We are open and looking forward to serving you!
September is National Gum Month!
Taking care of your gums is important not only because your gums protect your teeth, but also because the health of your gums can have an impact on other health-related conditions you experience.
The Early Signs of Gum Disease:
Without proper oral care, early stages of gum disease, or gingivitis, may develop. The word "gingivitis" means: an infection (*itis) in the gums (*gingiv"). You might have gingivitis if:
--Your gums appear to be red and swollen in certain places
--Your gums feel tender when you touch them or brush them
--When you brush your teeth or floss, your gums bleed easily
--You have noticed that your gums have started to pull away from the edges of your teeth
Additionally, you might have gingivitis if your bite feels off or the way your teeth feel has changed in any way.
Taking Care of Your Gums:
Although gingivitis may develop easily, it is also easy to prevent as long as you stick to a consistent dental hygiene routine. We strongly recommend brushing and flossing your teeth thoroughly at least two times a day. However, keep in mind that when you brush your teeth and gums, you should not be too aggressive. Brushing your gums too hard can damage the delicate gingiva structure, wear it away, and cause more harm than good.
In addition to brushing and flossing, you should also see a general dentist for regular appointments at least twice a year. When you come into our office for a general dental checkup and cleaning, we will remove the plaque that has built up on your teeth over time. Even during these unprecedented times of COVID, it is important to keep up with your preventive dental care appointment.
If it has been a while since you last came into our office to see us, and you are worried that you might have gingivitis, please schedule an appointment today. You can reach our office by calling (847) 677-1101 or by simply clicking the "Find Out More" button! We are here for you!
COVID-19 Update: What is new in our office!
September 2020 UPDATE: We are thrilled to announce that we have added another layer of safety protection to our practice: a hypochlorous acid fogger.
Hypochlorous acid has been used as a disinfectant in hospitals for years. In addition, it is used to sanitize foods such as fruits and vegetables (the spray used on the veggies in the grocery store is not water--it is hypochlorous acid), in eye care products, and in wound care, Hypochlorous acid is currently used in restaurants, food & beverage processing, livestock, agriculture, hospitals, schools, water treatment, and pharmaceutical manufacturing. Recently, you may have seen the fogging machines with hypochlorous acid used to disinfect cruise ships and airplanes.
Hypochlorous acid is produced naturally by the white blood cells and is used to kill invading microbial pathogens. It is non-toxic and non-hazardous. Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) fits into the CDC requirements for an ideal disinfectant because it is an effective broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent that is odorless, fast drying, environmentally friendly, and it is easy to use.
We performed hours of research to include this additional product in our already high level of infection control protocol. We not only fog the operatory after we complete any procedure, prior to using additional disinfectant products, but we fog ourselves. Please feel free to ask about our infection control protocol. 😷
COVID-19 Update: What to expect when you visit our office!
We are so excited to be back with you now! The most difficult part of this journey is that it kept us away from serving you and your dental needs. You may see some changes when it is time for your next appointment. We made these changes to help protect our patients, our families and ourselves. One of the many different "looks" will be Margaret and I will be sporting face shields and different style masks.
According to the State of Illinois and the Village of Lincolnwood, face coverings (masks or scarves) are required when entering any business. We will ask you to wear your mask upon entry to the office.
In addition:
• We will communicate with you before your appointment to ask some screening questions. You will be receiving an email with a link to a form to fill out. It will automatically and safely be sent to our office. Here is the link: https://us.patientriver.com/donigerdental You’ll be asked those same questions again when you are in the office.
• We have hand sanitizer that we will ask you to use when you enter the office. We will have disposable gloves available to you, as well.
• You may notice our waiting room will no longer offer magazines, children’s toys and other items, since those items are difficult to clean and disinfect. Our signature chocolate will also be missing for a while.
• Appointments will be managed to allow for social distancing between patients. We plan to have you let us know when you are in our parking lot. Again, since we both may be back treating a patient, we will call you once we are able to get to the phone. Once the office is clear of the previous patient, we will let you know it is time for you to come up to see us! As per CDC guidelines, we will not be allowing anyone in our reception area without an appointment. Masks will be required for entry into the building, as per State of Illinois and Village of Lincolnwood guidelines.
• We will be allowing greater time between patients to reduce waiting times for you, therefore our appointments will be have more time between procedures to allow for our new engineering changes.
We have contacted and scheduled many of the patients who were unable to see us in March, April, and May. If you are not quite ready to visit us yet, we understand. We will be here for you! We thank you for your continued trust and confidence and look forward to seeing everyone soon!
Please feel free to contact us either through our website, via email (drsheri@donigerdental.com), via our Facebook page messenger, or simply leave a voice message at (847) 677-1101. If you need us, we will be available to you for telemedicine, via What's App, Facebook Messenger, Skype and Zoom,
Thank you for your understanding and patience during this unprecedented time. We will get through this together! Stay safe, stay healthy!
COVID-19 Update
August 2020 UPDATE: Even though the State of Illinois is in the next phase of reopening, the SARS-CoV-19 virus (coronavirus) has not gone away. We still need to take all the same precautions (wearing a mask, social distancing, hand washing, and following all Illinois Public Health guidelines.
If you experience a fever or chills, sore throat, cough, or difficulty breathing, please contact your primary care healthcare professional.
The CDC has also listed some additonal symptoms to look out for: muscle or body aches, headache, repeat shaking with chills, and a loss of taste or smell.
As of June 27, 2020, the CDC has added additional symptoms: rash, congestion or runny nose, nausea and diarrhea.
We would like to remind all of our patients that your health and safety are our priority. Please remember to:
--Clean your hands often. Wash hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. Use sanitizer when washing is not accessible.
--Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
--Practice social distancing (6 feet of distance between people). Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
--Maintain six feet physical distance in public spaces.
--Stay home if you are sick and do not return to work until at least 24 hours after you no longer have a fever without fever-reducing medications.
--Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue or in the crook of your arm, and throw away used tissue.
--Use disinfectant wipes or sprays to clean frequently touched surfaces at home and work. The EPA has a new app that will list disinfectents that are effective on the human coronavirus.
Several states are included in a self-quarantine status upon entering Cook County. If you have traveled to any of these states or have been in contact with anyone who traveled from these states, please let us know prior to your appointment.
We care about each of you and hope that you and your family will remain in good health during this difficult time.
Please feel free to contact us either through our website, via email (drsheri@donigerdental.com) via our Facebook page messenger, or simply leave a voice message at (847) 677-1101. If you need us, we will be available to you for teleconferencing, via What's App, Facebook Messenger, Skype and Zoom,
Thank you for your understanding and patience during this unprecedented time.
Please remember for everyone's health and safety:
Please call the office at 847 677 1101 when you arrive for your appointment. We will confirm your arrival, check you in, and will let you know when to come up to the office. Please wait for us to let you know the office is ready for you. We are performing enhanced cleaning procedures in the entire office, and need a few extra minutes to prepare for your arrival. We do not want you waiting in the hall. Also, as per Illinois and Village of Lincolnwood mandate, face coverings are required to enter the building, our office and when you leave the office. Thank you for your cooperation to help keep everyone safe and healthy!
We are back! We are safe! We are here for you!
Infection Control has always been our priority!
We have always followed the utmost in infection control for the safety of both you, our patients, and ourselves. We are continually upgrading our infection control procedures to ensure everyone's safety.
Please watch our Facebook page for updates and information about our new infection control systems!
Take a tour of our office!
We have created a virtual tour of the office for those who are interested in joining our practice but COVID may be keeping you away. It is always nice to see where you are going! Check it out on Google Earth!
Take care you you!
Our most important jobs right now are to stay home, stay safe and stay healthy. We are not only protecting ourselves but people around us. With social distancing in full effect, it is more important than ever to practice good oral hygiene and prevent cavities. Remind your family about brushing for two minutes two times a day and flossing once every day. Using an antibacterial mouthwash is also a good precaution.
We have received questions about disinfecting your toothbrush.
Want to disinfect your toothbrush? You can soak it in an antibacterial mouthwash for 30 seconds. For a homemade alternative, mix 2 teaspoons of baking soda in a cup of water.. Don't forget to change your toothbrush every three months, especially during these times of staying at home.
So honored.........
Our practice had the spotlight for the Lincolnwood Connections March/April Village 2020 Connections Newsletter!
Dr. Sheri was honored as the Lincolnwood Madeline Grant Volunteer of the Year for 2020.
No dental benefit? No problem!!!
We have an affordable in-office dental membership plan
Professional quality dental care is a necessity for everyone, although being able to achieve it has not always been within reach, especially for those without dental benefit. Our Dental Priority Platinum solves that problem! We have a variety of plans, starting with two preventive visits a year, inclucing oral examinations, four bitewing radiographs, or full mouth radiograph as necessary, and two fluoride varnish treatments, all at a 25% savings to you and your family. Major and cosmetic dental treatments are 18% off, with no deductible or annual maximum. Each family member has different needs, so we offer different plans. We are unable to combine these plans if you have a current dental benefit..