The Makkar brand Pure Power Mouth-guard has been named the “Surprise Product of the Year” for the golf industry’s best for 2009.

It won out over the Viper Golf Tee, Geox Respira footwear, Bionic Glove, FootJoy TechSof Golf Socks, and the Robo Cup. To see the rest of the results check out the list by CLICKING HERE. The benefits of the professional mouth-guards are not limited to improving your golf game. Contact Dr. Ban Barbat at her Utica Cosmetic Dentist Office to find out more about the Pure Power Mouthguard.

Source: www.scoregolf.com

A recent study indicates that there is a statistically significant association between type two diabetes and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) during the REM sleep cycle. Dr. Kamran Mahmood and his colleagues from the University of Illinois in Chicago and colleagues evaluated a multi-ethnic sample of 1008 patients including Caucasians (16.9 percent), African Americans (66.9 percent) and Hispanics (14.9 percent) for OSA using polysomnography, an evaluation of brain waves and other body functions during sleep.

Dr. Mahmood states “Type 2 diabetes is a multi-factorial disorder. REM-related OSA and its metabolic effects need to be investigated in more depth, and this can provide another unique avenue for intervention and control of type 2 diabetes.” The prevalence of type two diabetes was 30.1 percent in patients with OSA compared to 18.6 percent in patients without OSA

“We believe that REM-related OSA is a marker of early OSA, especially in women and patients younger than 55 years,” Mahmood noted in a prepared statement. “Generally, OSA is worse in REM sleep compared to non-REM sleep because of neurologically mediated impairment of skeletal muscles of upper airway and ventilation. This may be the reason for closer association of REM-related OSA and type 2 diabetes.”

Does your signifigant other complain about your snoring? Do you wake up in the morning feeling drained and unrested? Dr. Ban Barbat may be able to help. OSA also know as sleep apnea is a serious problem that your dentist can help you with.

Source: Reuters

“Anyone wishing to be successful should develop their whole person, including their personality.”

– Jessica A. Rickert

The Michigan Women’s Historical Center and Hall of Fame was opened in 1987 on the anniversary of Michigan’s ratification of the Women’s Suffrage Amendment. This center displays exhibits on the cultural and historic achievements of Michigan women. It also is home to the Belen Gallery, which displays the work of Michigan women artists and photographers. Nominees are sorted into one of two categories – contemporary or historical – and are assessed for their achievements in a variety of areas, including community service, civil rights, entertainment, politics and business. Jessica A. Rickert is one of the contemporary honorees for 2009.

In 1975, Rickert became the nation’s first American Indian woman dentist. Rickert will be joining more than 200 inductees including Rosa Parks, Betty Ford, Lily Tomlin, Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., Aretha Franklin and Gov. Jennifer Granholm.

Levi Rickert, her brother, nominated her in 2008 to be placed into the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame. On October 21, 2009 she was inducted in East Lansing, along with nine other women being honored for their societal contributions.

A founding member of the Society of American Indian Dentists, Rickert is only the third American Indian dentist in history. Ms. Rickert descended down from Chief Whitepigeon for whom the town of White Pigeon, Michigan is named. She has helped erect dental clinics for two Michigan tribes and authors a dental column read in many prevalent American Indian newspapers.

Rickert hopes that more American Indian women will be nominated to the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame. “When my brother nominated me he told me that the three American Indian women in the Hall of Fame are all deceased; there were no living ones represented. I couldn’t believe that was possible because in the state of Michigan there are all kinds of accomplished American Indian women.”

To be a success in the health field, according to Rickert, you have to be a hard worker with a good work ethic. “You need a great character and good heart and should always strive to be as straightforward and truthful as you can be. You have to have a certain personality to be in the health field and be willing to help other people out. Anyone wishing to be successful should develop their whole person, including their personality.”

It is my hope that this blog will bring to light information about our practice for our patients of record as well as for potential new patients.  Not only will I be sharing news from the practice, I will also include information on special offers, tips, behind the scenes stuff, and some fun stuff too.

There will be LOTS to share!  So, please stay tuned as we get the ball rolling…

Until then, please feel free to catch up with previous newsletters or our Facebook page.

Ban R. Barbat, DDS

The quickest and most effective way to have whiter teeth right away is through in-office whitening.  We use the Zoom Advanced Power System which can give you a whiter smile within the hour!  The procedure is quick and easy.

The regular price for this procedure is $399.  For a limited time, you can get “Zoomed” for $99; that’s a savings of $300!!  This great deal is available to any new patient who has completed a new patient visit (which includes an exam, x-rays, and a cleaning).

Are you a patient of record wondering how you can get this great deal?  Just refer a new patient to use and we’ll extend to you the special price of $99 for Zoom.

This offer is available through October 15^th, 2008.  So, call us soon 586-739-2155 or contact us via our website.

Ban R. Barbat, DDS

Our practice has been using the K7 Evaluation System by Myotoronics since February of 2007.  Coincidentally, in that same month, Japan’s Health Ministry recognized the K7 Evaluation System as a requirement for orthodontists to receive payment from the National Health Insurance Program.  Also, all 29 dental universities in Japan have the K7 system and 23 of 60 medical schools have one as well.  This is significant recognition for the neuromuscular approach in managing a patient’s bite.

We use the K7 Evaluation System to help us treat patients with Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) pains such as migraines, headaches, facial pain, as well as head and neck pain.  Many of our patients who have undergone treatment with the K7 tell us that their headaches and pains are greatly reduced and/or eliminated.  Let me share some patient testimonials with you.

This testimonial was posted on Dr.Oogle (a website for patients to post reviews) no 7/26/08:

“After years of battling headaches & migraines and spending thousands in medical doctors & testing, my 16 year old son finally found relief with Dr. Dan Barbat. Her advanced training in neuromuscular dentistry quickly diagnosed & treated my son for a temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder. Every week following Dr. Barbat’s TMJ procedures , my sons headache pain has reduced. I can’t thank Dr. Barbat & her staff enough for giving my son’s life back!”

This testimonial was mailed to us on 11/28/07:

Dear Dr. Barbat:

I just wanted to thank you for all your time and services to help relieve me of my migraine headaches.  I have been suffering with migraines for over 10 years, averaging a headache at least 5 times a week.  The orthotic that you recommended has truly been a blessing.

Thank you again for all that you did…

It is very gratifying for me to help my patients in this manner.  If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact us at (586) 739-2155 or on the web.

For many Americans going to the dentist is a frightful event, even though dentistry has changed so much in the past years. A visit to the dentist can now be relaxing and fun. Unfortunately, this is not enough for the approximately 145 million people who avoid the dentist due to fear.

Together with my caring team, I’ve recently completed special training to update our skills to allow us to treat these fearful people. Using a small pill, people can now have their dental care accomplished while they are totally relaxed and absolutely comfortable.

Since I started offering sedation about 8 years ago, I have learned that building trust takes more than a pill though.  You have to work with your entire team to be very sensitive to patients with high fear and apprehension.  It’s unfortunate that so many good people are avoiding needed care due to fear. I hope that these people learn about this safe and wonderful technique of anxiety-free dentistry.

I’ve been a member of the Dental Organization for Conscious Sedation (DOCS) since 2000.   The purpose of DOCS is to provide the education necessary for dentists to provide needed care to the large population of people who are avoiding the dentist and to improve their lives with better dental health.

Dentistry is very high tech today with all sorts of gadgets that get the job done better and quicker.  With anxiety-free dentistry, I can bridge the gap between technology and comfort. You should see the look on the faces of my patients when they complete their care and they have a healthy mouth – there aren’t words to describe it! That look is why I love dentistry. I helped to change someone’s life.

We are proud of this commitment to our community.

To experience serene care, call us soon 586-739-2155 or contact us via our website.

Ban R. Barbat, DDS

For many Americans going to the dentist is a frightful event, even though dentistry has changed so much in the past years. A visit to the dentist can now be relaxing and fun. Unfortunately, this is not enough for the approximately 145 million people who avoid the dentist due to fear.

Together with my caring team, I’ve recently completed special training to update our skills to allow us to treat these fearful people. Using a small pill, people can now have their dental care accomplished while they are totally relaxed and absolutely comfortable.

Since I started offering sedation about 8 years ago, I have learned that building trust takes more than a pill though.  You have to work with your entire team to be very sensitive to patients with high fear and apprehension.  It’s unfortunate that so many good people are avoiding needed care due to fear. I hope that these people learn about this safe and wonderful technique of anxiety-free dentistry.

I’ve been a member of the Dental Organization for Conscious Sedation (DOCS) since 2000.   The purpose of DOCS is to provide the education necessary for dentists to provide needed care to the large population of people who are avoiding the dentist and to improve their lives with better dental health.

Dentistry is very high tech today with all sorts of gadgets that get the job done better and quicker.  With anxiety-free dentistry, I can bridge the gap between technology and comfort. You should see the look on the faces of my patients when they complete their care and they have a healthy mouth – there aren’t words to describe it! That look is why I love dentistry. I helped to change someone’s life.

We are proud of this commitment to our community.

To experience serene care, call us soon 586-739-2155 or contact us via our website.

Ban R. Barbat, DDS

Everyone notices a new smile, but no one needs to know…

I just ran into Tony V at Level Health And Fitness when we go to talking about cosmetic dentistry.  He was blown away by my husband’s smile because he thought it looked so natural; he didn’t believe that his teeth were actually covered by veneers.  He looked at a few pictures of my patients who have had “smile makeovers” and he was amazed that these were all done without braces.

This got me thinking that maybe I take for granted that everyone understands the miracle of cosmetic dentistry in the hands of an experienced dentist.  Not only does cosmetic dentistry give you a beautiful smile, it also gives you healthy gums and teeth.

There are many reasons to want a beautiful smile.  Maybe you want to be more attractive to others.  Maybe you understand a great smile will give you much more credibility in business meetings.  Or maybe you simply don’t like what you see when you smile in the mirror.

You may not know that we can provide you with a breathtaking smile that is virtually indistinguishable from the ‘real thing’.  With the newest porcelains available, creating a smile that others see as simply a ‘great smile’ (instead of looking like ‘false teeth’ or ‘caps’) is only a couple of dental visits away.

Come see for yourself what we can do for YOUR smile — we will be happy to show you numerous photos of our own patients.  If your smile bothers you, take care of it now.  It will be the best investment of your life.

Call us soon 586-739-2155 or contact us via our website

Ban R. Barbat, DDS