Although many patients do not look forward to coming to the dentist, they show up for a visit every six months in order to avoid build up and undetected cavities. But, did you know that your Dental Hygienist and Dentist are also screening you for early signs of cancer? Screening the lips, tongue, thyroid and lymph node chain are a standard part of your visit every six months. Early detection of abnormal lesions is key to a good prognosis. So, before you procrastinate your next dental visit. Think of what you might be risking.
How much toothpaste is too much?
September 14, 2012
How much toothpaste do you use on your brush every day? If you take a moment to read the instructions on the tube you have in your bathroom, you will notice it says: “use a pea size amount”. Truth be told, when searching for an image for this article, we could not even find a picture with a pea size amount of paste on a brush!
So, why only a little paste? In order for the fluoride to be effective, you just don’t NEED more than this amount. A pea size contains an appropriate amount of fluoride in order to fight tooth decay, so why waste? Another reason is that it becomes difficult to rinse your bristles completely clean if there is paste gunking it up. Left over paste can hibernate nasty oral bacteria that you just spent two minutes removing from your mouth. Do you really want to put that back in your mouth next time you brush?
Next time you squeeze that tube, stop at a pea size. That’s all you need!
How To Stop a Pacifier Habit
July 13, 2012
I know you are probably thinking, “Do you seriously think you’re going to get this pacifier away from my child?” I know at one point, I was thinking this. I mean really. The American Association of Pediatrics recommends pacifier use cessation by 6 months of age. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Anyone who has had a baby use a pacifier can surely attest how difficult it would be to just take away a pacifier from a 6 month old. Even if your baby is not sleeping through the night by then (and neither of mine were), who wants to deal with the added difficulties in putting their child to bed without something that they’ve grown accustomed to using as a comfort device to fall asleep?
Don’t get me wrong, I tried to take the pacifier away from my first son at 6 months. I tried. He won. And it’s not really that my reasoning ability was not good, or that he was the “boss” of me, it’s just that… he wasn’t sleeping through the night yet and I was tired and I quickly grew weary of the additional wakeups combined with longer-than-usual coaxing back to sleep. So I gave it back after 2 nights. Thankfully, the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry has a different recommendation, that pacifier use be discontinued by age 3 to prevent changes in dental occlusion.
So, fast forward 17 months later. It was about a month before his 2nd birthday. He had recently started to fight our bedtime routine. I was on my 3rd round of going in and fetching his pacifier from behind his bed when I finally decided “enough is enough.” I strolled into his room, flipped on the lights, and excitedly explained to him that there was an ambulance here with the “Binky Fairies” who were here to take all of the pacifiers to the hospital for the new babies who needed them. I’m thankful for these 3 things that helped this method: #1 that he had a baby brother born when he was 16 months old so he knew that babies used pacifiers, #2 that his 2nd birthday was coming soon and he was going to be a “big boy” and no longer a baby and #3, that he didn’t ask to look outside and see the ambulance. I grabbed a bucket and started searching his room for all the pacifiers. I placed them all in the bucket, told him “I’ll be right back!”, left his bedroom, stashed them in my bathroom, and came back. He just sat there, stunned. We talked for a few minutes about the pacifier fairies and the babies, and about why they needed them and he didn’t. There were very few tears. He had a little bit of trouble going to sleep that night but he fell asleep nonetheless. He asked for his pacifiers for a few nights but eventually forgot about them. And thus, the pacifier habit was broken.
Now, I’m not saying that I know this method would work for everyone but I thought I’d share it because it worked for us and we are still pacifier free. I think the key to this is to do it when they are old enough to understand, yet still gullible enough to believe such a fantasy story, and he was.
Of course the best way to prevent having to take the pacifier away is to not use one in the first place…but for me, they were a lifesaver. As a nursing mom, pacifiers allowed me to still have the freedom to get things done without having a baby attached to me all day long. Plus, I am a huge worrier and pacifiers are said to decrease the risk of SIDS by keeping babies’ airways open. So yes, I am a huge pacifier proponent.
A couple of other pacifier “rules” that we implemented from the very beginning might have helped too. Pacifiers were pretty much used for naps and bedtime only. There was always one in the diaper bag for emergencies and sometimes they were used on car rides, but during play time and most of the day there are no pacifiers around. My 9 month old, Gavin, now uses a pacifier this same way. Naps and bedtime. Occasionally during sleepy times if we are out to eat too late at night just to keep him calm. As he gets older we will ask him to leave his pacifier in his bed upon waking, just like we did with his brother Quinn.
I hope this helps at least someone!
Can You Heal Cavities?
April 20, 2012
By now we have all heard about “superfoods” that are great for our bodies and overall health, but what about foods that are good for teeth? The American Association of Cosmetic Dentistry recently released a pamphlet about eating for dental health. This pamphlet includes a list of teeth-related superfoods and recipes using them. For instance, did you know that cheese is anticariogenic? Cheese contains lactic acid which helps prevent tooth decay. Here are some other tooth-power edibles:
Broccoli: forms an acid-resistant film on teeth that can help prevent enamel erosion.
Celery: activates saliva production which assists in cleansing food particles from the teeth and dilutes sugars or acids in the mouth. Chewing celery also massages the gums.
Kiwi: pack more Vitamin C than any other fruit. A lack of Vitamin C can break down the collagen network in your gums, making them tender and more susceptible to bacteria and gum disease.
Lemon: a natural “whitener” and assists with pH balance in the body.
Stevia: a natural sweetener that does not have an “acid effect” on your teeth like sugar.
Wasabi: a Japanese version of horseradish, which contains compounds called isothiocyanates to arrest bacteria growth.
Here’s a recipe using some of the ingredients from above!
Broccoli with Wasabi Sour Cream Sauce
Ingredients:
1 bunch broccoli, about 3 stalks,
organic preferred
Directions:
Wash and trim broccoli, peeling the fibrous
material from stems
Slice the stems diagonally into bite-size pieces,
and the flowerets into medium size bites.
Bring several inches of water to boil in a
vegetable steamer, and steam broccoli until
tender crisp, approximately 8 minutes.
Place steamed broccoli into a serving bowl,
serve with Wasabi Sour Cream sauce.
Serving Size:
Makes approximately 6, ½ cup servings
Wasabi Sour Cream Sauce
Ingredients:
¼ cup sour cream
1 – 2 teaspoons wasabi powder
¼ teaspoon sea salt
6 drops stevia
2 Tablespoons water
Directions:
In a small bowl, blend the wasabi powder with
water. Add salt, stevia and sour cream, mixing
well to blend flavors. If desired, add more
wasabi for extra heat.
Serve immediately, refrigerate for several days.
Serving Size:
6 servings, approximately 1 Tablespoon each
NCAA Tourney Winners
April 9, 2012
March Madness is over! A big thanks to everyone who participated. We are happy to announce the following patients as our winners:
1st place: Sonicare Toothbrush and custom whitening goes to Rebecca S.
2nd place: 4 Brewers tickets go to Kristina A.
3rd place: Bartolotta gift card goes to Gretchen S.
4th place: Jose’s Blue Sombrero gift cards go to Robert K.
Paint a Cake?
April 6, 2012
Do you like to make your own cakes, or do you go the store and buy them premade? Well, if you’re a cake buying connoisseur and haven’t given making and decorating your own a shot, try this next time you need a cake!
First, bake your favorite cake recipe (a boxed mix will do just fine). Divide a batch of frosting in two, and spread half of the frosting on the baked cake. Divide the other half of frosting into 3 separate bowls and tint different colors using food coloring.
Grab 3 new or very clean paintbrushes, a willing child participant, and your tinted frosting and start painting the cake!
Let your imagination do the work!
What a beautiful, fun, and creative way to personalize a cake for that special person. Be sure to take lots of pictures, because your artwork will get eaten!
Keeping your age a secret? We can help!
March 26, 2012
Think twice before fibbing about your age. Your smile might give away the truth! When you look in the mirror, do you see a youthful smile full of white, shiny teeth? Or, do you see broken down fillings and coffee stains? In general, the younger you are, the brighter your smile is. So, next time you visit our office, ask your Hygienist or Dentist how you can have a more youthful smile. We offer invisalign, various whitening options, and even cosmetic restorations. Take a look at one of our very own “Before and After” smile makeovers!
Perfect Slow-Cooker Beef Stew
March 14, 2012
This recipe comes straight from my kitchen. I feel like I finally perfected beef stew and I’m ready to share it with the world. The ingredients may seem a little strange, but believe me, they all work very well together. Make this instead of the same old corned beef and cabbage on St. Patrick’s day this year!
2lbs beef stew meat
2 cups of carrots, sliced thick (or baby carrots)
1lb small red or yellow potatoes, cut into halves or quarters
1 large onion, diced
1 large stalk of celery, sliced
1 packet of Hidden Valley Ranch dressing
1 packet of Lipton Onion Soup mix
1 packet of McCormick Brown Gravy mix
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
water
Directions:
1. Throw everything in the crock pot, then add the water until the vegetables are just barely covered. Stir.
2. Turn on low for eight hours.
3. Serve with warm, crusty bread.
A few things…if you like a thicker broth, I’d add an extra can of cream of mushroom or use the large size can. You can also add any vegetables you like. I added turnips to mine, which are visible in the picture, although it turns out that I like them less than I thought I did.
Your Referrals Mean so Much!
January 31, 2012
As a dental office that has been established for 25 years, we take pride in our practice and our patients. We are blessed to have had you with us for many of these years, and have been adding many more of you as we grow to our full potential. The best way to find any provider of service is by word of mouth. If you are happy with your services here, spread the word! If any of your adult friends and family schedule to see us as a new patient, we will send you a token of appreciation. This month we are sending out Carrabba’s gift cards. Thank you for your continued confidence.
Sincerely,
Your Entire Elmbrook Staff
Reviews and Testimonials
December 28, 2011
We are blessed to have a team of wonderful dentists and a supporting staff to match. We rely on our current patients to spread the word about our services and performance to the surrounding community. If you have thoughts you would like to share about the time you have spent with us in the office, we would love for you to leave a review! These reviews help us to make changes where it is necessary and continue to do the things that we do well.
Reviews can be submitted through Google, or through our Demandforce program. The links below will take you to each of these pages. Thank you for your continued confidence.
Demandforce: https://www.demandforced3.com/www/1.0/1/review/addReview.jsp?d3cp_bid=59777595