We all know how important going to the dentist is. It has been instilled in us from a young age that twice-yearly cleanings can help to maintain our beautiful smiles and that dental hygiene is an integral part of overall health. That does not mean we all make our annual visits a priority, however. With all the scraping and grinding that goes into a cleaning, going to the dentist isn’t exactly something most of us put at the top of our to-do lists. The majority of the time we just wait until there’s a problem—an achy tooth or bleeding gums—and by then the experience can be even more unnerving.
Willow Grove resident Matt Pinnel used to be one of those people who disliked the dentist. He had chronic trouble with two of his teeth and could not find a dentist who could help him correct the problem. Then he moved to the area, and as he was in the process of searching for a new dentist, he discovered David P. Recigno, D.M.D. While Pinnel admits going to the dentist will never be one of his favorite pastimes, Dr. Recigno makes it tolerable.
“Dr. Recigno is far better than any of the other dentists I’ve had,” he says. “I just like that he actually talked to me; we were able to have a conversation. He asked if things were all right, and actually explained the procedure to me as he was doing it. Most dentists I’ve had just do the work and don’t explain anything.”
Pinnel is among the many patients who cannot say enough about the positive experience that results from a visit with Dr. Recigno. Like Pinnel, patient Janet Kempisty also discovered Dr. Recigno when she relocated to Willow Grove. After viewing his bio online, she decided to schedule an appointment. She could not be happier with her choice. “There’s always a ‘cringe factor’ when you think about going to the dentist,” says Kempisty, who has been seeing Dr. Recigno for almost two years now; she recently had a full bridge placed, along with a crown. “But it is always a pleasant experience with Dr. Recigno. His chair-side manner, if you will, is just awesome, and I always feel very relaxed, which I think really helps.”
Dr. Recigno, a Willow Grove native, opened his practice, Willow Grove Dentistry, in 2011, after completing his undergraduate studies at Georgetown University and receiving his D.M.D. degree from the Temple University School of Dentistry. Since then, he has been making it a priority to ensure that his patients receive the best and most advanced care possible. By all accounts, his efforts seem to be working. “I referred my sister-in-law to him,” Kempisty adds, “and she goes with her husband and two children.”
Along with a positive, inviting environment, Dr. Recigno’s office offers unparalleled, state of the art treatment equipment in a spacious new office that is comfortable, modern and bright. In fact, there are even televisions in the ceiling patients can watch during treatment. One new technology Dr. Recigno has been utilizing is a cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) X-ray machine, which provides 3-D imaging of a patient’s mouth. “[The CBCT] really opens up a lot of new ways to plan cases,” he says. “It’s more accurate than 2-D, and it offers better pictures.”
Dr. Recigno recalls one patient who had a crack in her tooth that other dentists had not been able to detect with standard 2-D X-rays. “She had been having problems with this one tooth, even after having a root canal and multiple crowns,” he says. “Nothing had solved the problem. I scanned the tooth with the CBCT and I was able to detect a crack and infection that wasn’t visible using normal 2-D X-rays. Unfortunately, there was no saving the tooth at this point. But removal of the tooth finally relieved the pain in that area that the patient had been dealing with for years.”
In addition to allowing for more detailed X-rays, Dr. Recigno says the CBCT is also a superior surgical guide when placing dental implants. Dental implants are a rapidly growing segment of dentistry that are used to replace missing teeth or stabilize loose dentures. “With the CBCT machine, I can have a virtual model of the entire jaw on my computer, allowing me to superimpose the implant into the space and make measurements, assuring the right size and angle,” he says, noting more accurate pre-surgery information allows him to make less invasive incisions during the actual surgery. “It definitely speeds things up; it’s more comfortable, there are fewer complications and there is quicker healing—everything you’d expect from minimizing the incision.”
Convenience is also one of the amenities patients of Dr. Recigno have come to appreciate. He treats patients of all ages and even has in-office orthodontists for patients who may require that type of specialized care. Evening and Saturday appointments also allow patients to schedule visits when they need them, and flexible financing options are available.
Going to the dentist may be something we all typically avoid, but it doesn’t have to be the hassle it has been in the past. Dentists such as Dr. Recigno are changing the face of dentistry; people may not soon look forward to going to the dentist, but they can now appreciate the effort dentists are putting in to make the experience a little more pleasant.
Willow Grove Dentistry
519 Davisville Road
Willow Grove, PA 19090
800-975-2503
www.willowgrovedentistry.com
Photograph by Rob Hall
