At Pursel Dental, we elevate the quality of your dental care with our investments in cutting-edge technology, continuous training, and an expanded-functions dental assistant (EFDA). An EFDA has received additional education, which enables them to perform expanded and extended duties, such as intraoral procedures. Our registered dental hygienists (RDH) are trained and licensed to perform preventive dental care on patients, including teeth cleanings and X-rays. With these members and our administrative team, we make sure you get the expert care you need while making your comfort a priority. Our office offers a wide variety of dental services encompassed by general, cosmetic, restorative, and emergency dentistry. Using the right treatments for issues like decay, trauma, and other acute or potential damage, we maintain your oral health and address any immediate needs.
From top left to right: Dr. Kevin, Dr. Shannon, Amy-Dental Assistant, Judi-Financial Coordinator, Alicia-Administrative Assistant, Kris-RDH, Lisa-RDH, Kristen-EFDA, Brittney-RDH, Jonna-Office Manager, Carissa-Dental Assistant.
An EFDA is a highly trained and skilled dental assistant who receives additional education to enable them to perform reversible, intraoral procedures, and additional tasks (expanded duties or extended duties), services or capacities, often including direct patient care services, which may be legally delegated by a licensed dentist under the supervision of a licensed dentist. An RDH (registered dental hygienist) is a person trained and licensed to provide preventive dental services, such as cleaning the teeth and taking x-rays in conjunction with a dentist. Our office is a close-knit, family-like environment. We know our patients and their families by name. Everyone is welcome here! We are an advanced office and have many services to offer to patients of any age.
Dr. Shannon belongs to The Academy of General Dentistry, The American Dental Association & the Pennsylvania Dental Association. She has over 500 hours of continuing education in various topics. She is a member of the Omicron Kappa Upsilon National Dental Honorary Society. She also holds a Certificate of General Practice and Hospital Dentistry from the University of Maryland Medical System. She also has a BA in Biology from Thiel College (1989) and the University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine (1993) DMD.
Dr. Wrights mission is to provide dental care and offer knowledge to his patients that will enhance their quality of life, and at the same time, advocate a network in the community that strengthens trust and builds life-long relationships.
Outside of the office, Dr. Wright enjoys exercising and staying active by lifting weights, hiking, and playing baseball. He started playing baseball at five years old and continued throughout college as a pitcher for Mount Aloysius.
Dr. Wright was introduced to weight lifting in his early teen years, and it has become a staple in his everyday life. While hiking is a more recent hobby, it is quickly evolving into a weekend routine to indulge in the beautiful Pennsylvania scenery
Dr. Kevin belongs to The Academy of General Dentistry, The American Dental Association & the Pennsylvania Dental Association. He has over 500 hours of continuing education in various topics. He also holds a Certificate of General Practice and Hospital Dentistry University of Maryland Medical System. He was Chief Resident in General Dentistry at the University of Maryland Medical System (1994-1995). He has a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Pennsylvania State University (1989) and University of Pittsburgh School of Dental Medicine (1993) DMD.
In the ever-changing world of technology, as professionals, we must keep up with all the latest advancements. With the advances in computer and digital technology, we offer the most cutting-edge dentistry available. Drs. Kevin and Shannon Pursel attend the latest and most up to date Continuing Education courses to keep current and ahead of the curve. In one visit we can create beautiful porcelain crowns using the CEREC CAD/CAM imaging system. To diagnose dental disease, we use a digital imaging system that uses one-fifth of the radiation of traditional x-rays.
A crown, sometimes called a cap, is a tooth-like covering placed over a carefully prepared existing tooth. Crowns are used to strengthen, restore or improve the appearance of your natural tooth; a crown is placed on an individual tooth much like a thimble over your finger. Crowns serve many functions in addition to being used to strengthen a tooth to accommodate the attachment of a fixed bridge. One of the most common reasons to place a crown is to support the tooth when there is no longer sufficient tooth structure left to place a filling. Crowns may also be used to protect the structure of a tooth that is fractured or broken.
Technology today is changing our everyday lives. Many people, however, arent aware that technology also is impacting dentistry in new and exciting ways. Cuttingedge innovations in dental instruments are requiring less time in the dental chair, causing less discomfort and creating satisfying results. One breakthrough instrument, called CEREC, allows dentists to quickly restore damaged teeth with naturalcolored ceramic fillings, saving patients time and inconvenience.
CEREC has over a decade of clinical research and experience to support the technology. The manufacturer of CEREC has relied on user input and research to improve the product over this time. Over four million restorations have been performed worldwide.
CEREC uses CAD/CAM (Computer Aided Design/Computer Aided Manufacturing) technology, incorporating a camera, computer and milling machine in one instrument. The dentist uses a special camera to take an accurate picture of the damaged tooth. This optical impression is transferred and displayed on a color computer screen, where the dentist uses CAD technology to design the restoration. Then CAM takes over and automatically creates the restoration while the patient waits.
The dentist prepares the damaged tooth by painting a thin layer of reflective powder directly on the tooths surface. Using a special camera, the dentist then takes a picture of the tooth. No need to take a messy impression and send it to the lab. The dentist works; from this photo, which is actually a pinsharp optical impression of the tooth. Computer-aided design technology helps the dentist design the restoration from the optical impression. The design is done chairside on a color monitor. Patients can watch the dentist design the new restoration right in front of their eyes! The computer-aided manufacturing creates the restoration while the patient waits. The tooth is milled out of a block of ceramic material that matches the patients tooth color. Computer-aided manufacturing uses a highspeed diamond bur and a disk simultaneously to mill a precise restoration. The milling takes about 40 minutes. Finally, the dentist bonds the newly milled restoration to the tooth using an adhesive.