Elmbrook Family Dental

Each of our patients fills out a health history to keep on file in our office. Often times patients do not disclose everything on these forms because they do not understand the significance. So, we want to set the record straight! Here are some things to consider while updating your health history at your next dental visit:

Did you know that sometimes diabetes first presents itself inside the mouth? Often times an expected and quick onset of gingivitis or periodontal disease can indicate to your dentist and hygienist that you may be diabetic. Dental professionals will then advise patients in this situation to see their medical doctor and have blood drawn to find out if they may be diabetic or not.

Artificial joints and certain heart conditions may require a patient to take an antibiotic prior to dental work in order to avoid an infection called ‘bacteremia’. Bacteremia can be caused by a disruption of normal oral bacteria being released into the blood and can cause complications in artificial joints or compromised cardiac health. Taking an antibiotic one hour prior to dental work prevents infection.

Vitamin deficiency can present in many ways inside the oral cavity as well. Angular Cheilitis can indicate a lack of Vitamin B in a patients diet. This presents as painful, dry cracking at the corners of the mouth. Lack of iron can cause a burning sensation on your tongue. Vitamin K aids in clotting and aids in faster healing.

Some herbal supplements can even interfere with dental anesthetics. The calming supplement called ‘Kava’ can strengthen the effects of a dental anesthetic.

So, before you leave any information out, think about what you may be risking. Providing a complete health history to your dental provider plays a critical role in allowing them to provide you with comprehensive, risk free dental care.

Did you know that licensed dental professionals must continue their education throughout their entire career? Dentists, Dental Hygienists and Dental Assistants attend many courses to stay current on the latest trends in Dentistry. These classes consist of many topics like: pharmacology, oral cancer, gum disease, smoking cessation,  the newest dental technologies and radiography. Aside from these elective topics, we are required to be certified in CPR training and infection control (OSHA). Participating in these classes ensures that our patients receive quality care that is up to date with the leading technology!

We are proudly hosting our fourth annual food drive! Stop into the office during the month of November and donate non perishable food items and be entered to win this great gift basket. The basket includes: Sonicare toothbrush, oral hygiene products, free custom whitening trays, a Carrabbas gift card and movie passes. Each day you donate will allow for one entry slip per day, with a limit of one per day. You may donate multiple times throughout the month for more than one entry!

The need for food in our communities is greater than is has been in many years. Many of those who have donated in previous years are now relying on receiving donations themselves  to feed their family. 50% of children in Milwaukee go to bed hungry every night. It is donations from people like us that can help change these statistics! Thank you to the Hunger Task Force for allowing us to reach out to those who need it most.

Thank you so much to all of our patients and staff who donated to the Diabetes fund this October! We exceeded our goal and raised a total of $1793.25. Each person who donated was entered to win a gift basket. The winner was drawn. Congrats to Rhonda W.

Fall is in full force and that means pumpkin spice and everything nice to eat.  Today we have to decided to change things up a bit and post some fantastic fall recipes. So, take some time to check them out. Try them out and give us your reviews…. or left overs. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Pumpkin-Spice-Cupcakes-with-Cream-Cheese-Frosting

Holiday Chicken Salad: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/holiday-chicken-salad/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=fall%20recipes&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Article

Baked Apple-Maple Oatmeal: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/baked-apple-maple-oatmeal/f9389775-3ed8-4ad1-b7ef-186538a820ef

This year, Elmbrook Family Dental has Chosen to participate in the “Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes” on October 20th. As an office, we have made a goal to collect $1000 to go toward Diabetes research, treatment and awareness. The walk is being held on October 20th. Cash donations are being collected in our office through October 19th. All those who donate will be entered to win an awesome gift basket valued at over $500! The basket includes things like a Sonicare toothbrush, water bottle, Jose’s gift card and some other great items. Each donation in any dollar amount will qualify you. A person may not enter more than once per business day.

If you are  interested in donating, or would like to walk on our team, visit the link below. We hope to reach our goal for a great cause and see many of your great smiles out there 🙂

Here is our link: http://main.diabetes.org/site/TR?team_id=547881&fr_id=8387&pg=team

Here at Elmbrook Family Dental, we start seeing children near their 3rd birthday for a routine visit. This is when most children have their full set of 20 primary (baby) teeth. So, what can you expect at this first visit? Every child reacts differently in the dental chair. Often times the first visit is simply a “Happy Visit” in which your child takes a ride in the chair, and we take a brief look in their mouth. As a parent, you shouldn’t be discouraged if the first visit or two aren’t successful cleanings. Your child will eventually have a full cleaning, exam and x-rays. Unless their is an urgent need for restorative dental care, there is no urgency to their first full visit. As a general and family dentist, we see love to see children and adults of all ages!

Routine dental visits are only part of a healthy mouth. At home care plays a significant role in plaque and cavity prevention. Be sure your little one is brushing 2x daily, just like you! It is ok to be involved in your childs brushing routine until the age of 9, or whenever they are removing plaque effectively themselves. Allow them to brush first, then finish the brushing yourself. Incorporate floss picks to make an easy transition for daily flossing. The Hygiene staff at Elmbrook will be happy to personalize  treatment goals for your child and every family member! Call our office today to schedule. We look forward to seeing your smile 🙂

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 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!