Chapin Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery

New Year’s Resolutions to Make for Good Oral Health in 2019

Happy December!

Here at Chapin Oral, we’re gearing up for a busy month as we close out the end of the year.
Students are out of school and are kicking off their winter breaks by having their wisdom
teeth removed, and other patients are choosing to end 2018 and begin 2019 with new dental
implants. We’re beginning to look ahead to 2019 and our team is setting goals for the New
Year.

What about you? Do you have any goals or resolutions that you’re making for 2019? Our
team has come up with three that we think everyone should consider if you’re not already
doing them!

Visit Your Dentist Twice a Year
If you’re not already going to see your dentist twice a year, we think that this should be your
number one New Year’s Resolution for 2019! The easiest way to maintain good oral health is
to have a regularly scheduled cleaning with your dentist. Your dentist can confirm that you’re
doing the right things to keep your teeth clean and free of any issues, and they can also help
determine if there are any things to be concerned about. If they spot any issues, you can get
ahead of the problem rather than trying to fix things when it might be too late to do so.

Maintain Good Oral Hygiene Habits
It’s one of the simplest ways to have the best oral health possible: maintain good oral hygiene
habits. We’re talking about brushing—and flossing—your teeth twice a day, every day. It
means paying attention to any pains or discomforts that you experience in regards to your
teeth or your gums. If you notice something, you need to reach out to your dentist or Dr. Hairr
to seek their expertise on what needs to be done to resolve the pain. Preventative care is an
easy way to avoid problems down the road!

Don’t Avoid Necessary Oral Surgery
When it comes to oral surgery, you shouldn’t put off or avoid any necessary work that has
been recommended to you by your dentist or by Dr. Hairr. You can greatly improve your
quality of life by extracting a problematic tooth, by replacing a missing tooth with a dental
implant, or by taking the advance measure to remove wisdom teeth before they begin to
cause a problem. Oral surgery isn’t something to be anxious about—not when you’re in our
care.

Our team wishes you and your family a very happy holiday season! We look forward to
serving you in 2019!

A Season of Thankfulness

Happy Thanksgiving!
 

 
Thanksgiving is one of our favorite times of the year as not only is it the official beginning of the holiday season, but it’s also a time for us to reflect on all of the things that we’re thankful for this season. Being thankful often gets lost in the busyness that comes with this time of the year, but today, we want to take a moment to share some gratitude for the people that we’re most appreciative of.
 
Who are we thankful for this year?

  • Our patients—it truly is our honor to be able to serve so many wonderful patients in the Midlands area when it comes to wisdom tooth extractions, dental implants, and more. You all make it possible for us to keep doing what we do, and we’re grateful that you trust us to be able to serve you well.
  • Our community—Chapin, SC has been such a great community to be a part of! We’re thankful for all of the encouragement and support from this town. From welcoming our practice to coming to us with their oral surgery needs, this community has been awesome!
  • Our team—we’re all so appreciative to be able to work together with one another each day!
  • Our families—we wouldn’t be able to do what we do each day without the love and support from our families! We’re especially thankful for them during this time of year as things begin to pick up during the holiday season when schools are out for their Winter Breaks.

 
From our team to your family, we hope that everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving with their family and friends.

Celebrate National Oral Hygiene Month


Did you know? October is National Oral Hygiene Month. While we do not do any dental check ups or cleanings in our office, oral hygiene plays a huge part in our office every single day. Many of the oral procedures and surgeries that we perform in our office on a daily basis can be prevented just by doing a better job of cleaning your teeth each day.
 
What Oral Health Problems Does Good Oral Hygiene Prevent?
Some of the biggest oral health problems that we deal with in our office due to poor oral hygiene include:
* Cavities
* Tooth Decay &/or loss
* Gum Disease
 
All three of these can lead to tooth loss or affect the bones that support your teeth in your jaw. Our team is adept at handling teeth extractions, bone grafting, and dental implants—but wouldn’t you rather incorporate good oral hygiene practices in your life instead to avoid these issues?
 
What Oral Hygiene Practices Should I Implement in My Life?
* Brush your teeth at least twice a day
* Floss your teeth daily
* Use mouthwash and toothpaste products that contain fluoride
* Limit the number of sugary foods and drinks that you consume
* Visit the dentist regularly
 
By going to the dentist twice a year (every six months), you’re also practicing good oral hygiene. Your dentist will be able to easily spot any potential problem spots and through x-ray, will notice things under the surface that might cause you pain later, such as an impacted tooth. For teenagers and young adults, these x-rays can spot when your wisdom teeth first begin showing up and your dentist can go ahead and refer you over to our office to have them removed.
 
If you haven’t seen your dentist lately, be sure to call and schedule an appointment in their office today! Even if you have excellent oral hygiene, there are still some issues that they can help detect early on. The earlier any issue is detected, the easier it is for Dr. Hairr and our team to help you get back to 100%!

Celebrating Arts & Culture in Chapin this Fall

Fall is almost here—are you ready for it?
 
Summer has come and gone, school is back in session, and the theatre scene is just getting going for the season. This fall, we’re proud to be a community sponsor of Fig Columbia’s Arts & Culture Issue. It’s an issue filled with all kinds of local artists, makers, and creatives from those that make the art to those who embrace the art.
 

 
If you pick up an issue in our office, you might see a familiar face!
 
Our team was happy to partner with the Chapin Theatre Company to share their upcoming fall schedule with our community. Have you been to Chapin Theatre before? It’s a wonderful local theatre just down the road from us that puts on incredible plays each season. This fall, they’re bringing two great ones to the stage:
 
Things My Mother Taught Me
September 28 – October 7, 2018
Olivia and Gabe are moving in together—new city, new jobs, new apartment. Things get interesting when both sets of parents decide to visit!
 
A Charlie Brown Christmas
November 29 – December 9, 2018
The Peanuts gang discovers the true meaning of Christmas. This will be a holiday classic in Chapin!
 
Visit Chapin Theatre Company’s website to learn more about their shows this fall and to purchase tickets. We’ll see you at the theatre!

Are Dental Implants Right for Me?

It may have never occurred to you before, but your teeth have the ability to affect your entire body. A missing tooth can not only affect your bite, but it’ll affect your speech and your eating choices as well. It can also lead to headaches, jaw pain, or additional premature tooth decay or loss. When you have a mouth full of healthy teeth, you lead a much healthier life!
 
Don’t let your appearance or your health begin to deteriorate because of a missing tooth. That’s where our team at Chapin Oral can help you out. Our team fully believes that dental implants can be life changing—for the better!
 
A dental implant acts just like your natural teeth. They will safeguard and preserve your bone structure, oral health, and appearance and they have the added benefit of being the most comfortable and permanent tooth-loss solution out there. We even bet that nobody will know the difference between your regular teeth and your implant!
 
Dental implants are right for you if:
* You have lost a permanent tooth
* If a permanent tooth is decayed
* If a permanent tooth has been damaged beyond repair
 
It doesn’t matter your age—a permanent tooth lost for any reason at any age is a great tooth to replace with a dental implant. Why sacrifice your quality of life because you feel like you are “too old” to spend the money on a replacement? You’re never too old to have a full mouth of teeth to help you eat well and continue to communicate with your family and friends.
 
If you believe you are a candidate for dental implants, our team would love to meet with you! We can walk you through the process and answer any questions that you might have. Call us today to schedule your appointment, 803-816-2795.

The More You Know – Juvéderm

Feeling and seeing the affects of age these days? Did you know that we can help smooth some of those wrinkles and fine lines away for you? Here at Chapin Oral, we proudly offer Juvéderm to our clients! Juvéderm can not only smooth out your skin, but these injections can help fill out hollow cheeks or thin lips to help you look younger and more vibrant. Who doesn’t love that?
 

Dr. Hairr is answering a few frequently asked questions for you today in regards to Juvéderm.
 
What exactly is Juvéderm and why would I be interested in it?
Juvéderm is hylauronic acid, which is a substance that is naturally found in our tissues. It is found in many places, but especially within the “ground substance” of soft tissue. It simply serves to add volume to areas where volume has been lost, It is naturally broken down by our bodies into water. As people lose tissue volume with aging, Juvéderm can restore that volume that has been lost. People who are concerned with the look of deep lines, flat lips, or hollow facial appearance may also benefit from Juvéderm injections.
 
Is this a surgical procedure?
No, Juvéderm is not a surgical procedure. It is simply administered as an injection.
 
I thought that you just focused on oral surgeries like wisdom teeth extractions and dental implants. How are you qualified to do Juvéderm injections?
All oral surgeons are trained in facial anatomy and we are trained on how to do head and neck surgeries. Facial filler injections are a part of our speciality training and I have also completed some additional training for fillers.
 
What areas are commonly treated with Juvéderm?
The most common treatment areas are lips, marionette lines, nasolabial lines, tear troughs (under eyes) and cheeks.
 
How long does a Juvéderm treatment last?
Typically, Juvéderm lasts around 6-12 months per treatment. It may last for a shorter duration in lips.
 
Have any other questions about Juvéderm, the procedure, or how it works? Feel free to give our office a call. We would be more than happy to talk to you more about the process and to answer any additional questions that you might have.

A Weekend With the Pros

With the longer days and the hotter temperatures, it’s safe to say that the summer months have arrived in Chapin, SC. It’s the perfect time of year to enjoy being outside and to take advantage of what our team believes is one of the best things about living in Chapin: Lake Murray!

 

Lake Murray, a manmade lake created in the late 1920s, is one of our favorite places to spend our free time and our weekends. It’s a great place for exploring, relaxing, and playing. Did you know? Dr. Hairr enjoys being out on the lake behind the boat—in recent years, he’s taken up both wakeboarding and wakesurfing!

 

 

This year, our team is proud to sponsor the SC Rough Rider’s Weekend With The Pros. Weekend With The Pros is a wonderful annual event that happens out on Lake Murray each Father’s Day Weekend and is put on by a group of guys who are passionate about sharing their love of watersports with our community. It’s a family-friendly event that’s great for all ages to enjoy.

 

What is Weekend With The Pros? It’s several things. First of all, professional wakeboarders fly in to Chapin, SC to come and teach lessons to aspiring wakeboarders of all ages and skill level. They offer full day lessons on Friday, June 15 and half day lessons on the morning of Saturday, June 16. It’s an incredible opportunity for anyone who wants to learn how to wakeboard, to improve upon their skills, or who want to learn how to throw new tricks out on the water. Past professional wakeboarders have included Shaun Murray, Steel Lafferty, and Josh Palma.

 

Second, the professional riders put on a Pro Wakeboard Show on Saturday afternoon that is free to attend. This show is amazing to watch! Throughout the day on Saturday, boats will begin anchoring down and rafting up along the course to make sure that they have a great view of the action. When the show begins, it’s about 45 minutes of pro riders throwing some of their biggest and best tricks in a fun, non-competitive environment for everyone to enjoy watching. After the show is over, the riders hop from boat to boat meeting people, signing wakeboards, and taking photos. How often do you have the opportunity to do something like that?

 

Also, Weekend With The Pros hosts a free in-water boat show at Frayed Knot in Chapin. This show is unique in that you are able to see the boats in the water and demo them as well. Well known area dealers, like Carolina Inboard and Captain’s Choice Marine, will be in attendance to introduce you to new boats, answer any of your questions, and let you demo boats that you’re interested in.

 

It’s a great weekend that our team is excited to be a part of this year! Are you interested in signing up for a lesson? Better do so quickly! Lessons will sell out soon and you don’t want to miss your opportunity to learn from some of the biggest and best names in the wakeboarding world. Visit http://scroughriders.com/ to learn more about the event and to sign up!

Ease Your Anxiety

Did you know? Nearly 75% of all Americans experience some degree of dental fear and between 5-10% are so afraid of having any dental work done, that they’ll completely avoid it all together.

Here at Chapin Oral, we don’t want you to fall under the “too afraid” statistic when it comes to taking care of your oral and dental needs. Our team is here to help ease you through any oral procedure or surgery that you have completed under our care. We strive to always make sure that each patient feels at ease when they’re in our office, but we know that sometimes anxiety can get the best of us.

Here are some ways that we suggest to reduce any anxiety that you may have about an upcoming oral procedure or surgery:

Create a relaxing playlist.
Put together the perfect relaxing playlist to listen to on your way to our office or while in our waiting room. The right music can ease your mind and reduce any stress you might have.

Exercise.
If an early morning workout puts you in the right mindset for the day, don’t skip it! However, we suggest modifying it to a low intensity activity such as a walk around the neighborhood with your pup so that you avoid dehydration prior to surgery.

Get some extra sleep the night before.
Hit the hay a little earlier the night before your scheduled appointment in our office. A well-rested mind is one that tends to be less stressed.

Give us a call.
At the end of the day, we want you to be as prepared and relaxed as possible when you come into our office. Are you feeling worried because you’re not 100% sure about the process? While going over the process is a part of our consultation with you, we know that sometimes it can be a lot to take in all at once. Give us a call. We are more than happy to walk you through the process again and to answer any questions that you might have.

How do you relax or reduce your anxiety? We’d love to hear your tips!

Anesthesia and Our Team

A common fear that patients have when they come to us for an oral surgery procedure is having to have an IV sedation with anesthesia. Our patients can rest assured though: Dr. Hairr is well-versed and trained in anesthesia and our staff is fully capable of providing him support throughout a surgery.
Dr. Hairr completed 6 months training as an anesthesia resident during his Oral Surgeon Residency. His official anesthesia training was done with the department of anesthesia at the University of Florida. There, he was treated as a PGY 2 Level anesthesia resident which involved taking call with the anesthesia residents and doing an ICU rotation. In addition, he received two years training of performing IV sedations and deep sedations under supervision of oral surgery faculty.

 

Two of our assistants, Theresa and Rhonda, also have certifications in dental anesthesia assisting. While not required, we believe in having as many capable hands on deck as possible.

 

During each procedure involving anesthesia, we continuously monitor several things:

 

  • Continuous EKG — this shows a patient’s heart rate and any arrhythmias
  • Blood Pressure
  • Continuous end tidal CO2 monitoring — this shows a patient is breathing
  • Pulse oximetry — this measures the level of oxygen in a patient’s blood
  • Precordial Stethoscope — this allows Dr. Hairr to hear sounds of breathing, irritation, or spasm of vocal cords

 

Last year in our office, Dr. Hairr performed around 800 anesthetics. You know that you’re in excellent care with as much training and experience as Dr. Hairr has!

 

While we take every precaution in our office to make sure that each surgery or procedure proceeds without any incident, we are trained to respond to medical emergencies that may arise. Dr. Hairr and our staff are both trained in basic life support, and Dr. Hairr is trained in advanced cardiac life support. All of these certifications are renewed every two years.

 

In our office, we have an emergency kit that contains drugs for allergic reaction, cardiac arrest, heart arrhythmias, high blood pressure, low blood pressure, low blood sugar, and asthma / bronchial constriction, both for adult and pediatric emergencies. Our kit includes advanced airway devices, portable oxygen, ambu bag, portable suction, and an automatic defibrillator. We are prepared to handle the rare instances that an emergency does occur during a procedure.

 

If you’re worried about an upcoming procedure, please reach out to us to discuss your anxieties or fears. We can walk you through the entire process and help you feel at ease before the day arrives.

Treat Yourself With Ice Cream

One of the best parts of having your wisdom teeth removed is all of the ice cream, milkshakes, and smoothies that you get to enjoy during recovery. It’s ok to treat yourself after surgery—especially since the cold, soft treats will help soothe inflamed tissue and because it will help to promote a quickly recovery.


Photo by Marble Slab

Where is your favorite place to grab a scoop or two of ice cream? Here are a few places around our community that we love to visit for ice cream or a milkshake.

Chapin – Zesto’s
Is there anything more iconic in Chapin than Vanilla Dipped in Chocolate cone from Zesto’s? They keep things classic here with vanilla or chocolate ice cream and chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry milkshakes.

Newberry – The Corner Scoop
With over 48 flavors of ice cream, floats, and old fashioned snow cones, there is plenty to choose from at The Corner Scoop.

Lexington – Sandy’s Famous Hot Dogs
Sandy’s is known for more than just their hot dogs: their ice cream is absolutely divine! They have over 32 flavors to choose from and range from the classic vanilla and strawberry to Mackinaw Island Fudge, Bubble Gum, and Rocky Road.

Irmo – Marble Slab
You truly can find originality in every scoop of ice cream from Marble Slab, but we suggest holding off on the mix-ins until your mouth heals a little bit. Grab one of their shakes or smoothies to go if you’re on the run!

Columbia – Sweet Cream
Sweet Cream, located in the 1600 block of Main Street near Mast General Store, is a perfect spot to pick up a pint of fun flavors like Madagascar Vanilla, Blueberry Cheesecake, French Toast, and more.


Photo by Sweet Cream

If you have a wisdom tooth extraction coming up, start making plans for all of the delicious ice cream that you want to enjoy! It’s the sweetest part of the recovery process. Just remember, skip the straw and use a spoon for your milkshake!