Dr. Rachel Gold is a native of Northern Kentucky. She attended the University of Louisville where she received her undergraduate degree in Biology. Dr. Gold remained in Louisville to complete her dental training. Following graduation from The University of Louisville School of Dentistry in 2010, Dr. Gold chose to continue her education by completing a one year residency in Advanced General Dentistry at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Dr. Gold has a strong commitment to continuing education and is an active member of the Academy of General Dentistry, the American Dental Association, the Kentucky Dental Association where she is currently the Co-Chair of the New Dentist Committee, and is the past treasurer and past vice president and current President of the Northern Kentucky Dental Society.
Its easy to take breathing clean air for granted. In fact, its something we usually dont think about at all unless theres a serious problem. Recently, we have all had to think about the air to which we are exposed in a more thoughtful way.
When there are smoke and ash, or other pollutants in the air, they can be easy to see. But did you know you might be overlooking an even bigger risk? Believe it or not, even the seemingly clean air you breathe indoors can be absolutely full of carcinogens and potentially toxic chemicals.
In todays post, well review some of the hidden health hazards that you might find in the air you breathe and talk about the investment weve made at Total Health Dentistry to improve the air quality in our office.
We have many natural defenses against dangerous particles in the air. The hairs in our nose and our mucous membranes are very effective at filtering out larger dust particles and debris. But breathing in potentially toxic materials adds stress to our bodies. This can lead to health problems in our respiratory systems and throughout our bodies.
Our immune systems when working properly fight off most common bacteria and viruses. But when weakened by disease or stress, our immune systems arent as efficient and were more susceptible to disease. Its a vicious cycle that can begin with breathing polluted air.
When you imagine polluted air, you might be thinking of things like a smoggy city or smoke from forest fires. But what about indoors? Did you know that medical centers, especially dentist offices can be full of particulates that are potentially damaging to your health?
When a dentist uses a high-speed drill or spray of water, invisible bits of material can become airborne and float around the office. These materials are known as bio-aerosols. While you cant see them, they are there and can cause many of the same problems as other more visible pollutants. In some cases, the effects are even worse, especially when dentists use mercury fillings and other toxins.
At Total Health Dentistry, were always looking for ways to invest in our patients health and whole-body wellness. Two years ago we added a Surgically Clean Air Purifier to our office. They operate 24/7 to assure that our team and our guests breathe only clean, germ-free air.
Surgically Clean Air Purifiers have been proven by independent lab testing (RTI) to remove 99% of indoor air pollutants (ie. bacteria, fungus, and viruses). In practice, more than a thousand Dental Offices, Hospitals, Dental Labs and Commercial Offices are implementing the new school of thought on the use of our standalone air purifiers.
These new purifiers offer a medical-grade 6-stage filtration system (far beyond whats found in common commercial and residential air filters). Its a powerful tool that protects the patients at our practice from illness, infection, disease, and discomfort.