What to Do if the Dental Office Floods from Hurricanes

What to Do if the Dental Office Floods from Hurricanes Often, if a hurricane has struck, this is only the beginning of more problems to come. Hurricanes can lead to flooding, which can devastate towns and ruin homes and businesses. If you are a business owner, such as a dentist who owns his own practice, you need to prepare for possible hurricanes and their aftermath. Flooding can destroy important and expensive equipment and patient records, and make it time-consuming, difficult, and costly to get back to regular business. Here is a checklist of what to do to protect your practice […]

The post What to Do if the Dental Office Floods from Hurricanes appeared first on Karen Gordon DMD.

from Karen Gordon DMD http://ift.tt/1GkIJnM
via IFTTT

Five Essential Oils that Help with Dental Care

Plants have historically been a source for natural medications, but, in today’s world of highly sophisticated chemical drugs, natural solutions have started fading from the market. The technological revolution has given us a plethora of extremely effective medicines, but that doesn’t mean that the plant-based techniques used historically aren’t just as effective in some cases.

Essential oils, for example, are as relevant in dental care today as they has been in the past. Here are five different types of essential oils that dentists like Dr. Trinh Nguyen from the Cosmetic and Dental Implant Center in California recommend to supplement your personal oral health plan.

Peppermint Oil

Have you ever noticed how most toothpastes taste minty and fresh? This is no accident: peppermint oil, a common ingredient found in most toothpastes, is an essential oil that is extremely useful in dental care. Its antiseptic nature means that it can help fight off bad breath and harmful germs as well as sooth toothaches and reduce pain in the mouth. It also has the added benefit of making toothpastes taste better and making your brushing experience more enjoyable.

Spearmint Oil

Given the similarities in taste and smell, it shouldn’t be surprising that spearmint oil’s antiseptic qualities are just as formidable as those of peppermint oil. Spearmint oil can prevent bacterial infections and sooth the mouth, making it an effective way to prevent oral health issues and relieve pain.

Clove Oil

Another scent that likely reminds you of California dental offices and tooth-related products alike is probably that of clove oil. Like peppermint and spearmint oil, clove oil is a type of antiseptic that is extremely helpful as a pain-relieving restorative. Many dentists, for example, recommend rubbing clove oil over an extraction site as a way to prevent dry socket, and rubbing clove oil over toothaches can reduce pain in the area.

There is, however, an important caveat to keep in mind. Clove oil, when ingested in large quantities, can be toxic to the body. If you experience any irritation as a result of using clove oil, you should contact your dentist in Brea to make sure nothing serious is occurring.

Tea Tree Oil

Tea tree oil is similar to both peppermint oil and clove oil as an antiseptic treatment for the mouth. Research has proven tea tree oil to be an effective way to fight off bacteria, combat plaque buildup and prevent bad breath. Like clove oil, however, it can be toxic when ingested, so it is important to be careful not to swallow too much of it.

Cinnamon Oil

Everyone knows of cinnamon as a spice, but the essential oil created from cinnamon may be less well known. Like essential oils created from other herbs, cinnamon oil is a powerful antibacterial solution, but it is special in that it targets the bacteria that cause tooth decay and gum disease. Using cinnamon oil to rinse your mouth is an effective way to ensure a clean and healthy mouth. Many mouthwashes come in cinnamon flavor now.

These essential oils are a great way to supplement your daily brushing and flossing routine, but they can never be a replacement for the quality dental care you can get from Huntington Beach dentists. If you’re ever in Huntington Beach, Brea, or Placentia, make sure to contact Dr. Trinh Nguyen from the Cosmetic and Dental Implant Center by calling their office at (714) 702-1328 or visiting their website at www.cdicdental.com to get more information about dental implant services.

from Cosmetic and Dental Implant Center http://ift.tt/1CjqayC
via IFTTT

How to Teach Kids to Keep Up with Dental Care on Summer Break

Summer is the laziest time of the year for kids because they don’t have any classes. They spend all day and night at home, watching cartoons and playing computer games and apps. Some kids can’t even be bothered to take a bath during summer because they want to maximize their playing time. However, personal and oral hygiene is very important no matter what time it is of the year, and this is the lesson you should instill in your children.

Why Kids Don’t Care about Brushing

Because kids don’t have a deep understanding about dental health yet, they think that oral care is not a big deal. One factor that contributes to this mentality is adult behavior. Did you know that 33 percent of adult men only brush once a day? Among all genders, 25 percent of adults don’t brush twice a day, and some of these people even miss a whole day of brushing! If you are one of these people and you have a child, you’re not setting much of an example at home.

What you need is to start a good oral hygiene campaign at home. You need to maintain regular oral care activities such as brushing, flossing and gargling mouthwash if your kids are already able to expectorate. You should let your kids watch you when you do these activities so that they will know the proper way to do them.

How to Make Dental Activities Interesting

If your kids are giving you a hard time teaching them oral hygiene, you can turn the simple activity into a fun and enjoyable one. Here are some ideas that you can use.

1. Use visual aids such as colorful photos or caricatures of children brushing and flossing their teeth.
2. Give your kids a reward when they stick to their oral care routine, such as cooking their favorite dish or taking them to the local playground.
3. Make brushing your bonding time by doing it altogether in the bathroom. You can even hum a nursery rhyme while you do it to keep them attentive. That way, you can monitor how long they brush and if they are doing it properly.
4. Use creative storytelling to explain how cavities can destroy the teeth and make the gums sick. You can use online resources to support your storytelling.

Make Time for the Dentist

Kids are usually afraid of the Aloha dentist or dental clinic because they think they will get hurt during treatments. However, if your kids have healthy and properly developing teeth, they won’t have to undergo any painful procedure. One way to relieve children’s fear of dentists is by letting them meet the dentist in Aloha, OR, personally before the scheduled date of treatment.

Most kids are more open to female dentists because of their mother figure. Dr. Erica Bronitsky is the perfect dentist for kids not only because of her expertise in general dentistry, but also because she has twin sons which gives her extra knowledge in handling pediatric patients. She is very careful and gentle when dealing with young patients, and this will help your kids feel safer and more comfortable inside a dental clinic.

Summer break is the perfect time to get dental cleaning and treatments for kids because if they will need some time to recover, they won’t have to miss any classes. Schedule a dental check-up for your kids this summer by calling our office at (503) 563-7434. Make summer vacation not only enjoyable but also health-beneficial for your children!

The post How to Teach Kids to Keep Up with Dental Care on Summer Break appeared first on Bro Dental.

from Bro Dental http://ift.tt/1LlfmIx
via IFTTT

What Summer Sports are Worst for Teeth and Jaws?

Finally, the warm weather is here! After a long winter stuck indoors, you can get out of the house and go play your favorite summer sport, whether it’s baseball, swimming, or soccer. But beware — as Dr. Patrick Morrissey and the staff at Boones Ferry Dental could tell you, some summer sports are worse for teeth and jaws than others!

(Unintentional) Contact Sports

Of course, the worst kind of sport for teeth and jaws is any kind of contact sport, such as boxing or mixed martial arts.

The good news, as far as oral health is concerned, is that summer has very few contact sports — or at least they aren’t supposed to be contact sports!

When you are playing baseball, softball, or soccer, for instance, things can move very fast. Teammates on a soccer team may be going for the ball at the same time and accidentally collide. The same can happen in baseball as players are looking at that sky-high pop fly and getting ready to catch it and don’t notice that they are about to run right into each other. Full-on collisions with a teammate can definitely be bad for the head, teeth, and jaw.

And, in any of these sports, the ball can travel at amazing speeds sometimes right at a player’s face!

The Safest Sports

If you are cringing at the thought of how much it would hurt to catch a fastball with your mouth, you’ll be happy to know that there are many summer sports that are much safer than baseball, softball, and soccer.

There’s track and field, where the odds are very low that players will come into contact with each other. There is competitive swimming, where you are always inches away from your nearest rival. However, when it comes to summer sports that are safe for teeth and jaws, fishing just may be the safest!

Protecting Your Teeth and Jaws

If you are excited that you finally have the chance to play your favorite sport, but concerned that it could accidentally turn into a contact sport, a mouthguard can help.

Mouthguards used to be just for boxers, but now they are often worn by athletes in all kinds of sports. Mouthguards are made out of hard plastic and they cover the teeth and the gums to protect them. It is even thought that mouthguards can help to reduce the harm levels of a concussion, if the player gets a concussion after he has taken a hard hit to the jaw.

Many players of summer sports, such as soccer and water polo, wear mouthguards. Some leagues, especially if they are youth leagues, require them.

Do you have to wear a mouthguard while fishing? Probably not! But the bottom line is that your teeth and jaw can be easily injured when you are playing certain kinds of summer sports, and you should take precautions to protect them when you can.

Dr. Morrissey and the staff at Boones Ferry Dental care about your teeth and jaw, and they want to help you to keep them healthy! Call Boones Ferry Dental for an appointment today, at (503) 713-6877.

The post What Summer Sports are Worst for Teeth and Jaws? appeared first on Boones Ferry Dental.

from Boones Ferry Dental http://ift.tt/1J22cQn
via IFTTT

How S’mores Affect Teeth

It is summertime, which means it is time for camping and campfires — and what would a campfire be without s’mores?
S’mores are that delectable, must-have, summer fun treat that have been around for decades. The Girl Scouts started making them in the 1920s. The name “s’mores” came about because, after tasting just one bite, campers started begging for “s’more”.
Campers make s’mores by sandwiching a campfire-roasted marshmallow and chocolate in between graham crackers. A delicious snack as you tell ...

from Pat Crawford DDS | Kenosha Dental Clinic http://ift.tt/1MZqdGd
via IFTTT

Keeping Up with Dental Care on Summer Break

There is so much to do during the summer! There’s the fun stuff like watching baseball games, having a water balloon fight with the kids, and then there’s the not-so-fun responsibilities that come with summer — weeding the yard, fixing the air conditioner, driving the kids around town. There’s a lot to do, but in […]

The post Keeping Up with Dental Care on Summer Break appeared first on Apple Dental.

from Apple Dental http://ift.tt/1CbgPsL
via IFTTT

Compare Favorite Summer Treats for Teeth

On a hot summer day, nothing is better than a cool summer treat. If you are a mom worried about your kid’s teeth (and if you are already thinking ahead to your child’s next dental exam with Dr. Rich Smith at the Smile Institute), you may be wondering which summer treat is best to offer your kids to help them cool down.

Ice Cream

Ice cream has calcium, which is good for teeth, but it is also high in sugar. If you are concerned about your kids getting too much sugar, switch to a low-sugar or sugar-free brand.

Frozen Yogurt

Frozen yogurt sounds healthy, but many kinds of frozen yogurt are actually just made of ice cream with a little bit of yogurt thrown in. Frozen yogurt, like ice cream, is very high in sugar.

Snow Cones

This treat may seem pretty harmless, but the syrup they use to flavor the ice can be very high in sugar — one type of syrup that is typically used contains 18 grams of sugar in one 1-ounce serving!

If you are concerned about the sugar in a snow cone, there are healthy ways you can make them at home. Instead of using the sugary syrup, use 100% fruit juice, nutritious milk (which gives the snow cone a delicious, creamy texture), or even some cold tea or coffee.

Popsicles

Regular popsicles are loaded with sugar, and the dyes that are used to color them may stain teeth. Because people don’t usually bite into a popsicle and finish it off quickly, this means that your teeth are exposed to the sugars and the dyes for awhile. If you are concerned about having that sugar in contact with your teeth, there are, luckily, sugar-free popsicles available.

Ice

On a hot day, it may seem like a great idea to grab a piece of ice to chew on. However, chewing ice can lead to a cracked tooth. If you have to use ice to cool down, try sucking on a small piece instead of chewing it.

Slurpees

Does summertime bring out the kid in you? If so you may decide to head on down to your favorite mini-mart for a Slurpee right along with your kids. Although this is cool and refreshing on a hot day, it is also extremely high in sugar.

Smoothie

If you are craving a treat that won’t make your dentist cringe, your best bet may be a smoothie that you make in your very own home. Put some milk, regular yogurt, yummy summer fruit, and some ice in the blender for a delicious, cool treat that is good for teeth.

Cool summer treats are part of the fun of summer! If you are worried about the amount of sugar in these treats, try to get the low-sugar type, or make a treat at home using nutritious foods.

When having your summer fun, don’t forget to take care of your teeth! Brush, floss, and visit Dr. Smith at the Smile Institute! Call (541) 484-1955 to make an appointment today!

The post Compare Favorite Summer Treats for Teeth appeared first on Smile Institute - Cosmetic and General Dentistry Services Eugene, Oregon.

from Smile Institute - Cosmetic and General Dentistry Services Eugene, Oregon http://ift.tt/1GKEINc
via IFTTT