Dr. Rich has recieved comprehensive training in the safe administration of Oral Sedation. Relax as this DOCS (Dental Organization of Conscious Sedation) trained dentist completes hours of treatment while you rest comfortably; minimally aware of the passage of time. You will be awake, yet calm and unconcerned. Experience this new way to get years of needed dentistry done in just a few relaxed visits

Become a new patient in our practice by completing a comprehensive exam, necessary x-rays and a dental cleaning. Receive custom take home whitening trays and a supply of whitening gel. Come back on schedule for each of your maintenance cleaning visits and receive touch up whitening gel for free. Valid continuously...for life, as long as you maintain your cleaning visits on schedule

New adult patients may choose between this offer or Free Whitening for Life, upon completion of their comprehensive exam, necessary x-rays and cleaning.

Dr. Rich is specially trained in screening for sleep apnea issues and has now limited his practice to the treatment of this condition. He works closely with several area sleep medicine physicians to assist in caring for this life-threatening condition. His dental sleep medicine practice, Sleep Solutions NW, is located a couple of miles north of Simply Smiles. You may contact him at 253-236-5240 or find out more at www. SleepSolutionsNW.com He will continue to collaborate with Dr. Padilla and Dr. Fields on the screening and identification of patients who may benefit from this potentially life saving therapy. When appropriately diagnosed with an exam by a sleep physician and an overnight sleep study, many sleep apnea patients can be treated with a discreet oral device worn at night, instead of a CPAP machine.

IT’S JUST A CLEANING . . .    Many people have uttered or thought those very words at one time or another.  For many of us, our prime motivation to get our teeth cleaned is to get the Starbucks stains off and make the backside of our lower front teeth smooth again! 

However, recent medical research keeps uncovering more and more connections between the health of your mouth and your overall health.

 According to the Surgeon General, over 75 percent of American’s have some form of gum disease.  Sadly, most of the general public, and even some dental offices, think it’s normal for gums to bleed when brushed.  It may be common, but it is not normal. If you saw blood on your towel every time you washed your hands, you likely would go see your doctor.  The New England Journal of Medicine has reported that chronic gum inflammation causes the liver to produce C-reactive protein  This type of protein is a better indicator of future heart attack and stroke than cholesterol levels!

Did you know that diabetics are more susceptible to gum disease?  If uncontrolled, it can cause their mortality rate to rise by a factor of 7 ½ times.  There’s more - - - USC researchers have reported that gum disease inflammation can increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease by four times the normal rate.  Harvard researchers have reported that patients with gum disease  have a 64 percent greater chance of developing pancreatic cancer!  Pregnant women with high bacteria levels in their mouths are at high risk for delivering pre-term low-weight babies.  Finally, we have always known that untreated dental infections can spread to other parts of the body, including heart valves and even your brain.  Scary!

The good news? Regular cleanings and an exam allow us to evaluate your periodontal condition.  We have the training and technology to get gum disease under control the majority of the time without a referral for periodontal surgery.  Dental evaluation and treatment is now proven to literally save lives.  Just a cleaning?  Hardly.  If it’s been a while since your last visit, give us a call today.  Your health depends on it.  As a bonus, you’ll leave with a brighter smile too!

 More than 480,000 new cases of oral and throat cancers will be diagnosed worldwide this year, with over 35,000 of those cases in the United States.  Over 45% of those diagnosed will not be alive in 5 years.  Oral cancer kills one person every hour, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week in the United States.  The most common risk factors are people over the age of 40, tobacco use (all types) and alcohol use.  75% of all oral cancers are diagnosed in people who use tobacco products.  Those who use tobacco AND alcohol have an even higher risk.  A connection between oral cancer and the human papilloma virus (HPV-16) has been discovered that helps to explain a recent 60% increase over the past decade in the number of oral cancer diagnoses in people under the age of 30 with none of the classic risk factors listed above.  This is the same virus responsible for cervical cancer in women.

 How can you avoid becoming a cancer statistic?  A visit to the dentist is a critical part of the solution.   “Regular dental visits should include a comprehensive examination of the soft tissues of the head and neck at least annually.  Your dental hygienist and dentist should be doing a careful screening and taking a closer look at anything that seems suspicious” states Dr. Rich.  He goes on to say that, “There are diagnostic aids like the Velscope and the Oral CDx brush biopsy system to further evaluate anything that seems out of the ordinary without resorting to an invasive scalpel biopsy unless the screening clearly shows that to be necessary.”  Dr. Rich is one of the few dentists in the South Sound region that have purchased the Velscope technology for their patients and has trained his dental hygienists in its use.  “We don’t charge our regular patients a separate fee to use the Velscope.  It is part of our regular preventive cleaning and examination appointments.  The technology is fairly expensive, but if it saves even one life, it was more than worth it” stated Dr. Rich.