An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, much to the chagrin of brokers who invested heavily in cure. Get in while prevention’s still hot with today’s Groupon: for $69, you get a dental package from Michael A. Smith, DDS, in Germantown (a $344 total value). The package includes:
- An exam (a $47 value)
- A cleaning (an $88 value)
- Four digital bitewing x-rays (a $59 value)
- Take-home teeth-whitening tray (a $150 value)<p>
Dr. Michael A. Smith and his team of dental hygienists recruit modern tools to ensure the health of smiles during 60- to 90-minute appointments. After patients settle into streamlined chairs amid flora and relaxing lighting, a hygienist peers around bicuspids, examining crevices for decay and lost diary keys, before polishing grins to a blinding luster. Digital bitewing x-rays infiltrate jaw lines, surveying issues buried beneath enamel and gums with less radiation than traditional x-rays. Before passing by the reception area’s hardwood floors and cozy couch, patrons receive take-home bleaching trays and peroxide, which combine to brighten teeth without wrapping them in Christmas lights.
Dr. Michael A. Smith, DDS and Dr. Christine H. Fitzgerald, DMD
In nearly every situation in life, the less metal that's in your mouth, the better. General and cosmetic dentist Dr. Michael A. Smith, DDS seems to have adopted this position. Unlike traditional dentistry, which repairs cavities with metal amalgams and covers up damaged teeth with conspicuous metal caps, Dr. Smith's Cerec-technology-driven dentistry relies on ceramic onlays, inlays, and veneers. And his composite resins fill in for missing enamel while remaining virtually invisible, like a ketchup stain on a red “I put ketchup on my ketchup” T-shirt. They care for patients in a calming office filled with soothing chairside candles. In addition to their in-office work, Dr. Smith also participates in a mobile dental clinic that provides dental care to low-income families.