Marc Vance - Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry

I’m an AGD Fellow!

I’m an AGD Fellow! What does that mean for you and your family? FAGD stands for Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD). Earning Fellowship takes dedication to dental continuing education (CE) beyond graduation. Only about 6 percent of general dentists in the U.S. and Canada are AGD Fellows. When you see a dentist…

10 things about Dr. Vance you may not know

10 things about Dr. Vance you may not know

Want to learn about Dr. Marc Vance? Watch this video to see 10 things about Dr. Vance you may not know! As a new patient at our office, Dr. Vance will speak to you and review your medical history personally before any treatment is provided. However, there’s always more you can learn about someone. So,…

Silver diamine fluoride can help protect teeth

What is silver diamine fluoride?

What is silver diamine fluoride? At AdVance Dental we have recently added a new treatment option for tooth decay. Silver diamine fluoride (SDF) is a high concentration fluoride solution that can be used to treat cavities and in some situations can be used to keep from drilling on a tooth and doing a filling. SDF…

Botox glabellar before and after

Botox® now offered at AdVance Dental!

Botox® is now offered at AdVance Dental! Last year I was trained by the American Academy of Facial Esthetics in how to use Botox® and dermal fillers to minimize (and in some cases remove) certain facial wrinkles. This was an exciting experience and an opportunity to offer new services to my patients. My assistant, office…

A dentist helped convict Ted Bundy

Dentists helped convict Ted Bundy

Bundy often appeared confident, happy, and well dressed. This was in stark contrast to the crimes he was accused of. Dentists helped convict Ted Bundy! Notorious serial killer Ted Bundy confessed to 30 homicides that he committed in seven states between 1974 and 1978. His confession, however, came a decade after his trials and convictions,...
Alzheimer's disease linked to gum disease

Does gum disease cause Alzheimer’s disease?

Does gum disease cause Alzheimer’s disease? A new research article explains how periodontal (gum) disease bacteria is linked to the terrible mental condition. A growing number of scientific studies have given credence to the theory that Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is an infectious process. While the exact mechanisms of this infection are something researchers are still trying…

Sweet Moments in Dental History

Sweet Moments in Dental History: Ep 1

Welcome to a new series: Sweet Moments in Dental History! In these segments I will review an event involving dentistry that some people may find interesting. It may be from a movie, from a historical figure/event, or a dental invention that has an intriguing story. For our first episode I will review how dentistry was...
What drinks are OK for my teeth?

What drinks are OK for my teeth?

There may be many of you out there that wonder "what drinks are OK for my teeth?" "Are diet soft drinks better for me than regular soft drinks?" If sugar is bad for your teeth, then if a drink has less or no sugar then it should be better for my teeth, right? Well, even...
How our crowns are made

How our crowns are made

How are our dental crowns (also called caps) made? In a previous post I talked about how they are made and the difference in the process in relation to fillings. In the attached video I have attempted to give more insight into the process of making crowns, showing how our crowns are made at Barnes…

Diabetes and oral health are related

Diabetes and oral health are related

Diabetes and oral health are related? Yes they are! I recently had the opportunity to film a segment for the Alabama Department of Health on how diabetes affects oral health, and vice versa. Through contacts at The University of Alabama at Birmingham I became involved in an initiative called PPOD (Pharmacists, podiatrists, optometrists, and dentists)....
Is Vaping Safe?

Is Vaping Safe?

I have never been a cigarette smoker, but they have impacted my life significantly. My maternal grandfather died from emphysema when I was an infant after roughly 40 years of smoking unfiltered Camels. My father smoked and tried to quit for many years unsuccessfully, and died from a heart attack at the age of 57....
Becoming a published author

Becoming a Published Author

A few months ago I hit a very cool personal milestone. A research project that I completed in dental school was published in a dental scientific journal. So what does it mean to have research published? It means that you conducted a research project or study that has something unique about it, and it is added to…

youtube video explaining dental bridges

Dental bridges explained in a Youtube Video

What is a bridge? When is it used? Watch this Youtube video explaining dental bridges. More info on the subject available at the bridges service page of our website. Bridges commonly involve the process of making a provisional or temporary bridge. Read about that process here. Check out our Youtube Channel for educational videos about dentistry, our practice, and...
Dental bridge before/interim/after

Why do dentists use temporaries?

Why do dentists us temporaries? In previous posts I have talked a bit about crowns – what they are, why they are needed, and what is involved in making them. In this post I will explain temporaries. Some readers may have had this experience – a dentist tells you that you need a crown, and…

Oral Sedation Graphic

Sedation Dentistry

According to a survey from the 1987 Dental Health Advisor rating people’s biggest fears, going to the dentist was #2 on the list (second only to public speaking). Sedation dentistry to the rescue! This common fear of the dentist office is often expressed in film and television as stylized, exaggerated visions of torture, showing dentists…