Dental Health Specialists

02/08/2021

This week, we are honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Robert Tanner Freeman, DMD.

Robert Tanner Freeman was born in Washington, D.C. in 1846 to two former slaves who had purchased their freedom from bo***ge. In his youth, he befriended a white dentist named Henry Bliss Noble who owned a dental practice near the White House. Dr. Noble trained the young Robert as his dental assistant and later encouraged him to apply to collegiate dental schools.

Robert was rejected by two other schools on the grounds of his race before finally being accepted into the inaugural Harvard University School of Dental Medicine. In 1869, he earned his Doctor of Medicine in Dentistry and became the first black student in the United States to graduate with a dental degree.

Upon his graduation, Dr. Freeman opened his own practice in Washington, D.C. and mentored other African American youth interested in the medical profession. Unfortunately, just four years after earning his degree, Dr. Freeman contracted a water-borne illness and succumbed to his death in 1873.

Although his life was short, Dr. Freeman left behind an extraordinary legacy. The National Dental Association, an all-black dental group founded in 1913, adopted Dr. Freeman’s mission to treat and educate impoverished, disabled, and minority populations. His grandson, Robert C. Weaver, would also grow up to become the first African American to serve as a member of the Presidential cabinet.

Did you learn something new about the life of Dr. Robert T. Freeman today?

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02/04/2021

Find our ad in the February/March issue of Celebration Magazine!
➡️ http://celebrationmagazine.com

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐚 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐡?
Dental Health Specialists believes that oral health and overall health are intimately intertwined. You cannot have one without the other. They are a group of dental specialists, 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬, who have completed more than 4 years of additional education to bring this vision to reality to their beloved patients. Learn more here: https://www.dentalhealthspecialists.net/

02/01/2021

We're starting off the month of February by introducing you to a woman who inspires us! Meet Ida Gray Nelson Rollins, DDS.

Orphaned as a teenager after her mother died, Ida lived in Ohio with her aunt and three cousins. She attended a segregated public high school and worked as a seamstress and dressmaker to help support the family. Later in high school, Ida found part-time work at the dental office of Johnathan Taft. It was during her three years under Johnathan's mentorship that Ida began dreaming of becoming a dentist herself.

Johnathan staunchly advocated for women practicing dentistry. When he became the first dean of the dental college at the University of Michigan, he encouraged Ida to apply to the program. Her previous experience at his office prepared her for the entrance exam. Upon her graduation from the dental program in 1890, Ida became the first African-American woman to earn a Doctorate of Dental Surgery degree in the United States.

Ida returned to Ohio after graduation to open her own private dental practice. She later moved to Chicago and continued practicing dentistry there until her retirement in the 1930s. She was beloved by her patients and was especially known for her gentleness with children. She even inspired one of her patients, Olive M. Henderson, to become the second African-American to practice dentistry in Chicago.

Ida died in 1953, but her legacy lives on through an annual diversity award given in her name by the School of Dentistry at the University of Michigan.

We're excited to share more stories with you this month and onwards as we celebrate and elevate diversity in dentistry. Do you have a hero you'd like us to meet? Let us know in the comments!

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01/26/2021

Sleep disordered breathing, such as sleep apnea and snoring, can be managed with a CPAP machine or an oral appliance.

Although CPAP machines are considered the “gold standard” for patients who suffer from sleep disordered breathing, this type of treatment can be so uncomfortable, some patients unconsciously remove it in their sleep!

Your dental specialist can work with you to make a custom-fit night guard that helps open the airway, stop your snoring, and give you (and your partner!) a full night’s rest.

Read the newest blog post on our site to learn more!
➡️ dentalhealthspecialists.net/blog

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01/14/2021

Hello, I'm Dr. Amireh Awad!

I'm a prosthodontist, which means that after obtaining my Doctor of Dental Surgery degree, I completed three additional years of advanced training and education in a graduate prosthodontics program. 🎓

What's my specialty? Well, I am trained in tooth replacement and restoration - think cosmetics, dental implants, crowns, bridges, dentures, and more! 🦷

I am also experienced in treating other complex dental health issues such as tooth loss due to advanced gum disease, temporomandibular disorders (TMJ/TMD), and sleep apnea.

When I'm not working on my patients' smiles, I love spending time with my husband and three young children. I also enjoy capturing special moments with my family through photography, a hobby I picked up during my residency. 📸

Let us get to know you!
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At Dental Health Specialists, your smile is our specialty. We are your one-stop shop for affordable

01/12/2021

You’re at the dentist, reclining in your patient chair, when your dentist starts rattling off random numbers to her assistant. What the heck do all of those numbers mean?

Rest assured, your dentist is not speaking in code! She is actually using a tooth numbering system to indicate what she is seeing in regards to specific teeth. 🦷

The most commonly used tooth notation system by dental professionals in the United States is the Universal Numbering System.

How does it work? Starting at the rear upper right molar and proceeding left to the rear upper left molar, teeth are numbered consecutively from 1 to 16. The numbering continues at 17 by dropping to the rear lower left molar and continues this time to the right until we stop at tooth number 32, or the rear lower right molar. If that's a little too confusing, just swipe to the next picture! ➡️

Now you’ve decoded the “random” numbers you hear your dentist talking about! 🤯

Bonus fun fact: if you’ve had your wisdom teeth removed, you’re missing teeth numbers 1, 16, 17, and 32!
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01/07/2021

Hi, I'm Aya! When you call our office, I'm most likely the person you'll be speaking to. I'm the office manager for Dental Health Specialists, and I'll be posting to our Facebook and Instagram pages from time to time. Outside the practice, you can find me gardening, teaching myself landscape and portrait photography, playing board games, or doing some kind of project around the house. What makes me feel happiest is when I am helping someone else - and what better place to do that than at an office that literally changes people's smiles? Let us get to know you!