1. Smoking or using any tobacco products accelerates the chance for tooth loss.
2. Bad breath is usually caused by bacteria that are found on the tongue.
3. You should change your toothbrush every 2 to 3 months or after a flu or cold.
4. Oral habits such as cheek and lip biting increase the chance for oral cancer.
5. The best age to take a child for his/her first visit to the dentist is between 18-24 months.
6. Periodontitis is inflammation of the supporting structures of a tooth or teeth including
the gum, the periodontal ligament and the jaw bone.
7. Gingivitis is inflammation of the gums.
8. Fluoride is useful because it decreases the chance for cavities.
9. As we get older, our chance for cavities increases.
10. McCarl dentists and hygienists recommend that you brush your teeth twice daily and floss your teeth daily.
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Did you know that straight teeth are healthier than crooked or crowded teeth? Crowded and crooked teeth are harder to brush and floss causing plaque buildup, tooth decay and periodontal disease. When left untreated, crowded, missing or widely spaced teeth can prevent normal chewing which also increases the likelihood of periodontal disease and bone loss. Similarly, misaligned teeth and jaws can cause abnormal wear on your teeth, painful jaw joint problems, TMJ syndrome, tongue-thrusting habits and speech impediments.
Overall gum and bone health are improved when teeth fit together with an ideal bite. Clinical studies have shown that when teeth are properly aligned, gums fit tighter around the teeth, which improves periodontal health. And, of course, there are cosmetic benefits of a beautiful straight smile. Your teeth should make you look and feel great. Our Millersville and Greenbelt Dental patients love their healthy, straight teeth and beautiful smiles.
Adults are having their teeth straightened in unprecedented numbers! Whether you are self-conscious about your smile or concerned about your dental and overall health, Invisalign is a great solution. Many adults notice their teeth shifting, crowding and getting crooked, especially the lower front teeth. Even people who had braces as teenagers often experience relapse causing crowded teeth.
Benefits of Straight Teeth
• Improved function and wear patterns of the teeth
• Increased ability to clean the teeth
• Better long-term health of teeth and gums
• A more attractive smile
Fortunately there are simple and convenient ways to straighten your teeth. Invisalign trays straighten teeth and correct your bite just like metal braces – only nobody else knows you are wearing them! The metal brackets and wires used with braces often cause irritation to the mouth and gums. Also no metal and wires usually means you spend less time in your dentist’s office getting adjustments. Invisalign is more comfortable, more convenient and less expensive than metal braces. The dentists at McCarl Dental Group are premier providers of Invisalign Orthodontics.
Invisalign can correct a wide variety of dental and orthodontic concerns. Before starting Invisalign orthodontics at McCarl Dental Group, your dentist will take x-rays and photographs that are combined with 3-D computer imaging technology to design your individual treatment plan. You will receive a series of custom made clear trays which fit snugly over your teeth. Each tray is worn for two weeks before moving to the next tray. As you replace each aligner with the next in the series, your teeth will gradually shift until they have straightened to an ideal position. If you have only minor crowding, it will take fewer trays to correct. Some Invisalign cases take only ten trays (20 weeks) to correct fully. Major crowding cases take longer; however, Invisalign is often faster than traditional braces. For most adults, treatment time is just under one year. Invisalign is a great way to transform your smile without interfering with your day-to-day life.
Sally McCarl Moore adds that hygienists LOVE Invisalign because the patients take them out to eat and brush and floss before replacing them. “This keeps the gums healthy during treatment and does not cause any decay or tooth discoloration, which are all significant problems with traditional braces. Invisalign allows patients to maintain good oral hygiene habits and is a great way to straighten teeth!”
Invisalign Orthodontics are often combined with other dental procedures including, dental implants, porcelain veneers and crowns. Because crooked teeth and misaligned bites can contribute to other health problems, Invisalign orthodontics may be covered by dental insurance. There are also excellent financing options available. Call our Greenbelt Dental Office at 301-474-4144 or our Millersville Dental Office at 410-987-8800.
It is very evident to our patients when they meet Christine Stovenour that she is not only a highly skilled dental hygienist, but also an exceptionally caring and wonderful person. Christine started working at the Greenbelt office of McCarl Dental Group as a dental assistant when she was sixteen. “My older sister Rachel recommended me for the position after she had been working at McCarl Dental Group for a few months.” The dentists at McCarl Dental Group were immediately impressed with Christine’s maturity. After working at the dental office for a few years, she decided to become a dental hygienist. “I knew I wanted to have a career in the medical field because I really liked the patient connection. I enjoy helping my patients feel comfortable and want them to have a positive experience at the dentist. Christine put herself through school while working full time. She has always shown tremendous work ethic and perseverance. Her transition from dental assistant to hygienist was very smooth.
Christine says, “Becoming a Dental Hygienist has been a great career path for me. Not only do I love meeting, treating and educating patients on their oral health on a daily basis but my great work schedule allows me to be home with my one year old son two days a week. I love the flexibility with my schedule that Dental Hygiene allows me. The McCarls have always made family a priority and, therefore, are extremely understanding with their staff about family issues. I really appreciate this aspect of my job because family is very important to me.” As mentioned above, Christine and her sister Rachel work together. Their younger sister, Emily, also works with Christine and Rachel at McCarl Dental Group.
Christine enjoys continuing education courses on a variety of dental topics.
She is interested in nutrition and the effects on oral health as well as all of the latest studies on the links between gum disease and the effects on a person’s overall health (diabetes, heart disease, etc.) “It helps me to educate my patients about how important their oral health is and how it affects their overall health.” Our patients are very complementary about their hygiene visits with Christine and all of our staff members enjoy working with her.
McCarl Dental Group’s Spectacular Sisters – Rachel, Emily and Christine
Dental hygienist Nancy Kearney came to the Greenbelt office of McCarl Dental Group twenty years ago and has been a cornerstone of our hygiene department ever since! Her exceptional technical proficiency and outstanding comprehensive care have earned her a dedicated following of patients who genuinely appreciate her attention to detail. Many of those patients credit Nancy’s motivational speeches with keeping them on track and saving their teeth from gum disease. Nancy is a superb hygienist who delivers the very highest quality of dental hygiene care.
Nancy says what she likes most about being a hygienist is informing and educating her patients on the impact of periodontal disease on their overall health. “My favorite class in college was nutrition, so I’m constantly pursuing continuing education courses that focus on nutrition. I love recommending vitamins and foods that will help my patients overall health. My favorite part of my job is my coworkers and the families we serve. I treasure the relationships I have made at the McCarl Dental office. The funny thing is when I took this job twenty years ago I was planning on changing careers. I primarily worked in small offices and was getting bored so I was planning on going into medical or pharmaceutical sales. Well I certainly haven’t been bored working as a dental hygienist for McCarl Dental Group!”
Nancy’s confidence and playful sense of humor are well known around the office. Whether it is dressing up in humorous costumes for Halloween, discussing Scranton, PA as the epicenter of the known universe, or entertaining people at the annual “McCarl Bowlarama” and Christmas parties, Nancy is not shy about having fun. Although she is very serious about preventative dental health care, her patients enjoy her friendly, caring demeanor and beautiful smile.
Nancy and her husband Joe have two teenage children and thrive on their very busy and fast-paced life! Shannon is sixteen with her driver’s permit. She enjoys playing field hockey and softball. Joseph is fourteen and enjoys playing basketball and baseball. Joe is working hard on his MBA at the Johns Hopkins University while working full time and coaching our son’s basketball team.
A few years ago Nancy’s husband Joe accepted a job in another state, and we had a tearful farewell. At the very last minute, the job and move fell through and we got a frantic call from Nancy, “Have you hired any one for my job yet?” Fortunately for us, her corner room was still open! The Dentists at McCarl Dental Group are grateful for the excellent dental hygiene care that Nancy provides to our patients.
Fran Lawrence started working in the Greenbelt office of McCarl Dental Group 14 years ago as a part-time receptionist. Her previous employment in medical offices and hospitals provided an excellent background and Fran soon became our full-time Patient Advocate and Treatment /Financial Coordinator. Her comprehensive knowledge about dental health and treatment is a valuable asset to our office and our patients! She helps our patients achieve their goals for dental health by walking them through the cost, insurance coverage and other financial options for needed treatment. Her competence and talent in helping patients with their dental insurance coverage is a winning combination with her kind, caring demeanor. In addition to helping our patients with dental insurance coverage for Invisalign Orthodontics, porcelain veneers, crowns, dental implants and other dental treatments, Fran is often able to secure interest free financing for our dental patients. She is a great problem solver with tremendous attention to detail and follow through. Fran skillfully navigates through what can sometimes seem a mountain of paperwork.
Fran is also our liaison for technical support. She helps us keep our computer systems running smoothly and coordinates implementation of technological upgrades which recently included our iTero digital impression scanning system.
Fran is the dedicated and busy mother of five with four daughters and one son, the youngest of whom is a sophomore in high school. She also has an adorable granddaughter. Two of Fran’s daughters work for McCarl Dental Group. Rosemary, a part-time dental assistant, is a sophomore at the University of Maryland College Park. Dr. Dianna Lee also worked as a dental assistant during high school, college and dental school. Dr. Lee graduated from the University of Maryland Baltimore College of Dental Surgery in May 2009 and works part-time at McCarl Dental Group as a dentist. She provides excellent dental care to our patients!
While Fran helps in many areas of the dental practice, she tells us her role as Patient Advocate and Treatment/Financial Coordinator is her favorite. “I enjoy patient contact. I have worked at many places and have often said and still say today, “I could not work for finer people”. The dentists at McCarl Dental Group provide a great working environment with all the tools necessary to be successful at my job. In addition, the Drs. McCarl have allowed me to attend many seminars and workshops that have provided me with additional information to help our dental patients. I have learned a lot about dental health and dental treatment because they are so willing to teach their staff. I thought this was a great office when I came here fourteen years ago and I am still impressed today that they continue to strive to better themselves and the services they offer to their patients.”
Beth Smith has been a fabulous addition to McCarl Dental Group since 1992 when she started working at the front desk in our Greenbelt, Maryland office. She helped open our second location at the Shipley’s Choice Medical Park in Millersville, Maryland in 2003, and still anchors operations at that office today. Beth greets each of our patients with a beautiful, sincere smile and attends to all of their administrative needs. Her cheerful disposition and exceptional competence make Beth a favorite of our Severna Park, Annapolis and Millersville patients.
This is how Beth became an employee at McCarl Dental Group, “My first encounter with the McCarls was on the Severn River. We were boating with friends, as were Clayton and Lisa McCarl, when we were introduced across the waves. Several weeks later, Clayton and I met again at the gym and through conversation discovered that I worked for a dentist. He asked if I was happy with my job and I was, so that was that. About a year later he came to me again with the same question and I felt ready for a change. Well, it changed my life. Within six months my daughter Kim joined the team as an assistant after high school and Saturdays. Her sister also worked for a short time until going onto college. Seventeen years later, Kim is a hygienist with two beautiful boys and we still enjoy the opportunity to work together in a family environment that extends to our patients. Although I don’t spend as much time at the gym, I do enjoy playing tennis, gardening and volunteering through our local community church.”
You may have the pleasure of seeing Kim Talbot, Beth’s daughter as a hygienist sometime. Kim works part-time at with the Severna Park Dentists at McCarl Dental Group at Shipley’s Choice in Millersville.
Designed to replace the inconveniences associated with traditional dental impressions, iTero enables McCarl Dental Group to offer their patients a technology driven impression procedure. By using a hand-held wand to optically scan the area to be restored, the patients’ entire impression is created 100% digitally with no mess or bad taste. This digital impression is sent over the internet to a dental lab where models of our patients’ teeth are robotically milled. Dentists and dental labs report an accuracy level greater than any impression material available. This translates into a more comfortable dental visit and porcelain veneers, crowns and bridges that look and feel like natural teeth. Our patients are enjoying the benefits of iTero impressions for Greenbelt MD porcelain crowns at McCarl Dental Group. Soon our patients with Annapolis and Severna Park porcelain crowns will also experience the convenience of iTero.
When you enter our College Park / Greenbelt dental office, one of the first smiling faces you encounter is that of Gail Beane. Gail has worked for McCarl Dental Group for 30 years, since she was a teenager! She is always very kind and welcoming to our patients. Gail helps patients schedule appointments and keeps our front desk running smoothly. She is cheerful even on the busiest days and shares her beautiful disposition with a song in her voice.
Gail joined McCarl Dental Group in 1979 when she answered an ad in the Greenbelt News Review for a receptionist. Dr. Clayton McCarl Sr. met Gail and decided she would be a fabulous dental assistant, working directly with him at chair-side. College Park Dentist, Dr. Clayton Sr. and his wife Jane became very fond of Gail and welcomed her to the McCarl Dental “family.” Gail moved to her position at the front desk soon before Dr. Clayton McCarl, Sr. retired, and has been happily assigned there ever since.
Gail says, “I am blessed to have so many wonderful and treasured memories of working with Dr. Clayton McCarl, Sr. and the entire McCarl family over the years. The Drs. McCarl have always made me feel as if I were a part of their family, for which I am very grateful.”
Gail lives in Beltsville with her husband and 12 year old daughter. Her two grown sons live nearby in Ellicott City and Berwyn Heights.
Our business manager, Karen Roberts has worked at McCarl Dental Group for more than 23 years and helps keep our office organized and efficient. Karen manages a remarkable workload with a calm, steady and pleasant demeanor. She helps our patients get accurate and quick answers to their billing and insurance questions and secure interest free dental financing for all types of dental procedures. Her exceptional competence and kind, friendly personality are valued by everyone with whom she works.
Karen has lived her entire life in a 10 mile radius centered in Historic Greenbelt. She has two wonderful daughters who are third generation patients at McCarl Dental Group. Her youngest daughter, April who works in the Alumni Office at University of Maryland College Park, is one of our patients featured in our new website.
During the spring and summer months, when she is not at the office, Karen can be found in her garden — her own tropical paradise. She received the distinction from GHI of having the “Best Shady Yard”. Karen is a neighbor of our Greenbelt dental office and was hired over the “back yard fence” when her daughters started elementary school.
Karen says, “I’m one of those rare individuals who loves numbers and am so grateful to be working in an area I truly enjoy and for such an exceptional family as the McCarls. They have been extended family to my daughters and me. In fact my daughters’ resumes refer to the Drs. McCarls as “mentors”. How blessed we are to have individuals of great character and integrity in our lives.” We feel the same about Karen! Thanks for your exceptional service to the Greenbelt and College Park dental patients at McCarl Dental Group!
Lois Rapp has worked with the Greenbelt, College Park, Millersville and Severna Park dentists at McCarl Dental Group for more than twenty five years. She has tremendous clinical experience and great rapport with our patients. Many of our dental assistants are in their mid-twenties and Lois, a grandmother of three, sets an amazing example for them with her positive attitude, impressive energy and work ethic. She commutes from York, PA two days a week and works in the McCarl Dental Group Millersville and Greenbelt dental offices serving our patients in New Carrollton, Laurel, Greenbelt, Severna Park, Annapolis, Crofton, Crownsville and Millersville.
Lois says, ” Working in this office has always been a good fit for me and I really enjoy our patients and the people who work on the McCarl dental team.” THANK YOU LOIS for your dedication to our dental office and especially our patients!
