Have you heard of laser dentistry?

What’s the first thing you think of when you hear the word “Dentist?” - Drill? Pain? Shot?!  Well here’s the thing, it doesn’t have to be that way.

Hi, I’m Dr. Erin Issac, board-certified pediatric dentist based in Pittsburgh, PA.  I started my boutique pediatric dental office 7.5 years ago with two main missions in mind – Positive visits every time and to do kids’ dentistry, differently.  And based on the words that most people associate with a dental visit, and that you probably just said in your mind, it seemed like these two goals were going to be pretty difficult, if not impossible, to achieve.  

But over the years, with a dedicated and caring team, a warm atmosphere and the latest in dental procedures and technology, we’ve been able to do just that.  

One of those pieces of technology is the amazing Waterlase laser by Biolase.  Waterlase dentistry combines focused light energy with a stream of water to make restorative dentistry much more gentle, efficient, quiet and safe.

I rarely need to give local anesthesia when using the Waterlase for simple op, and believe me, that goes over much better for kids, parents and my team.  Because I rarely need to give local, I don’t have to sit around and wait for teeth to get numb, I can get more treatment done in one visit, there’s less chance of kids biting their numb lips and tongues, and cooperation/positivity level is through the roof. 

Kids (and my ears) love that there is no traditional drilling sound or vibrations.  Plus, no drilling means less damage to healthy tooth structures, fewer microabrasions from the heat and friction of a traditional drill, and up to 98% percent less aerosol production, which you well know is huge in this day and age.  

Oh and did I mention it’s a hard AND soft tissue laser?  Not only is it a great tool for simple op, it’s fantastic for soft tissue procedures, like frenectomies, as well.  With little to no anesthesia needed, laser frenectomies with Waterlase dentistry are a gentle and effective way to help parents and little ones who may be going through an extremely challenging and stressful time. Besides creating those lifelong relationships with such a positive and needed procedure, performing very quick (usually under 5 minutes), bloodless and suture-less frenectomies is a great way to add a new procedure to your offerings and discover untapped marketing and ROI potential. 

Needless to say, Waterlase dentistry has helped tremendously on my professional journey of positive visits every time and to do kids’ dentistry differently. Interested in learning more or trying one out for yourself? Biolase is offering a 45-day free no risk trial of Waterlase to select clinicians. Click here for more info!


How the Waterlase laser has helped improve treatment acceptance and more in my office.

We're back!

We’re back at it! Well kind of…

Now that our enhanced protective equipment (specific types of gowns, masks, etc) has started to roll in, beginning on May 26th, we will be available to provide emergency dental care in office to your child if they have an emergent or urgent dental care need. This protective gear has been extremely hard to find, as I’m sure you’ve heard, but we needed to make sure that we had it before providing this care for our community. You, your child and our team’s health and safety is and always has been our number one priority and without these items, we didn’t feel that we could safely provide care as it would be going against CDC and OSHA guidelines if we did.

So what is considered a dental emergency/urgency? Dental pain, swelling, broken tooth (especially a permanent tooth) or trouble eating are potential signs of a dental emergency. Call our office at 412.404.2077 if you are concerned, and we’ll determine if you and your kiddo need to come in. Please be aware that this service is available to all kids in need, current patient or not, so feel free to spread the word.

As for routine cleanings and checkups…as I’m writing this, the Department of Health recommends, in general, that these visits be postponed. There is no date right now as to when 6 month checkups can resume, but as soon we know, we’ll let you know!

Let us know if you have any questions. Remember to like and follow our Facebook page to get the latest updates. We miss you all and can’t wait to see your smiling faces again!

—Dr. Erin and Taiya

What's Up With Winning Smiles?

Hello Winning Smiles Family!

We hope you are staying well. As recommended by the American Dental Association and mandated by the PA Department of Health, we are still operating on an emergency only basis here at Winning Smiles. Our physical office is closed, though we hope to return by Mid May.  We have already contacted all patients that were on the schedule up until April 17th.  If your child has an appointment beyond that in late April or early May, be on the lookout for a call from us soon.   

If you are a new family looking to schedule appointments for your kids, please head to the contact us page and fill out form provided. We will be in touch to schedule when there is a more clear picture of reopening timing.

While we are incredibly saddened that we can’t physically be together and see your smiles,we also recognize that the DOH is trying to protect both our community and us as dental professionals.  Remember that Dr. Erin is still available for consults!   Please either call us at 412.404.2077 or utilize the following link if you have questions regarding your child’s dental health or a possible dental emergency:

https://winningsmilespgh.yourvirtualconsult.com/

Until we can see each other again in person, here’s some ways that we can connect:

  • Thursday Tooth Talk – 6:30PM, every Thursday on the Winning Smiles Facebook Page.  This week’s Facebook live (Episode 2) will be all about dental hygiene!  The best toothbrushes for your kids, ideas to make brushing more enjoyable, the truth about kids and flossing and much more.  Come ready with questions and invite your friends to watch also.  If you missed, the first episode, catch the replay here.

  • Occasionally we’ll have expert and contributing guests pop up on our Facebook page as well.  Yesterday featured Dr. Erin’s sister, Dr. Veronica, a board-certified pediatrician and adolescent medicine specialist in Ohio.  She chatted all about kids, confronting the coronavirus and all the common questions that parents have surrounding both.  Check it out here!

  • Get to know us a little better over on Instagram: @dr_erin and @hygienequeen_t

  • Finally continue to check our website and the Facebook page for the most up to date information.

Rest assured that our team is meeting daily (virtually, of course), and we are working on ways to make the Winning Smiles experience even better when we all are reunited! As always, this is a fluid situation and we appreciate your patience as we do our best to work through all the changes.  Until then, stay safe and healthy!

With Love,

Dr. Erin and Taiya

A message to our Winning Smiles Family: COVID-19 Update

As the situation with COVID-19 changes day to day and really, hour by hour, we want to update you with the latest changes at our office. 

Though we are considered a life sustaining business, the most recent mandate from Gov. Wolf and the PA Department of Health is currently permitting only life-threatening dental emergencies to be treated at this time.  Further, any dental procedures performed require a long list of personal protective equipment (PPE) including N95 masks, face shields, etc, and these procedures must be performed in a negative pressure room.  We (as well as most dental practices) do not have a negative pressure room at our office.  These are typically only found in hospitals.  The required PPE is incredibly hard, if not impossible, to find at the moment, and we believe it should be reserved for the hospital and healthcare workers directly contacting patients with or being screened for the patients with the virus. 

In light of this most recent mandate, our physical office will be closed until the disaster declaration is lifted.  We anticipate returning to the office on April 6th, but again, this situation is changing rapidly.  We have already contacted all patients that were on the schedule for this week (March 23-27th) and we will be in touch with any patients on the schedule for next week.   

We are incredibly saddened that we can’t physically be there for you to help in instances of dental emergencies, but also recognize that the DOH is trying to protect both our community and us as dental professionals. 

Even though our doors may be locked, Dr. Erin is still available for consults!   Please either call us at 412.404.2077 or utilize the following link if you have questions regarding your child’s dental health or possible dental emergency:

https://winningsmilespgh.yourvirtualconsult.com/

This is a fluid situation and we appreciate your patience as we do our best to continuously navigate these uncharted waters. The love and support you all have shown has been overwhelming!  Please know that we will do everything we can to resume dental services in our office once we are given the go ahead.  Until then, we’re still here for you, how we connect will just look a little different.

With Love,

Your Winning Smiles Family

Top 3 Reasons Your Child Should See a Pediatric Dentist

Winning Smiles Pediatric Dental Care is open for business in Pittsburgh!  So what's the big deal?  There's tons of dentists in and around the city, even right here in Shadyside.  What makes us any different?  You may be thinking, "I can just take (insert your child's name here) to my dentist.  Isn't that OK?"  That may be OK, but you want better than OK for your child, right?  That's where a pediatric dentist, like myself, comes in.  Think about it this way.  If your kid is due for a well child visit or gets sick, you're likely taking them to a pediatrician.  Well, consider us the pediatricians of the dental world.  We only see kids, all day, every day...and we love every minute of it.  Don't get me wrong.  Adult general dentists are fantastic!  We absolutely need them, and I'm so grateful for the broad range of services they provide.  But when it comes to children, a specialist in pediatric dentistry is often the way to go for reasons you might not even realize.  It's not about being better than an adult dentist, it's about being a better fit.  Let me explain with the three Es of pediatric dentistry.