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Dear Valued Patient and Colleagues,

You may have heard recent reports of the so called “dangers” of x-rays in the popular media this past week. We, at Pacific Oral and Facial Surgery Center, are very concerned about you and your family’s safety.  We have been implementing the concept referred to as ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable) regarding radiation exposure since we opened our first center in 2003. These principles include only ordering radiographic studies when absolutely necessary, utilizing digital radiography, providing protective shielding, and monitoring radiation exposure to our employees.  Our imaging technology has some of the lowest radiation exposure levels in dental and medical radiographic imaging. An image obtained from our most commonly used imaging device exposes the patient less radiation than a flight from Paris to New York. Please know that if you have any questions or concerns regarding your care or that of your family, we will be happy to discuss them with you.

                                                                                    Sincerely,

                                                                                    Michael L. Beckley, D.D.S

                                                                                    Pacific Oral and Facial Surgery Center

In the late 1970’s NASA concluded that most aircraft tragedies were attributable to human error. This led to a fundamental change in commercial aviation called crew resource management (CRM). CRM encompasses a wide range of knowledge, skills and attitudes including communications, situational awareness, problem solving, decision making, and teamwork to prevent accidents. It is not surprising that these concepts have been adapted to surgical care. Bad outcomes with surgery are not always attributable to human error but often they are. We have all heard stories of the wrong leg being removed by talented surgeons at prestigious hospitals.

At Pacific Oral and Facial Surgery Center we employ CRM based thinking in many aspects of your care. An illustration of CRM can be seen on the day of your surgery. You will see check lists, whiteboards, and open communication encouraged among all parties including the patient. You will probably be asked by multiple staff members when the last time you have eaten or had anything to drink. This is done for your safety or your loved one’s safety. Before, during and after your surgery Dr. Liu and myself communicate with the staff to verify that we are performing the right procedure on the right patient at the right time.

Our practice engages in frequent emergency simulations and equipment inspection. Our surgeons and surgical assistants are all advanced cardiac life support trained (ACLS). Recurrent ACLS training is required by the American Heart Association every two years. We require it to be taken every year. It is that important!

Thank you for entrusting us with your care and that of your loved ones. We consider it an honor and strive to provide you with the best surgical care possible.

Seven years ago I was asked by a friend and colleague to join a surgical team to go to Mexico to treat patients with cleft lip, palate and facial deformities. It has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my professional and personal life. Our team is self funded and composed entirely of volunteer nurses, anesthesiologists, residents, and surgeons. Each year we travel to central Mexico and operate a clinic and small surgical facility. The team has named itself “In Your Face” based on the type of care we provide. Every year we have patients who return for follow up care, we enjoy watching them grow up and make progress. Antonio is one of these special people.

Antonio is a delightful twenty four year old man who lives with his mother in rural Mexico. He is unable to speak but radiates a warmth and kindness which requires no translation. I met Antonio in January of 2010 at the Clinic of the Good Samaritan in Tatoxcac, Mexico. He came to the clinic with his mother and had a severe bilateral cleft lip and palate. It was remarkable that he was twenty two years old and he had not been treated. It is unusual, even in developing countries that his deformity was not addressed earlier in his life. In our society living with this type of deformity for twenty two years would be unconscionable.  Antonio’s bilateral cleft lip and palate make it difficult for him to eat and impossible for him to speak. I cannot imagine what it would like to be in public with this type of deformity.

 In January of 2010 our team repaired his lip. He came back to see us this January and Antonio is doing very well. He and his mother were very pleased and grateful. He brought us a very heavy bag of oranges that he picked himself. It was one of the nicest gifts that I have ever received.

It is my great pleasure to announce the opening of Pacific Oral and Facial Surgery Center’s Tracy office.  Dr. Liu and I are very excited about serving the Tracy dental and medical community.  Over the years we have seen many patients from the Tracy community and we feel that a center in Tracy would benefit patients who reside in the Tracy area and the referring doctors who practice in Tracy.  It is our goal to provide the highest level of service to you and your patients.  We anticipate having the office open in July of 2010.  Currently we are able to schedule appointments for consultations either in Livermore or in Tracy for your patients.  Please know that we offer complimentary dental implant consultations as a courtesy to you and your patients. Please contact us at 209-835-4600 in Tracy or 925-294-4000

Oral and maxillofacial surgeons devote between fourteen and seventeen years of their lives after high school before being allowed to begin their surgical practice. The competition, pressure to perform, and achieve are intense. In the United States of America there are approximately six thousand actively practicing oral and maxillofacial surgeons. This is an elite group of women and men who are uniquely trained and qualified to treat facial injuries, craniofacial deformities, head and neck cancers, infections, place dental implants, and provide outpatient anesthesia. As you might expect the specialty is dynamic and constantly improving the care provided to YOU the patient.

Continuing education is a part of the pursuit of excellence.  Surgeon and writer Atul Gawande describes surgery as an imperfect science. All doctors are painfully aware that the medicines that they prescribe or the procedures they perform with the best of intentions may result in harm to their patients. It is my belief that this awareness drives physicians and surgeons to continually seek better options for their patients.

Continuing education is a personal and professional effort to improve the quality of care that we provide. Dr. Liu and I reserve many hours each year for continued learning. Last month we attended the California Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons annual meeting in San Francisco, CA. The presentations reviewed new diagnostic imaging modalities and implant techniques. Our goal is to provide surgical excellence to you and your family in a caring and compassionate atmosphere.

Dr. Beckley and Dr. Liu, both board certified in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery are uniquely qualified to provide care to patients needing dental implants. Our surgeons partner with your physician, general, cosmetic, orthodontist or prosthodontic dentist to offer you the highest level of expertise, comfort, and aesthetics. To schedule your confidential consultation, please contact our office at 925-294-4000.

www.pacificofs.com

Michael L. Beckley, DDS

Oral and Facial Surgery

Livermore, CA

Many adults are reluctant to seek treatment for missing teeth. Reasons for this include fear, lack of knowledge regarding current technology and embarrassment. Patients missing some or all of their teeth will keep this secret from their best friends and even their spouses. Unfortunately, there is still a stigma attached to people with missing teeth. We are all familiar with the off color jokes and quips related to lower socioeconomic classes and missing teeth. Social interactions can be especially difficult for patients who are missing some or all of their teeth. Just imagine yourself on a first date or having dinner with friends wondering whether any one will notice that you are wearing a denture.

The reality is that there are millions of patients who are completely edentulous (have no teeth) and millions more who are partially edentulous (missing some of their teeth). The number one reason adult patients lose their teeth is periodontal disease. This is an infectious disease related to your immune system and different types of bacteria. It has nothing to do with how much money you make or what state you are from.

Modern dental implants have been utilized to improve the lives of patients in the United States of America for over 30 years. The track record of safety and longevity is proven. Dental implants are devices that replace the missing roots and crowns of your natural teeth. The look and feel of a well placed and restored dental implant exceeds that of any other prosthetic alternative.

The process of replacing teeth with dental implants is not complex. Often implants can be placed at the time of the removal of a natural tooth. Some patients will require site preparation prior to implant placement. This is a procedure where the patient’s bone or a substitute is utilized to build a foundation for the dental implant. These outpatient surgical procedures are usually accomplished under local anesthesia and intravenous sedation.

Dr. Beckley and Dr. Liu, both board certified in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery are uniquely qualified to provide care to patients needing dental implants. Our surgeons partner with your general, cosmetic, or prosthodontic dentist to offer you the highest level of expertise, comfort, and aesthetics. To schedule your confidential complimentary implant consultation, please contact our office at 925-294-4000.

www.pacificofs.com

Michael L. Beckley, DDS

Oral and Facial Surgery

Livermore, CA

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