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Cool Dental
in Lethbridge, Alberta

Dr. Karstan Lachman

Dr. Lachman is a general dentist whom has taken numerous extensive post-graduate courses in craniomandibular and temporal mandibular joint disorder diagnosis and treatment. Dr. Lachman has a special focus on various treatment modalities for treating temporal mandibular joint disorders and works closely with other health practitioners.
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General Dental Services Lethbridge, Alberta

Dr. Karstan Lachman

Whether your dental needs are a complete exam and cleaning, a full-mouth restoration, or anything in between, we promise to provide you with exceptional care as we enhance the natural beauty of your smile. Come in and find out how we can help.
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(403) 382-2273

Infection control has always been a top priority for our practice, and you may have seen this during your visits to our office. Our infection control processes are made so that when you receive care, it’s both safe and comfortable.

Our office follows infection control recommendations made by the Alberta Dental Association and College (ADA&C), Health Canada and the Canadian Centre For Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS).

We want to tell you about the infection control procedures we follow in our practice to keep patients and staff safe.

To ensure the health and well-being of our patients and team members, we have installed 2 different types of air purifiers at our dental office. Both of these are manufactured by the Canadian company, Surgically Clean Air.

CASCADE WHITE - The Cascade White is the first unit you will see when you enter our office. We have placed this in the waiting area because this is the largest room in our office. The Cascade White is able to filter up to 576 cubic feet per minute.

The Cascade White filter has 6 stages of filtration including UV sterilization, plus two additional negative ion chambers to ensure the air is as fresh as possible. These six filters capture 99.998% of dust particles, pollen, volatile organic chemicals (VOCs), mold, allergens, viruses, odors (like formaldehyde and smoke), bio-aerosols, laughing gas, and many other pollutants that are found in the inside air. The negative ion generator makes the indoor environment feel more pure, clean, and energized.

JADE - The Jade filter is what you will find in each of our operatories. The Jade filters still have the same 6 stage filtering system and will move 383 cubic feet per minute. This means the Jade will filter all the air in a 10 x 10 room in about 2 minutes.

Both of these filters perform their duties without being loud, (an industry-leading low level of about 55DB) or creating a “breeze” that can be uncomfortable for our patients.

Some additional changes you may also see when it is time for your next appointment. For example:

Our office will communicate with you beforehand to ask some screening questions. You’ll be asked those same questions again when you are in the office. We will not allow patients to enter our office who have symptoms or have traveled outside of Canada in the last 2 weeks.
We have hand sanitizer that we will ask you to use when you enter the office. You will also find some in the reception area and other places in the office for you to use as needed.
You may see that our waiting room will no longer offer magazines, children’s toys and so forth, since those items are difficult to clean and disinfect.
In the interest of physical distancing, we are advising all adult patients to attend the office alone to prevent crowding.
Appointments will be managed to allow for social distancing between patients. That might mean that you’re offered fewer options for scheduling your appointment.
We will do our best to allow greater time between patients to reduce waiting times for you, as well as to reduce the number of patients in the reception area at any one time.
For our safety and yours, we currently cannot accept walk-ins.

We look forward to seeing you again and are happy to answer any questions you may have about the steps we take to keep you, and every patient, safe in our practice. To make an appointment, please call our office at (403) 382‑2273.

So come on in to get your dental work done and enjoy Surgically Clean Air!

Correcting Jaw Positioning to Enhance Facial Profile

Bad bite or malocclusion means that the teeth on the upper and lower teeth don’t align properly. It can be a result of a misaligned jaw either from birth or due to injuries or developmental issues.

Here’s Dr. Lachman of Cool Dental showing us how proper jaw alignment looks like.

What Happens if You Have Misaligned Jaw

When the upper and lower teeth don't meet appropriately, you may have trouble speaking, eating, breathing, and even sleeping. You may also feel pain in the area whether or not your jaw is moving.

The jaw joint system is complex. When one of its parts isn't functioning right, the pain can be recurring and reach other parts of the body. This oral health issue can have physical and emotional impacts on an individual.

Children may experience teasing from their peers and this can make them feel more conscious of their appearance. Adults, on the other hand, may experience chronic pain that can interfere with their daily activities.

Your dentist can identify jaw misalignment and customize treatments for it. The earlier the treatment starts, the more you can reduce the need for surgery. Your dentist may recommend various appliances that can help move the jaw to its proper position.

How to Avoid Jaw Alignment Issues

To help maintain proper jaw alignment, it's important to pay attention to your daily habits.

● Examine your jaw. Keep track of how you're using your jaw. Do you find yourself moving it outside of eating, swallowing, and speaking? See how your teeth come in contact with each other when your mouth is at rest. Do you feel you're clenching or grinding your teeth? Do fatigue, stress, and intense physical activities make your jaw feel tensed?

● Avoid using your jaw inappropriately. Avoid opening your mouth too wide when not necessary. Excessive movement can strain the jaw joint and muscles. If you're feeling pain in your jaw, avoid constantly moving it to assess how the soreness is going. This can only heighten the pain and discomfort and delay recovery.

● Know more about proper jaw exercise. Talk to your dental team on safe jaw exercises that you can do. The right jaw exercises can vary per person. Always seek professional advice before trying a routine.

● Be careful when eating. If you are to eat hard and crunchy food, cut it into small pieces first. Avoid using your upper teeth to bite into it. Be cautious as well if you're chewing candies that require excessive jaw movement.

● Modify sleep positions. Sleeping on your stomach or pressing your jaw against your hand or arm can apply pressure to the jaw. Try instead to sleep on your sides or your back.

Always consult with your dentist or oral surgeon on habits that promote proper jaw positioning.

Don't endure the discomfort or pain on your jaw even if it tends to go away on its own. If it's coming back, there may be underlying issues that need to be resolved, and immediately as much as possible.

Benefits of Correcting Jaw Position Early

The correct jaw position creates a proportional facial profile. It helps you feel more confident about yourself, but more importantly, it helps prevent oral health and general health issues from developing.

Our dental office in Lethbridge area welcomes both children and adult patients. You can come in at the same time for your convenience.

Getting started with routine dental check-ups and examinations reduces the need for invasive treatments and also reduces dental costs.

Call us today at (403) 382-2273. We’re happy to assist you with your oral health concerns.