Chips Dental Has Seen Advances Through the Years

In his 17 years of practice, Dr. Tim Chips has seen a lot of changes in the dental profession. The owner of Chips Dental said a number of these advancements have helped to make dental care both more successful and more comfortable for the patients.

Dr. Chips, an Associate Fellow with the American Academy of Implant Dentistry, specializes in dental implants at his Chips Dental offices. He said there has been a great increase in dental implants, "and when they're done well by a practitioner who knows what they're doing, they can really have a tremendous impact on patients and their dental health." Implants make teeth more stable and more functional, according to Dr. Chips, and patients are no longer restricted "to removable dentures that people are used to hearing about from their grandparents."

Other advances have been more recent, as Dr. Chips pointed out that "Even in the last five to 10 years we've seen a tremendous change toward digital dentistry, which I've embraced quite a bit." He described it as an X-ray that allows him to see all three dimensions, so things that might have been overlooked before are now visible with the new technology.

Also regarding X-rays, Dr. Chips said digital X-rays help reduce the amount of radiation involved. Radiation had previously been an area of concern, but the ADA recently removed the requirement for placing a lead vest on the patient because the amount now being used is so small.

Dr. Chips is the owner of Chips Dental, a practice his father started in 1978. He has worked there since 2008 and took over the practice in 2023 when his father retired. The practice handles a whole range of services, and while he specializes in implants, he also likes to look at the whole picture to see what makes the most sense for the patient.

Dr. Chips works with other medical professionals as well, to coordinate care and assure patients receive the best outcome. "For example, we're doing a full mouth rehabilitation for a patient who has a history of low platelet counts, and we coordinated with her hematologist to make sure that we were in a safe range for treatments." She also had a history of negative reactions with medications, so he worked with her PCP to ensure she wasn't receiving any medications that would cause an adverse result.

Dr. Chips concluded, "I partner with specialists in specific areas where I feel like results are going to be better. I try to make sure that I'm always measuring up to the standard of care and doing what's best for the patient."

For more information, call (724) 443-5710 or visit www.chipsdental.com.