Welcome to the website of Hamden, Connecticut dentists, Drs. Gary and Scott Pearl!

Hi, I am Dr. Scott Pearl. And today, I’d like to talk about five questions patients should ask their dentist.

What new technology do you have?

In our office, every year, we plan on what new technology we should invest in to make the patient experience better. Our latest technology is the newest CEREC scanner so that we can make crowns, onlays, and other restorations in our office in one visit. And also, take all kinds of impressions to avoid goopy uncomfortable impressions.
Other new technology we have is Cone Beam Imaging to better plan for root canals and implants. And we have new technology for treating gum disease, including lasers.

What do you do for continuing education?

Both my dad and I are very active in continuing education. We are often reading journals, attending continuing education seminars, and very often watching continuing education videos at home. My dad’s a Master in the Academy of General Dentistry, and I’m a fellow in the Academy of General Dentistry, which means we have taken a lot of continuing education to try to stay up to date, and really every part of general dentistry as general dentists, we have to be knowledgable and skilled in every dental discipline.

What can you offer for dental anxiety?

We often see patients with dental anxiety—patients who are so fearful of the dentist that they are even so fearful to come to the dental office. And one of the most rewarding aspects of being a dentist is being able to complete a treatment plan and get patients to no longer have their fear and happily come to the office. So we offer local anesthesia for every patient and nitrous oxide; laughing gas is also very effective for some people. Other people get varying levels of oral sedation, and my dad can even offer IV sedation.

How do you handle dental emergencies?

I think one of the distinguishing features of our office is how promptly we see dental emergencies. I would say just about 99% of the time we see emergencies on the same day.
And we try to squeeze in patients and at least get people out of pain or address the urgent problem as soon as we can. And also, we have after-hour phone coverage, and we are pretty much always available.

What can I do at home to help my oral health?

Well, I think our team of hygienists are really great at helping patients come up with a home routine to care of their teeth and gums. We have a list of recommended products that we provide patients, and we can customize cleaning aids and routines for each patient to help that patient the best.

Thank you.