ARPD is Environmentally Friendly

We love to help our patients achieve a happy and a healthy smile. To the surprise of most that’s not all that we care about here at ARPD. We care deeply about the overall health of our patients, our staff members and the environment.  Let us tell you how we work hard to do our part to care for each other and the Earth. Here are a few of the things that we do at ARPD that are good for our patients, their loved ones and the planet!

1. We use germicidal hand wash and hand sanitizers which eliminate, for the most part, the need for paper towels.  This also minimizes water usage. In order to minimize water consumption and still ensure bactericidal cleaning, we’ve installed medical grade hand sanitizers for use by doctors and staff.
2. We use digital x-rays. Digital x-rays have the advantage of providing images with a minimum of radiation exposure.  Phosphor plates and digital sensors capture the x-ray image and are then converted into a digital image that can be viewed, manipulated, magnified and stored electronically.  Digital x-rays reduce waste by eliminating film and processing chemicals.
3. We use a nontoxic dental waterline inhibitor to prevent bacterial growth in line and prevent bacterial transfer to patients or staff members.
4. Our self-contained dental units use distilled and purified water which cuts down on chemicals transferred to the patient or the environment.  Distilled water lacks minerals which enables our dental units and our dental hand pieces to run more cleanly and energy efficiently.
5. We use microfiber washable towels for cleaning windows and other housekeeping duties in order to cut down on paper waste.
6. Our suction line cleaner is biodegradable and dissolves dental buildup in the suction lines allowing our vacuum and vacuum pump to work more effectively for our patients and more energy efficiently.
7. Rather than using plastic or latex barriers for our equipment, we clean and disinfect our chairs and every surface that is touched by the patient, dentist or hygienist before and after every patient and at the beginning and end of every day. 
8. We use automated thermostats to maintain a comfortable office temperature more energy efficiently for our patients and our staff members.
9. Our office staff even operates in a "green" manner by practicing several different eco friendly methods. 
• We regularly contact junk mail senders and request that they remove us from their databases to cut down on mail waste.
• We shred and recycle all of our office papers.
• Our office machine cartridges and toners are recycled.
10. Our office air fresheners are all natural essential oils and are nontoxic and have also been demonstrated to have some antibacterial and antiviral properties making for a healthier and happier dental atmosphere. No ‘dental office smell’ here! 

These are just the top 10 ways we operate environmentally friendly. Our newest way will be when we complete our office Renovation. We plan to improve our carbon footprint per say! 

#gogreen #greenARPD #envirodentist #drrohner #happyhealthy #protecttheearth #onethingatatime

www.drrohner.com  www.facebook.com/TheFishDentist

Getting to Know Dr. Rohner, Part I

How else to get to know Dr. Rohner than learn about the two people that made Dr. Rohner who she is today, her parents, The Robinson's!

“Everyone Deserves the Chance to Fly"

My parents, Ray and Pam Robinson, are true lovebirds, soulmates, they are meant to be together forever.   They are absolutely precious and their love for each other is humbling and inspiring.  Short version of their story?  They met in high school, got married while my dad was in the Navy, and have been together ever since!  For my entire life, my parents have been hard workers.  My dad has been a truck driver since his teen years, and recently retired from FedEx, and my mom was a pulmonology nurse for Mobile Infirmary (and yes! She still has her own stethoscope). 

Interesting story about my parents?  They have always said that when they retire… that they were going to sell everything and travel full time.  Well, last July, they did it!  They set out on the open road in their RV, towing a jeep for exploring, and, ever since, they have been having the time of their lives exploring the USA!

Their trips have taken them from their former home in Daphne, Alabama, all the way to Seattle, Washington, and all points in between, around, over and under…   so, here are a few pictures of the first few months of their journey and…here’s to my parents who finally get to ‘fly’ across the open road going wherever the wind takes them.  

Congratulations Mom and Dad!

#welovenurses  #momanddad #makingit #traveltheworld #oratleastthestates #lovinglife #livinglife #camping #rving

Board Certified, CEs, Diplomat... English please!

So, periodically our office closes for ‘Continuing Education’… What does that mean exactly?  

Not only does our State Dental Board require a certain amount and type of Continuing Education each year for my dental license, but to remain as a Board Certified Pediatric Dentist additional is required.

  

Let me give you a little history on myself. As I have written about in previous blogs I went down a long educational pathway.  I finished my undergraduate degree with honors in education, taught special education in rural Mississippi for two years, applied and was accepted to dental school, received my Doctor of Dental Medicine degree (DMD), continued on for more education in a dental residency at Children’s Hospital of Alabama and the University of Alabama at Birmingham to become a specialist in Pediatric Dentistry and, after finishing my education, my pediatric dentistry residency, and passing my exams, I electively chose to pursue MORE education in my field by choosing to study and prepare for the Board Exam in Pediatric Dentistry. 

In order to become a Diplomate in Pediatric Dentistry, which means “Board Certified in Pediatric Dentistry”, I passed a comprehensive written examination on Pediatric Dentistry and then completed a site visit in which American Board of Pediatric Dentistry Board Examiners spent several days in my office reviewing my charts and cases, reviewing my office protocol and my staff management and sterilization procedures, and observing and grading my clinical work.  And, after all of that, I was awarded Diplomate status/Board Certification in Pediatric Dentistry by the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry and became a Fellow in the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.

The neat thing about Board Certification in Pediatric Dentistry is that it is an ongoing process.  It is a lifelong educational process that requires constant study and review.  Each year the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry requires that I complete additional continuing education in Pediatric Dentistry, pass educational modules on Pediatric Dentistry specific topics and periodically attend a 22 hour Comprehensive Review of Pediatric Dentistry as well as periodically taking (and passing) a Comprehensive Exam on Pediatric Dentistry.  In order to maintain my Certification, I must continue learning because every year there are new procedures, new materials, new ways of helping take care of my patients’ teeth that I want to learn and become expert at in order to offer my patients the best care possible.

 

That is what I do. Spend my time "off" studying and attending classes and reviewing and preparing  for the Comprehensive Exam on Pediatric Dentistry in order to renew my Board Certification.

All of this may lead a person to ask, Why did you volunteer to pursue and achieve Board Certification?

It’s simple really, continuing education and lifelong learning are high priorities for me.  I am dedicated to providing the best patient care through a commitment to lifelong learning.  Board Certification in Pediatric Dentistry gives me the opportunity to achieve and to demonstrate my dedication to excellence.