June 11, 2012 at 11:16 pm (Uncategorized)
Tags: amalgam fillings, asthetic, composite fillings, crowns, dentist 85283, Dentists 85283, Dr. Jared Nesbit, Dr. Paul Jones, fillings, General Dentistry, Jones Family dentistry, leaking, mercury, root canal, silver fillings, Tempe AZ dentist, Tempe Dentist, Tempe Dentists, white fillings
No, the Tempe Dentists are not tossing out our quarters, nickles and dimes. We are in fact seeing so many people coming into the Tempe dental office with large silver fillings in their teeth that have been there between 15-35 years! Yes, we had a lady share with us today that she has had those fillings for 35 years! Contrary to popular belief, this restoration really was a great one back in the day. Eventho it is not bonded to the tooth it does seal up nicely…….for a time. Getting 10 years out of these restorations is a good run to say the least. Most of us however, are hangin on to those shiny nuggets for upwards of 20-25 years. They have done a good service folks. They have served you well. It may be time to retire those old veteran fillings. Time to express your gratitude for their dedication and send them to the silver restoration heavens above….or the suction device in our office.
The things to be aware of with the silver (amalgam) restorations is that they do begin to pull away from the natural tooth over time. We would normally not be able to see this with the naked eye, but with our intraoral cameras at the Tempe and Chandler dental offices we can in fact view this happening very easily. This pulling away creates very tiny crevises between the tooth and the filling. So tiny that you cannot possibly clean them…but not so tiny to keep bacteria out of them. This means that the chances of recurring decay being present UNDER that silver filling, growing undetected is very high. Left unchecked without being cleaned out, this decay can travel to the nerve making it possible that you would need root canal treatment.
The other issue is that these silver fillings put a great deal of pressure on the natural tooth structure over time. As you chew on them the natural tooth begins to give in to the tension. This puts the tooth at risk of breaking. This creates a situation where a replacement filling may not be the appropriate treatment any longer. You could be into a territory where a crown and or Root canal is eminent. This increases your time and cost.
Many have worried about the Mercury that is in these silver restorations. Obviously we know that Mercury can be damaging. Truthfully, you are not at as much risk as you may think of Mercury leaking into your system with these old fillings. The risk was much higher at the time the fillings were placed before the material hardened into its current state. Do however, be aware that the removal of these fillings should be done in the correct way so as to protect you from any further exposure. Proper suction, water and barrier techniques should be used.
We want to prevent more cost or invasive dental treatment anytime we can. Have those silver fillings checked. It is so worth the time! If you have had them over 15 years, they are most likely not doing their job any longer.
http://www.jonesfamilydentistrycom
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May 21, 2012 at 4:50 pm (Uncategorized)
Tags: American Dental Association, Dental floss, Dental Health, Dental sealant, Dentistry, Dr. Jared Nesbit, Dr. Paul Jones, health, Jones Family dentistry, Premolar, Summer safety, Tempe Denitstry, Tempe Dentist, Tooth, Tooth brushing
The dog days of summer are upon us. This means that the kids are home from school, Popsicle’s and KoolAid are in high consumption and the chances of staying up late and NOT brushing before bedtime (or in the morning since they are out of their routine” are unfortunately high. Let’s face it, summer is a time to explore childhood and be free from some of the restraints that have bound them during the school season.
We of course do NOT advocate the skipping of brushing or flossing. Nor do we advocate sugar filled drinks and sugary snacks. We do promote childhood and have an understanding that some habits are going to wane.
This being said, teenagers and children are more likely to get decay in the biting surface of premolars and molars than adults. These deep grooves in the teeth are prime living quarters for bacteria to take up residence.
At Jones Family Dentistry, we want to help you to keep your childs teeth healthy and free from evasive procedures such as fillings if at all possible. That is why we hope you will have your children and teens evaluated for sealants. A painless, simple, non evasive procedure that helps protect your childs teeth from bacteria which causes decay. It is an inexpensive, preventative measure that can help keep them out of the dental chair and in the swimming pool this summer.
sSealants are “a plastic material that is usually applied to the chewing surfaces of the back teeth—premolars and molars. This plastic resin bonds into the depressions and grooves (pits and fissures) of the chewing surfaces of back teeth. The sealant acts as a barrier, protecting enamel from plaque and acids.
Thorough brushing and flossing help remove food particles and plaque from smooth surfaces of teeth. But toothbrush bristles cannot reach all the way into the depressions and grooves to extract food and plaque. Sealants protect these vulnerable areas by “sealing out” plaque and food.” (American Dental Association)
So, while you apply sunscreen and force helmet wear this summer, protect your children’s teeth as well. Give us a call today to schedule a complimentary evaluation for your child and their possible need for sealants.
Jones Family Dentistry 480-831-9874
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May 16, 2012 at 1:31 am (Uncategorized)
Tags: Bacteria, Chandler Dentist, Dental floss, Dentist, Dentistry, Halitosis, Tempe Dentist, Tempe Dentistry, Tooth
In my quest to do some fun, interesting and unique marketing I often come up with ideas that crack ME up but are not readily accepted by our dentist. Rightly so. It is said that I should learn to install a filter, something that I’ve tried but they never seem to fit quite right.
The other day I thought about putting a sign in the mens room of a local bar. It would read something like
“awe…she turned ya down? Maybe it’s your breath!” 
Now, the Docs would never go for that in a public arena. So, lets put it out there in a semi public forum. Yeah, I’m pushing the envelope here but lets face it, we are all concerned about our appearance and especially about bad breath! We don’t want to have it and we certainly don’t want to tell someone ELSE that they have it. That is why the breath freshening industry is a big market.
- Year 2000 Retail Sales Top $1.3 Billion
- Mints Dominate Breath Freshener Segment
- Category to Approach $2 Billion in 2005
- Food Stores at 30% of Sales
- 58% of Adults Use Gum
- 61% of Adults Use Hard Roll Candy/Breath Mints
These numbers are a little outdated but it tells you that you are not alone if you are constantly concerned about the far reaching effects of your breath. 
Here are a few tips that you already know about …and maybe a few that you are NOT aware of.
1. Fresh breath comes naturally with a clean mouth. Flossing your teeth and brushing regularly is key. If you do not floss regularly, food becomes trapped, then calcified in between your teeth. This calcification of food particles can become a big stink bomb!
2. Having your teeth cleaned regularly by a professional is an obvious important factor in keeping your mouth healthy and smelling clean. Adults and teens that have braces struggle even more than those of us that do not. It is suggested for teens especially, that they have a professional cleaning every 3-4 months while in full orthodontic treatment. Those braces are wired to trap bacteria. And bacteria stinks!
3 Mouth rinses are ok. They do leave you feeling fresh and minty clean. However, use caution when choosing a mouthwash. Large amounts of alcohol in the product can dry your mouth out which is a common reason for foul breath. You want that saliva!
4 TONGUE scraper! We cannot tell you how valuable this little silly tool is! You might BRUSH your tongue but that is only pushing bacteria into all those little hiding places around your taste buds. A tongue scraper is WONDERFUL! You will be AMAZED at what you scrape off your tongue every day. BUY ONE! Then, USE IT!
5. Sometimes you may find that you are doing ALL of these things and still, you have bad breath and you are at your wits end. If this is the case, and you have good oral health then you may need to visit an Ear Nose and Throat doctor for a consultation. There may also be side effects of certain medications, medical treatments, habits such as tobacco use and food that you might be consuming that are causing the problem.
There is nothing farther reaching than a kinds word, a kiss or a smile. Well, nothing that is, other than bad breath. So, lets get this smelly subject under control and get back to the kissing, smiling and kind words. Give us a call at 480-831-9874 to schedule a cleaning, a consultation or to simply share a kind word!
written by: Tiffany Allen
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May 7, 2012 at 9:57 pm (dentistry)
Tags: Business, Chandler, Chandler dental, Chandler Dentist, Dental Practice, Dental public health, Dentist, Dentistry, health, Jones, Tempe, Tempe Dentist, Tooth
I recently went on a “detox” program for 7 days. It was meant to remind me and my body what real food tasted like as well as what it could do for my health, well-being, and overall function. It was not an easy endeavor at first. The first two days I felt a bit ill. I craved things that my body was used to having. After a few days I could not believe the change. I felt amazing. I felt revived and suddenly my body craved the things that I was actually putting into it. I was able to do activities that I wasn’t able to do before. It was a life changing experience. It’s not that I had been eating too poorly before. It was just the simple shifts that made a difference in my energy levels.
I know you don’t care about my detox insights. That isn’t REALLY what this blog is about anyway. It’s just that it made me think of some changes that are occurring within our practice lately. Exciting changes. Yet, changes all the same. And change is NOT always an easy pill to swallow.
We have recently merged with another office in Chandler. We are so excited about the future of JFD and about the new family members we are acquiring in the process. But I wonder, quite possibly if this merge has felt a bit like my detox days. If the changes may be a bit scary. If we will crave the days of our single practice life. If we will be a little sick to our stomachs for a bit as we begin to learn how to feed the dual practice life. It will take us being kind, caring, sure,and patient. We need to remember where we came from to envision where we are going. We are moving to a place in our existence that affords us the opportunity to help so many more people to achieve their dental health goals. THAT is why all of us here, not just the doctors but the entire staff, went into this industry in the first place.
So, I tell all of our lovely staff members, hang tight. We are here for each other. A team (corny right?) but we are here to boost one another and to lift one another up. There are no big dogs and little dogs…we are all here with talents and strengths that are going to get the job done! What a great thing! The changes may feel awkward at first. Together, we are going to do great things. To our patients, you are in for the same great quality of care that you have always had with Jones Family Dentistry. We are ALWAYS in the mindset of making things the BEST they can be for you.
So, Ready? Set…….let’s jump in!
Written by Tiffany Allen
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April 25, 2012 at 7:53 pm (Uncategorized)
Tags: allergies, Dentist, Dentistry, Infection, Jones Family dentistry, Patient, root canal, Sinusitis, Tempe, Tempe Dentist, Tooth, Toothache
I know you would expect that being a dental practice we would see people A LOT with toothaches. This is true…we do have Emergency patients come in with problems regularly. However, in the Springtime we see an influx of patients coming in with severe tooth pain. We had a lady the other day come into our office. and tell us that we might as well set-up for a rootcanal because she was in such pain that she could not sleep at night. She was SURE that she had an infection and needed a rootcanal. This is not an uncommon story. When asked which tooth she felt was the culprit she could not pinpoint it exactly. The only thing she COULD tell us was that it was on an upper tooth. That is a pretty significant sign for us here in the dental industry. We of course take a quick x-ray of the area and have the Dr. come into the room to take a peek.
Upon further questioning and viewing of the digital x-ray we come to a determination that we already were 90% sure of……Its NOT a tooth issue as much as it is a SINUS issue.
“WHAT??” asks the patient.
That is exactly it. See the roots of our upper teeth go right up into our sinus cavity. When allergies or a cold come into play, there is inflammation and pressure in the sinus. This pressure then is transferred to the roots of those teeth and givs the very convincing argument that you have a bad infection and are going to need extensive dental work.
NOT THE CASE! You simply need a decongestant or to use a netty pot (great device if you have never used one). Relieving the sinus pressure will in turn relieve the toothache.
teeth (Photo credit: jfraser)
(the left circle indicates the sinus and the roots of the teeth going directly beneath the sinus. The right bright circle is the patients earring 
)
Now, SOMETIMES it IS an infection. So, it is always good to have a dentist look at the tooth. But fear not…for the odds are in your favor if you are suffering from allergies, cold or sinus infection.
ARE there dentists out there that “might” take the patients readiness for a root canal as a green light to do the expensive procedure? Unfortunately, as in any business….you do have those that would. But, not here.
Complaint: Major toothache keeping patient up at night.
Determining factor: digital x-ray and some quetions
Diagnosis: Allergies
Recommendations: Decongestant
Emergency Dental visit (in our office): $0
X-ray (in our office) $0
Having a dentist you can trust and leaving the office without having to have major dental work…
PRICELESS!
Contact us at http://www.jonesfamilydentistry.comfor a free assessment or second opinion. Convenient hours 7am-7pm
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April 16, 2012 at 9:29 pm (Uncategorized)
Tags: Arizona, braces, Cosmetic dentistry, Dental braces, Dentist, Dentistry, Invisalign, Jolly Rancher, orthodontics, retainers, teeth, Tempe Dentist, Tooth
The other day at the office I was paperclipping some paperwork together and reminded of the age…oh so many moons ago, when in elementary school that we were all obsessed with orthodontics. Better known back then as the “brace face”. For some reason, we smiled broadly with our jacked up front teeth. We all had them, we didn’t really know any different at the time. ( I am allowed to say that since I am graciously for the love of the two dentists I work with, going to post a picture of myself in the “jacked up” tooth stage)
Being in dentistry now for over 20 years, I inaccurately (im certain) picture a playground of buck toothed little minions running about, chasing eachother and threatening to give the cooties. We were carefree and oblivious to the smiles we dispayed at the time. The smiles that had to have been less for beauty and much more for the real reasons of displaying happiness. That is a playground that could tear up some corn on the cob at any fourth of July picnic.
So, I suddenly remembered being AWARE of braces and not AWARE of why I needed them. I just recall wanting them. Wanting that cool shiny piece of metal lounging across my teeth. I did like most of you I bet….I got a paper clip, unfurled it, then curved it into a perfect u-shape to fit across my front teeth. I curved the back ends to loop around my back molars ( I was Destined to work in dentistry it seems) and smiled proudly. Nobody laughed…especially not Mrs. Farenheit who was mysteriously out of paperclips by period 4 and all her students suddenly had skipped actual orthodontic treatment and went straight to the “retainer” stage. LIke we WANTED to keep our teeth in THAT position. Some even went so far as to suck on Jolly Ranchers to put in the roof of their mouths and help the paperclip stay in place. I quickly got bored and went back to awaiting the real thing which was not NEAR as glamorous.
The point is, as adults we don’t find the “brace face” look all that appealing sometimes. We do however, have a better grasp on the outcome and are willing to endure. That is why we are so pleased that we offer Invisalign in our office. It is a wonderful alternative to traditional braces that can work for many adults. They are CLEAR trays that are barely detectible by anyone looking at you or talking with you. They are great for professionals that are working with the public or people that need just a touch of alterations. It really is a great thing and most insurances cover Invisalign proceedures as they do traditional orthodontic work.
So, keep those paperclips for holding your paperwork together. We will hold your teeth in place by more appropriate means. (But….don’t ever forget those childhood memories…and smile without abandon…always…no matter what!)
Tiffany
Dental Assistant
http://www.jonesfamilydentistry.com
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April 5, 2012 at 7:27 pm (Uncategorized)
Tags: Arizona, caring, Dentist, Dentistry, East Valley, Gilbert, Gratitude, honor, Jones family Dentistry. Reception, Military, Tempe, US Navy
Here at Jones Family dentistry we have nominated one of our staff members as well as one of our patients for their valiant service to this country. We feel it is so vital to give back and these two men gave over twenty years of their adult lives in service of you…me…all of us whether we were grateful or not. We will be closing our office down early that day. Something we rarely do. But we feel strongly that this display of honoring not only these men..but all those that have served and continue to serve far outweighs any business that may be postponed during this event.
Thank you to Bill and Bobby for allowing us to nominate them and allow their families, their children to see what great men they truly are. THIS is what family is about…THIS is another reason we ARE Jones FAMILY dentistry. Its more than being about teeth..its about the heart. About gratitude and of course…smiles.
Please come join us!
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April 5, 2012 at 1:59 am (Uncategorized)
Tags: Chandler, comfort, convenient hours. late hours, Customer Service. Smiling, Dentist, Dentistry, East Valley, exams, General Dentistry, Gilbert, Greeting, Jones family Dentistry. Reception, Mesa, Tempe
Yes, that is exactly how it began. I took my mother to the Dr. the other day. We had a 12:30 appointment. Perfect, I left on my lunch hour and drove her on over.
We walked into a nicely decorated office. My mother went to the front desk where not one but TWO ladies were attending. They did not look up from whatever they were writing on at their desk (literally 2 feet in front of where my mother was standing. She was so close that she could see if the lady needed her roots touched up…) Neither of them looked up, did not say hello, acknowledge my mothers presence or the fact that she just signed in. We were sort of baffled to be honest with you. My mother sat next to me. She was feeling very miffed and as if it was a personal thing that they didn’t acknowledge her. Just as we were about to slither out, thinking it was us…another patient waltzed up to the front desk to check in. She was much cuter than we were and better dressed to be certain (scrubs are not the most attractive attire) So we were SURE that SHE would get a warm welcoming. Nope. Not a hello, a grunt, a glad to see ya or a howdoyado. Nothing!
My mother and I were stunned. My mother than turned to me and very matter of fact said “Tiffany, that would NEVER happen in your office.” She was right. It never would. EVER. Not because we are all afraid of losing our jobs, or because it is posted in Sharpie ink someplace near. No, it wouldn’t happen because it is simply NOT in our general make-up or personalities to treat our patients in such a cold manner. No way! We say “hello” “hows your day” we compliment their new haircut or their handbag (hello, office of 10 women..yep we notice a cute handbag when we see it!) We find out what book they are reading if they have one in their hand. We treat them as we would a family member walking through our door at home. That is what our patients are to us. Family. Family walking in our door and trusting us. That is NOT something to take lightly.
I left that Dr. appointment more pleased than ever of the place I am able to work. Of the people that I associate with every day. I thought, Boy….that office is really missing out….really missing the boat…not because of business, but they are missing a really wonderful connection with the people that they could see every day if they would just open their eyes…or minimum look UP!
http://www.jonesfamilydentistry.com 
A smile goes a LONG way
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March 12, 2012 at 7:56 pm (Uncategorized)
Tags: Chandler, cleanings, exams, fillings, General Dentistry, hygeine, preventative, root canal, Tempe
One of our staff members was out and about the other day. She was (as usual) being friendly and personable to those around her. Somehow, (we don’t ask anymore) the topic arose that she worked for a dental practice in Tempe. The man then said
“Lemme ask you something. Why is dentistry SO expensive!?”
Its not as if she hasn’t had the question asked before. She has however learned to WAIT before answering because the question is usually followed by a story. This encounter was no different. A story did indeed follow. It went a lil somethin like this……
“So, I woke up one morning with my face swollen and in terrible pain.” He added PROUDLY ” You should know I have only had to go to a dentist 3 times in my life of 30 years (red flag numero uno). I went to see the dentist and they took a picture. They said that half of my molar was broken, I already KNEW THAT, and that there was a very deep cavity, and that the decay went down into the nerve area (red flag number 2). They then proceeded to tell me that the tooth could be saved. I was thrilled. I didn’t want to LOSE a tooth! The gal from up front came back to show me the damages….OH MY *$@** the damages!! Damage was right! Root canal, crown and some other things that I didn’t understand all to the tune of over 2k! Hello, I dont have 2k!! Im saving for a Motorcycle dontcha know!? So I asked how much to pull the thing. $175. Well, DUH…pull it then! Im buyin my ride this weekend!”
Ok, Now, the prices quoted in this story above do not necessarily coincide with our fees. We are not the cheapest in town (you never want the cheapest in town) but we are by far not the most expensive. There are in fact reasons (which we won’t bore you with) that dentistry as well as medical have higher costs. Contrary to popular belief it is NOT simply to finance that boat the dentist may be eyeing. I assure you it’s not. The point is, we feel that rarely is there a reason for losing a tooth. Sure, there ARE those times when it simply is inevitable. This was not one of them.
What were the red flags?? Well, when he said he had only “needed” to go to the dentist 3 times in his life….ahem…well, that is the first indicator that he is not educated in oral health needs. If he had in fact only gone to see his dentist and hygenist regularly (we dont even WANT to begin to talk about the fact that the three times he did go to the dentist in 30 years did not include a cleaning) then the decay in that particular tooth would have been detected very early on and the fix would have cost probably LESS than the extraction did and he would STILL have his tooth (and the rest of them would be clean as well). Had he come in when the tooth first broke…..the fix would have been significantly less than he was quoted because most likely the decay would not have been down to the nerve and he could have avoided the root canal all together.
The point is folks, we are not trying to bleed you dry when we ask you to come in and have your regular six month cleanings and exams. We truly are trying to care for you and your best oral health. We want to catch any problems EARLY on so that the fixing of those problems can not only be kind to your pocket book but can be a fairly easy and less traumatic experience for you. The reason EVERY one of our staff, including our doctors went into the dental industry, is because we truly ARE passionate about people and their needs. We truly do care about the importance of oral health for EVERYONE. Do we want to get paid for our services? Yes, of course we do. If we didn’t then we would certainly go out of business very quickly and our vehicle for helping others would be gone. We must sustain our practice and the impeccable staff that we have in order to serve YOU the very best quality dentistry and atmosphere possible. Its what we are committed to ….YOU.
So, moral of the story: Go get your regular cleanings and exams (preferrably by Jones Family Dentistry) Get those issues that may be lingering taken care of while they are still small and affordable.
Outcome of story: Our staff member decided NOT to fix this gentleman up with anyone that she knew…the whole thought of her friend kissing him…just…well…NO.
Tragic realization of the story: This is 10 min of your life that you are never going to get back, so, we hope you learned something!
The BEFORE picture at the beginning of this post is most likely what this gentlemans teeth looked like from not having them cleaned. The AFTER is what our hygenists can Miraculously and heroically do for situations like this. What a difference!!! http://www.jonesfamilydentistry.com
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March 12, 2012 at 7:50 pm (Uncategorized)
Tags: Chanlder, Children, fillings, General Dentistry, Tempe, Tooth Fairy
This picture is of sweet Madalyn. Permission to share has been of course granted by her parents. She lost a tooth. Always an exciting event in most households. For some of us it is an event that takes a bit longer than it should since we forget the toothfairy duties and then have to create very unique and creative stories as to WHY she has failed to put the cash under the pillow. Maybe another blog on that later!
Who knew that there were so many different traditions for the losing of baby teeth. All over the world it seems that losing one of these little nuggets is something to celebrate. We wanted to see just a few different ways that others across the world handle this milestone. Here are just a few for your “gee whiz” file. (dont pretend that you don’t think its interesting….you WILL share at least ONE of these tidbits within a months time with a friend or coworker. Admit it..it will make you look wonderfully informed about worldly traditions! Thank us later)
One tradition in England held that if a child’s tooth fell out, that child must drop it into a fire, to avoid having to look for it after death Possibly this is the origin of the importance of a lost tooth. This tale was handed down during the Middle Ages to smaller children during the teething stage.
The addition of fire into the story may have conjured up images of witchcraft. Suspected witches were often burned, because people believed money appeared after they threw articles into fire. From this myth comes the importance of keeping a tooth. When a witch burned a piece of hair, clothing or teeth from a person, she supposedly obtained power over them. Parents may have prompted children into keeping teeth or burning the teeth themselves in order to keep themselves free of demon possession.
In Japan:
If it is a lower baby tooth, throw it up onto the roof; and if it is an upper tooth, throw it underneath the en-no-shita which is the lower portion below the floor of a Japanese house. It is done so that the upper tooth grows healthy downwards, while the lower tooth upwards. Whereas in Vietnam BOTH upper and lower teeth are thrown over the roof. If its anything like how our kids throw outdoor toys up there, they must have quite a collection of teeth in the shingles.
In Mongolia the baby tooth is given to a young dog.
The dog is respected and is considered a guardian angel. The baby tooth is put in the meat fat and it is fed to the young dog. When the guardian angel eats it, it is said, that a strong tooth will grow.
In Slovenia, a mouse replaces the baby tooth under the pillow with a candy during the night. Candy…hmmmm something seems amiss with this tradition.
Regardless of the tradition, the children are less fearful when a part of their body suddenly gets loose and falls out. It is a sign that they are growing up, becoming a “big person” and gives them security when we honor that transition.
We want to be a part of the growing years of your children. Begin to bring them in at age 3 for a “happy visit” so that they do not fear the dental chair. Allow them to see the importance you place on caring for your teeth and instruct them on how best to do that themselves, EVEN on those baby teeth.
Congratulations to Madalyn on losing another tooth. Im sure that the tooth fairy paid high dollar for this one since it is obviously free of decay or a filling. Its been cared for and has now made a healthy place for that new tooth to come in.
Hail to ALL the toothfairies in the world. All those fairies that flutter around with sleep in their eyes to honor the loss of a tiny tooth.
http://www.jonesfamilydentistry.com
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Tempe Dentistry...Something to Chew On
