter is a recognized expert in implants and esthetics, a member of American Academy of Esthetic Dentistry, Technical Fellow of Northeast Gnathological Society, and serves as faculty at the New York University School of Dentistry. Peter has lectured internationally on the art and science of dental technology, and is known not only for his exceptional artistic talent, but also as a leading teacher of integrating dental technology with specific clinical conditions, needs, and desires of individual patients. He conducts courses throughout the U.S. that include both hands-on techniques as well as important concepts that extend well beyond the usual. He is on theExecutive Board of the Northeast Gnathological Society, Editorial Board of Inside Dental Technology, National Advisory Board of Dental Dialogue, and a member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. Peter is a featured author for Inside Dental Technology, Lab Management Today, and contributed to clinical articles in Dentistry Today. He consults to several manufacturers and has developed his own line of laboratory instruments (Evolution Series), and dental implant solutions. Peter maintains his dental technology studio and teaching facility in Staten Island, NY.
A technician since 1984, Peter is a recognized expert in implants and esthetics, a member of AAED, a Kois Mentor (Center for Dental Excellence), Technical Fellow of Northeast Gnathological Society, New York University School of Dentistry Faculty. Peter Pizzi has lectured internationally on the art and science of dental technology, and is known not only for is exceptional artistic talent, but also as a leading teacher of integrating dental technology with specific clinical conditions, needs, and desires of individual patients. He conducts courses throughout the U.S. that include both hands-on techniques as well as important concepts that extend well beyond the usual. He is on theExecutive Board of the Northeast Gnathological Society, Editorial Board of Inside Dental Technology, National Advisory Board of Dental Dialogue, and a member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. Peter is a featured author for Inside Dental Technology, Lab Management Today, and contributed to clinical articles in Dentistry Today. He consults to several manufacturers and has developed his own line of laboratory instruments (Evolution Series), and dental implant solutions. Peter maintains his dental technology studio and teaching facility in Staten Island, NY.