Source: Rhino Times Greensboro

Dr. Jensen: The Smile Surgeon

January 28, 2011

Early this November, oral surgeon Dr. Scott Jensen, DMD, PA and his staff spent all day at First Presbyterian Church in Greensboro providing dental care to patients who could not afford treatment on their own. One day – 12 patients. For Dr. Jensen it was just a logical extension of his practice’s daily routine – treating patients’ dental problems regardless of their ability to pay. The event in November was put on by the North Carolina Dental Society which holds similar clinics throughout the state. It is just one of the many ways that Dr. Jensen and his staff contribute to the well being of this community.

Dr. Jensen is a specialist in dental surgery, or maxillofacial surgery as it’s known in the business. His staff is able to handle surgical procedures ranging from a wisdom tooth extraction to corrective jaw surgery, all out of his office on Cherry Street in the historic Fisher Park neighborhood of Greensboro. The presence of an in-house nurse anesthetist who specializes in administering anesthesia, nitrous oxide and IV sedation, allows Dr. Jensen to perform the procedures while the patient is asleep or mildly sedated. That ability to eliminate pain from dental procedures is something that Dr. Jensen takes particular pride in. “When the patient comes to and can’t believe that we already finished the surgery, that’s a good feeling,” said Jensen. “We strive to make the experience as painless and comfortable as possible.”

One of the common ailments that Dr. Jensen treats is temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder. These are the myriad of problems that occur when the joints of the jaw aren’t working properly. Some of the symptoms of TMJ can be misleading; for example, frequent headaches or neck aches. This is a result of what is called referred pain. Other symptoms include stiff muscles around the jaw, a click, pop or catch in the jaw when chewing, and opposing teeth that no longer touch. TMJ disorders are more easily resolved today than in the past, and the solution may be as simple as wearing a mouth guard to relieve pressure on the joint at night, or may require a surgical procedure to change the alignment of the joint, or possibly a combination of treatments.

Other surgical procedures that Dr. Jensen’s office conducts regularly include wisdom teeth removal, tooth extraction, dental implants, facial cosmetic surgery, restoration from facial trauma, reconstructive jaw surgery, repair of cleft palates, oral cancer screening, surgery to relieve sleep apnea and corrective bite surgery. For surgeries that require a longer or more extensive sedation, Dr. Jensen operates one day per week at Moses Cone Hospital, but most of the treatments can be done at Dr. Jensen’s Cherry Street office.

The Cherry Street office reflects the dental practice itself. It is comfortable and relaxed on the outside, but very sophisticated on the interior. A two-story turn-of-the-century Mediterranean villa-style exterior belies the high-tech instrument-laden surgical rooms inside; rooms that are loaded with state of the art, X-ray and laser equipment. That duality actually applies to the good doctor as well. Dr. Jensen has a very comforting manner, is quick to laugh and is generous with his own smile and wit, but he is known by his staff as a perfectionist and fastidious surgeon who prepares diligently for each procedure.

Dr. Jensen is a homegrown success story. He was born and raised in High Point and is a graduate of Davidson College. He then attended the Medical University of South Carolina College of Dental Medicine in Charleston, South Carolina. He did his general dental practice residency at Charlotte Memorial Hospital. Oral and maxillofacial surgery requires additional hospital-based training. Dr. Jensen received this training and did his residency in oral surgery at the Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. He has been practicing dental surgery in this area for 20 years and lives in Greensboro with his wife, Wendy, and their three children.

The family attends Westover Church together on Sunday. But Dr. Jensen doesn’t check his faith at the door when he comes to work. He strives to let his faith show through his surgical practice as well as his personal life. Each morning Dr. Jensen leads his staff in prayer and the entire practice works hard to live by the golden rule: “Treat others as you would like to be treated.” One of the manifestations of this is the policy of accepting patients regardless of their ability to pay. Dr. Jensen’s position is that everyone needs to be treated but not everyone has adequate insurance or finances. The office is very flexible in working with patients that have financial issues and accepts Medicaid in order to allow lower income patients to get the care they need. But the altruistic bent doesn’t make for a stuffy workplace. One staff member recalls hearing peals of laughter coming from a staff meeting, only to find that she had missed Dr. Jensen entertaining his assistants with an impromptu rap. No doubt an easy task for the doctor; there are a lot of words that rhyme with “smile.”