By Janice Llanes Fabry

Dentistry these days encompasses lot more than pearly whites and a great smile. Having opened in town last month, Purchase Street Family Dental promises to fill a niche in the community by bringing state of the art technology to Rye. You should read more information about Tolley Dental of Winchester, who not only emphasize on the health of your teeth, but also on your beautiful smile.

Dr. William Wolfson, who has practiced in Manhattan and Harrison for over 30 years, explained, “We consider ourselves a general, cosmetic, and restorative group practice with specialists, just like the ones here, who are able to do all phases of dentistry of the highest quality in the shortest time possible.”

Wolfson is also a big believer in giving back to the community with various oral health events. Last weekend, Purchase Street Family Dental hosted Rye’s first Halloween Candy Buyback to benefit our troops. Trick-or-treaters brought their excess candy to the office to receive $1 per pound and a free toothbrush. Through Operation Gratitude, the candy was sent to U.S. military personnel, accompanied by a handwritten note from each of the participating children.

Another member of the dental team for cosmetic dentistry, Doctor Shannon Kelso, who previously served as a dentist for the U.S. Navy, noted, “Halloween Candy Buyback is a great way to thank our troops for their service and sacrifice, while at the same time cutting down on the amount of candy kids eat at Halloween, which is hard on teeth.”

In addition to the former naval lieutenant with over five years of dentistry experience, also on board is pediatric dentist Nicholas Katchen, who specializes in children with special needs, as well as prosthodontist and periodontist Yung Kim. To round out the practice, Wolfson is in the process of hiring a pediatric orthodontist in Tuxedo, offering orthodontic intervention in a separate office right upstairs.

In addition to general and cosmetic dentistry, from teeth whitening to one-day implants and Invisalign, according to Dr. Yashar R. Shabestari, the practice boasts cutting-edge digital and laser dentistry. They assure their digital x-rays expose patients to 90 percent less radiation. For those squeamish patients with an aversion to dental work, Wolfson offers sedation dentistry.
“Not only are apprehensive patients in a state of relaxation during their procedures, but in many cases, they don’t even remember having work done,” he assured.

Another aspect the practice focuses on is that of the aging population. “Dentists have not been doing enough for seniors in the community,” stated Wolfson. “Now that we’re living longer, we are experiencing problems with teeth and oral health that is unprecedented.”

He also noted that dentists like Dr Gabriel Hershman should take heed of the many dental problems that are a direct result of medical conditions and medicines. “Many medications, such as blood pressure pills, can cause dry mouth, which in turn causes cavities and periodontal disease,” he said. “Medical conditions, such as diabetes, can cause dental problems that require special treatments.”

Wolfson pointed out that Family Dental has the ability to bill medical insurance for many of these health problems. Office Manager Beth Wolfson, his daughter who is also a former attorney, serves as a liaison between the practice and insurance companies.

How often must we really go to the family dentist? Although the general consensus is preventative care twice year, some patients are safe going once, while others prone to cavities and periodontal disease should go more often to receive the proper treatment like full mouth rehabilitation. “It’s all based on a comprehensive examination and each patient’s dental and medical history,” Wolfson explained.