Welcome Dr. Tim
Thanks to your continued support and referrals over the years, our practice has continued to grow. We are proud to announce that Dr. Timothy F. Pristas has now joined our staff. Dr. Tim’s warm personality, experience & commitment to service make him the perfect fit for our practice philosophy. (Read more about him in our Meet our Team section.) He has become a welcome addition to our practice and has been well received by the patients who have gotten to know him.
Office Hours
To make our office more accessible and convenient to our patients, we have added additional days and hours.
Monday - 7:30 am- 1:30pm
Tuesday - 12:00pm-6:00pm
Weds - 7:30am-7:00pm
Thursday - 7:30am-7:00pm
Friday - 7:30am-2:30pm
With today’s busy and hectic life’s, it is our hope that these new hours will help meet the needs of our patients.
Honduras Mission
By: Debbie Blonski of St. Basil the Great
The latest mission team from St. Basil the Great departed for Honduras on April 5 (2010), with a sole focus of providing medical and dental care to the people of the San Francisco de la Paz area. The seasoned team consisted of two physicians, Drs. Rich Pine and Maya Mylenski; two dentists, Drs. Mark Iacobelli and Betty Creager; three registered nurses, Karen Coleman, Carol Pine, and Patty Zirm; and three “facilitators,” Dan Prater, and teenagers Tony and Vince Iacobelli. The facilitators handled everything from triage, interpretation, and set-up to dispensing drugs, dental assisting and more.
Thanks to help from the Cleveland Clinic, MetroHealth and private donations, the team left Cleveland equipped with a sizable amount of medications for dispensing. Also a new and totally self-contained dental unit made the trip thanks to the generous donations of St. Basil the Great parishioners and Midwest Implant Institute Fellows with over $10,000 raised to purchase this much needed equipment.
The St. Basil the Great Medical Team worked hand-in-hand with Dr. Renee Martinez and Sister Marta, the staff of the Hogar del Nino medical clinic, and spent long and grueling days
that started around 6:30 a.m. and ended as late as 9:30 p.m., doing some of what they do best -- greeting each patient with a smile and a reassuring squeeze of the hand. During the first two days, both the medical and dental groups treated patients at the Hogar del Nino. The last three days were spent traveling in four-wheel drive pickup trucks on rough dirt roads through the forest and coffee fields, serving people of three outlying aldeas (villages). Much of these remote areas lack electricity and any type of medical care, so the team went to them – generators, fans, dental equipment, medications and all.
Dental care consisted of mostly extraction of infected and hopeless teeth; Dr. Mark and the outreach team extracted 523 teeth over five days. With dental decay at epidemic levels, the team faced extractions of secondary front teeth from children as young as 12 and 13 years old. “The true triumphs came when we found a few teenagers who benefited from cleaning and minor fillings instead of extractions,” said Dr. Mark. All the clinics were held in the school houses, which were happily vacated by the children on the day the team was there. Education about dental care that occurs on each mission trip has been a key element to improving dental health. This effort along with the water treatment plants previously installed by our teams is making a difference for the people. “We’re seeing a lot less intestinal disease in the areas that have water treatment plants,” said Dr. Rich.
For Dr. Mark’s sons Tony and Vince, this was their second trip in the last nine months, choosing to use their vacation time during Spring Break to help the people of Honduras. The team enjoyed the different perspective and energy their adolescence brought along and couldn’t say enough about the boys’ commitment to service, pitching in to do whatever it took. The entire team combined saw 1,346 patients over their five-day mission and each would be quick to mention the value of TEAM, and each and every member. While the 85- 90 degree days were long and without much rest, ministering to those in need was most satisfying and everyone agrees they got far more in return from the Honduran people than what they gave out – many thanks, much gratitude and loads of heartwarming smiles.
Oraverse
A change you can feel . . .
Dr Mark and his staff want you to have the most comfortable experience possible. It’s a commitment that begins when you walk in the door and extends long after you leave. Now there’s an advancement that redefines this possibility if you’re one of the many who dislike lingering numbness from local anesthesia. OraVerse™ rapidly reverses the effects of your local dental anesthetic after routine dental procedures. It is scientifically proven to accelerate the return of normal sensation in the lip and tongue. A return of function (such as speaking, smiling, and drinking) allows you to get back to your day in about half the time. Parents benefit knowing children will regain normal feeling more quickly with OraVerse. OraVerse is proven safe and effective for adults and children aged 6 and older and weighing more than 33 lbs.
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Induction of Dr. Mark as President of Midwest Implant Institute
for 2007-2008 Sessions
Dr. Mark and the executive council have worked tirelessly to increase the opportunities for general dentists to observe and participate in implant surgeries with renowned implant experts. Dr. Mark will be speaking and will be performing live surgery to be broadcast at the annual symposium in Columbus, Feb. 7th - 9th, 2008.
The Midwest Implant Institute exists to serve the dental generalists and specialists to become proficient in implant surgery and implant prosthetics. MII was founded in 1980 to serve the dental profession in the area of dental Implantology. The organization is divided into the teaching division, which organizes regular implant courses and extern programs to allow interested dentists to study and gain experience in both the theory, and practical implant surgery, including supervised experience on real patients.
What it means to be a Fellow
The MII Fellows organization is a communication and support organization to give mutual assistance and support in the practice of implant dentistry to achieve the highest standards.
The Midwest Implant Institute Fellowship is composed of doctors who share a commitment to serving and helping others through higher education and clinical practice. This commitment lends itself to endeavors including missionary work,
networking, and assisting on another in dental as well as non-dental activities. An MII Fellow has demonstrated his/her competence in dental implant dentistry through a common educational program. The Fellows hold each other to the highest standard of ethics. The MII Fellowship extends its reach to fellow dentists regardless of religion, race or creed.
The Fellows present regional meetings for the benefit of colleagues who wish to have more knowledge of implant dentistry either as newcomers to the subject or with updates and new technology for those already practicing the subject.
MII Mission Statement
Utilizing education to serve the dental community made up of the Doctor, their staff, and
their family members to live a fulfilled life with joy, contentment, and purpose in life.
Dr. Iacobelli - International College of Dentists:
Induction into Fellowship
One of the most significant events in a person’s career is that of being recognized as a Fellow of an organization of professional distinction. We are honored to announce that Dr Mark has been invited to be inducted into the Fellowship of the honorary International College of Dentists. This is a pre-eminent organization of the world’s outstanding dentists who have, by their actions, demonstrated an abiding interest and concern for their profession.
In the dental profession, such acceptance signifies that one has brought honor to the profession through devoted service and high ethical behavior. It is the highest honor of that profession.
The College has an extensive process of screening for acceptance to Fellowship. One must be recognized as an active contributor to his profession and community and be held in high esteem by both for integrity and character. Candidate’s qualifications are evaluated by as many as 25 Fellows to ensure the highest quality of membership.
The International College of Dentists is respected throughout the world. Its members are guardians of its dignity and welcome the challenge to live up to its standards in all they do. It is truly an honor for Dr. Mark to be inducted into such a prestigious organization.
Dr. Iacobelli named in the 2006 edition of
The Best Dentists in America
Dr. Mark Iacobelli has been selected in a vote by his peers to be included in the 2006 edition of The Best Dentists in America. His name can be found in the northern Ohio listings online at www.thebestdentistsinamerica.com and will appear in the August issue of Northern Ohio Live. Inclusion in this publication is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey in which thousands of leading dentists throughout the country cast tens of thousands of “votes” on the abilities of other dentists in their specialties. We are proud of Dr. Mark for receiving this honor from his peers.
Dr. Iacobelli makes difference in Honduras during mission trip
This past April, Dr. Mark joined a team of parishioners from St. Basil the Great Church in Brecksville on a mission trip to San Francisco de la Paz in Honduras. Dr. Mark worked in a mission clinic at Hogar del Nino during the parish’s 15 th mission trip. In 10 days, he saw nearly 200 patients while he only sees three or four per day here back home. Dr. Mark put in many hours, working from 7 a.m. until almost 8:30 p.m., examining patients, cleaning teeth, placing fillings and performing extractions, if necessary. Dr. Mark’s experience in Honduras is one he’ll never forget – ask him about it at your next visit!
