Dr Brunner and his wife Lauren hosted the office holiday party this season in their home. Because nothing is boring with our staff, we themed the party as “Ugly Sweater”. All of the staff and their spouses set out to find the ugliest sweaters possible to compete in a competition with each other. John S. gained the most votes and won with his “ugly” neon green and pink sweater.

We enjoyed a tapas style menu with delicious fresh made food. Each dish was paired with wine and served every 30 min. The food was provided and catered by Chef Britta Kramer who focuses on healthy specialty foods with no preservatives. We enjoyed everything from crab cakes and lamb to chocolate torte!

The whole staff enjoyed everything so much. We can’t wait to see how we will celebrate next year!

Check out Britta Kramers’ page for details on her services: http://privatepalate.com/

Check out our facebook page to become a fan and view more photos: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Elmbrook-Family-Dental/49037228118

We have to give a shout out to all of our wonderful staff, patients and building partners for their donations to the Hunger Task Force food drive. We collected over 600lbs of food to donate to families in need. Thank you so much for all of your help and support. Those who donated were entered to win a gift basket. Ann was drawn as our winner on December 1st.

Congratulations to Mindy and her new husband Cory who were married on December 5th. The ceremony and reception were beautiful. One of the staffs’ favorite highlights was a photo booth available for all of the guests to take pictures. Silly hats and glasses included! They celebrated their honeymoon in the Turks and Caicos enjoying warm weather and sandy beaches.

Did you know that an infant’s gums and newly erupted teeth should be brushed? After bottle feeding, using a soft bristled brush on your infants gums can eliminate decay and disease causing bacteria. At the age of about 2 years old, you may start using a pea sized amount of toothpaste on your child’s brush. Be sure to use a toothpaste low in fluoride until your child is able to spit into the sink after brushing.This will help to avoid fluorosis of the teeth. Although your child may want to brush on their own, be sure to brush following them to ensure that it is done accurately. Some sources say a parent should participate in brushing until the age of 9 years old.

We recommend your child have their first dental visit between the ages of 2 and 3 years old. Our staff will work with your child to build a positive and trusting relationship. We want your child’s first visit to be enjoyable!

Last year, the patients and staff at Elmbrook Family Dental collected 500lbs of food for the Hunger Task Force! Because of our past success, we are going to be collecting non-perishable food donations in our front lobby throughout the remainder of October and all of November. As a special thanks to those who donate, we will be holding a drawing for a gift basket! If you stop in to donate, you will receive one form to be entered into this drawing. Our gift basket will include: a Sonicare toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, Listerine, a certificate for free custom whitening trays and gift cards to Jose’s Blue Sombrero!

There are no limits to how many times you can enter, but there is a limit of one entry per person per day. The more often you donate the more chances you will have to win.

Our goal is to collect 700lbs of food. Any non-perishable items such as peanut butter, pasta, rice, cereal, canned fruit, canned veggies or soup will be collected until Tuesday, November 30^th. Our winner will be announced on Wednesday, December 1^st. Stop in during any of our normal business hours to make your donation.

Did you know…

Microorganisms that cause colds, flu, cold sores, gum disease, cavities and even hepatitis thrive and multiply on your toothbrush? Be sure to keep bristles separated from those of your friends and family members! Replace a brush after any illness or every three months to help prevent cross contamination!

The abbreviation for a prescription is “Rx” and comes from a Latin term meaning recipe.  A prayer to the god of medicine, Jupiter, was said in hopes of good health. This symbol is still used today on prescription pads.

The fear of teeth is called odontophobia!

The sad truth is that in the United States, one in three people will get some form of cancer during their lifetime. There are many treatments that can cure cancer if it is caught early enough. Treatments can include anything from surgery to radiation or hormone therapy. Regardless of the type of treatment, it is important for their patient and their families to realize that there can often be oral complications from cancer therapy. It is important to see your dental team for preventative care before, during and after cancer treatments to avoid complications.

Before cancer treatment begins, it is important to start with a clean and healthy mouth. This means a mouth free of decay, plaque build up and gum disease. Bacteria in the mouth can develop into an infection when the immune system becomes comprimised during cancer therapy. Irritated tissues can become worse and sores can appear in the mouth. Infection and sores can be painful for the patient making eating much more difficult and lower their quality of life.

During cancer treatments it is important to have your oral health monitored. Side effected from treatment and medications can often lead to dry mouth. Dry mouth can lead to infection, decay, discomfort and difficulty eating or swallowing. Your hygienist will be a great resource for hygiene techniques and educate you on appropriate saliva substitutes and cavity preventing toothpastes. Your dentist will monitor your teeth closely for any sign of decay.

After cancer therapy, a thourough cleaning and check up are important to diagnose any dental decay, perminant damage to teeth, tissue, salivary glands or even surrounding bone. Since each patient is different, it is important to monitor for the specific needs they may have.

Although cancer treatment is difficult and often exhausting, remembering to focus on dental care throughout will only benefit a patient in the long run. It is still possible to enjoy life after recovery. Make sure you have the healthy smile to prove it.

Many patients ask what age is the best to bring your child in for their first dental visit, which toothpaste is the best toothpaste, when should they be losing their baby teeth, among many other questions. This blog will answer many common questions that parents have regarding the oral health of their child.

A first visit is recommended for a child at about the age of 2 years old. The procedures completed at this visit will depend on the cooperation of each individual child. Some 2 year olds will have a full cleaning, exam and x-rays while others may only be ready for a “happy visit”. This would include counting the teeth, taking a ride in our dental chair and learning about the different instruments. Our goal is to make the first visit as pleasant as possible so as to create fond memories that will set the stage for future appointments.

What type of toothbrush and toothpaste should my child be using? Toothbrushes are labeled and sold according to age groups starting at the age a tooth first erupts. See the packaging label to find the correct brush. A small brush head with soft or extra soft bristles is best. Be sure to replace the brush every 3 months or after any illnesses. Younger children should use toothpaste with little to no fluoride content. Ingesting too much fluoride could cause an upset stomach. As soon as your child can spit after brushing, fluoridated toothpaste approved by the ADA can be used to help prevent tooth decay. Brushing should be performed twice daily. Adult assistance may be necessary as motor skills are still developing. Don’t forget to floss! Floss once daily. Floss aids may be a big help until adolescence.

Children begin to lose their baby teeth and grow their adult teeth around the age of 6 years old and will continue that cycle through the age of 13. Each persons teeth erupt at different times. Regular dental visits will allow your dentist and hygienist to monitor their progress.

Juice and milk consumption should be limited and not sipped before bed or over longer periods of time. Keeping juice and milk in the mouth creates the perfect environment for cavities to form. Rinse with or drink water after meals, snacks, fruit juice and milk to help rinse cavity causing bacteria away. Baby teeth can get cavities too! Do your best to keep them healthy.

For any questions regarding your childs dental health, be sure to call your friendly team at Elmbrook Family Dental.

In many cases, dental implants are a great alternative to dentures and bridges to replace missing teeth. What are they and how do they work? This blog will give you the detailed information you need to make the best decision for you.

Contrary to what some may think, most missing teeth do need to be replaced. Replacing missing teeth with an implant, bridge or denture will stop the surrounding teeth from shifting into that space and altering your natural bite. It also restores the ability to chew food and maintains a beautiful smile! Here is how an implant works: A titanium anchor or screw is placed into the healthy bone where there is a missing tooth. This can be placed by an oral surgeon or dentist who has been certified in this type of practice. The anchor serves the same purpose as the roots of your natural teeth, creating a strong base within bone for a crown to be placed onto. After implant placement, your bone and tissues are allowed to heal and integrate for 3 to 6 months. At this point, a successful implant is stable enough to place a crown onto.

Not everyone is a candidate to receive an implant. The best patient will have adequate bone structure surrounding the missing tooth area. The best candidate will be in good health and good oral health. Smokers and patients with uncontrolled systemic diseases may not be the best candidate for this procedure. Talk with your Dentist at your next visit to see if a dental implant may be an option for you!

As many of you know, we have a monthly drawing for free custom whitening trays. This month, we are changing things up a little. For the month of July, patients can enter to win a pair of Brewers tickets. Diamond box seats will be given away to one lucky winner for the Milwaukee Vs. Los Angeles game on Tuesday, August 24th at 7:10pm. The winner will be drawn on Friday, July 30th. Here are the rules:

All patients with appointments can enter once for each time they are seen in our office during the month of July.

Patients not scheduled in our office are welcome to stop in to fill out an entry form once during the month of July.

**The winner will have 2 weeks to redeem their tickets or they will be awarded to a second runner up.

Good luck to everyone who enters, and Go Brewers Go!!!