Have You Been Naughty or Nice to Your Teeth?

If you've seen the holiday TV special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, then you know Hermey the Elf is very excited about becoming a dentist. Now, Hermey and the ADA have joined forces to come up with ways to keep your mouth and teeth healthy during the holidays. 

It’s not easy to stay healthy during the holidays. Sweets seem to appear everywhere you go, and with all of the present-wrapping and card-writing, there’s not much time to devote to you and your family’s health and well-being. Luckily, Hermey the Elf, best known for his adventures with Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, joined forces with the American Dental Association (ADA) to come up with tips for keeping your mouth and teeth healthy during the holidays.

In the classic holiday movie, Hermey dreamed of becoming a dentist and helping people keep their teeth healthy. In 2014, the ADA awarded Hermey with a Dental Do Gooder (DDG) for his passion for dentistry. This year, Hermey and the ADA came up with a set of tips to help families keep their smiles in tip-top shape. 

Click here to see those tips. 

(image and article from http://www.mouthhealthykids.org)

Pregnancy can do a number on your mouth

Do you know someone that is pregnant? If so, you know that there are many things that you have to think about. Your mouth should be one of them. All the hormonal changes can make oral problems worse. Making sure that you are brushing two times a day and flossing once daily will help maintain a healthy mouth.

You should also be having regular cleanings and if you are experiencing any oral problems you should contact your dental office. If experiencing morning sickness and are vomiting, do not brush immediately after vomiting. The stomach acids that are on your teeth can eventually cause tooth enamel erosion. Instead rinse your mouth with 1 teaspoon of baking soda and water.

For more information see:

http://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/pregnancy

www.simplestepsdental.com

“Do I floss before or after brushing?”

It is often asked, “Do I floss before or after brushing?”

  

The American Dental Association recommends flossing daily. It doesn’t matter before or after brushing, just that it is being done!  Flossing reduces plaque in between the teeth that the toothbrush can’t reach and also helps fight against tooth decay and gum disease.  Don’t leave the floss out! Brush twice daily and floss once daily.  

For proper floss instruction you can refer to www.mouthhealthy .org

"Are Whitening toothpastes a Bright Idea?"

This day and age everyone wants brighter and whiter teeth!  It wasn't that long ago that we were all walking around with natural colored teeth.  Now with all the whitening products and Hollywood actors are new "normal" is a shade of white that isn't even on the natural tooth shade guide.  Whitening tray's and strips work by using bleach to slowly whiten the teeth internally.  

Many toothpaste brands are marketing whiter teeth with just the use of an inexpensive OTC paste, BUT does this come at a cost??

Here's the scoop, any whitening agent that is in the toothpaste is washed off the tooth before it could stand a chance, AND whitening toothpastes are only removing some surface stain.  Along with surface stain they actually can be removing layers of the outer white enamel, which can actually expose the inner layer called dentin which is yellow and over time make the teeth appear more yellow.  Not to mention sensitive.  

Pay attention to the RDA (abrasive scale index) and make sure to always try and get a toothpaste under 70 RDA as to not have permanent damage. 

For more information, check out these articles or talk to us at your next cleaning.

http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jul/04/health/la-he-skeptic-whitening-toothpaste-20110704

http://www.dentalassistant.net/blog/is-your-toothpaste-too-abrasive/

Do You Have Smokers Teeth? 

Fact: Cigarettes are addictive and cigarette smoke contains about 7,000 chemicals, such as methanol. Methanol is also found in antifreeze.

Fact: Smokeless tobacco is addictive and greatly increases your risk of oral cancer. 

Myth: The effects of tobacco use won't be noticed in your mouth via bone loss, dry mouth, and recession. 

Myth: Your hygienist will not be able to smell your tobacco breath through her mask.

Now is the perfect time to quit using tobacco and make your next appointment with your hygienist! 
For more information and facts on tobacco and how to quit visit thetruth.com or smokefree.gov

Fun Fact to Smile About:

Did you know that Friday, October 2, 2015 is World Smile Day?
This day is celebrated annually on the first Friday in October.  The Smiley Face was created
in 1963 by Harvey Bell (a commercial artist) and this day has been established to celebrate it!
So, go ahead and share your smile - especially on this day!

Fluoride Toothpaste Use and Young Children:

Pediatricians and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry now recommend fluoride toothpaste as prevention for tooth decay (cavities) in young children.  Previously, it was suggested that fluoride use be avoided until the age of 2 to reduce the risk of fluorosis-white streaks that appear on teeth after large amounts of fluoride during the first few years of life.
The current guidelines allow for a small amount of fluoride to be initiated early on to prevent the
incidence of cavities without the increase of fluorosis.

Ages 1-3   Use a smear no larger than a grain of rice.
Ages 3-6   Use a pea-sized dab.

For more information on this subject, visit
http://www.aapd.org/media/Policies Guidelines/P FluorideUse.pdf

  Ice cream, you scream but why does our brain scream???

Now that the warm weather is finally showing itself in Michigan, we will all be cooling off with our favorite frozen treats. But why can that be so painful in our heads?  Brain freeze, ice cream headaches or the medical term, Sphenopalatine Ganglioneuralgia (say that three times fast!) are caused by eating our cold treats quickly.  

Click on the links below to learn more and how to prevent this from happening.

http://chemistry.about.com/od/howthingsworkfaqs/f/how-brain-freeze-works.htm

http://m.wikihow.com/Stop-Brain-Freeze

Remember to have your summer cleaning scheduled with us at our Kalamazoo office if you plan to treat yourself to those cold goodies! Enjoy your summer!

One of Dr. Allen's WMU rugby players earned a $10,000 scholarship!

Here's the article from the Western Herald:

International Student Athlete Earns $10,000 Scholarship

westernherald.com/sports/international-student-athlete-earns-10000-scholarship/

Frank Konieczki Sports Reporter

On October 30th, international-student-athlete Simbarashe Michael Chirara received the Greenleaf Trust Scholarship in Finance, which earned him the amount of $10,000 per year.

After applying for the scholarship earlier this year, Simba, as his rugby coaches and teammates call him, got the opportunity to proceed to the interview portion of the application process, which determined whether or not he would be awarded for his scholarly achievements. The award requirements were majoring in finance while maintaining a 2.5+ GPA.

Born and raised Harare, Zimbabwe, Simba had a dream like most kids in Africa to one day study in the United States, but didn’t have the financial resources to do so.

“My desire was to get a quality education in finance in the US and later become a financial guru,” Simba said.

His opportunity came with rugby. Simba represented his nation of Zimbabwe at the youth level and was beginning to get noticed by scouts when he started communicating with Western Michigan rugby coach, Dr. Mark Allen.

Through the scholarship, Simba was able to land an internship with Greenleaf Trust, which will continue until he graduates in the spring of 2015. When Simba is not interning at the Greenleaf Trust, he is playing second row and flanker for the WMU rugby club team.

“I believe I bring some experience, different style of play and positivity to the team.” Simba said of his role is on the Rugby squad.

“When we recruited Simba to come to WMU, I knew we would be getting a very experienced, intelligent, athletically gifted young man that would help take our program to the next level,” Coach Mark Allen said. “His positive attitude and strong core values have made him a good role model for our younger student-athletes.”

Simbarashe Michael Chirara is a prime example of why WMU prides itself on their international programs. Hailing all the way from Zimbabwe, Simba’s road to Western Michigan University has been anything but a smooth and easy journey.

The Greenleaf Trust Scholarship in Finance shows Simba the breadth of his accomplishments have not gone unnoticed and that his hard work and determination is finally starting to pay off.

As for the WMU Rugby team, they are ranked 41st in the country with a 4-2 record going into the MAC championship this weekend in Elkhart, Indiana, which will be held at the Moose Rugby Grounds on Nov. 8th and 9th.

The winner of the MAC championship will go on to the ACRC Bowl Championship in Charlotte, N.C. from November 21st to 23rd.

Your Tongue & Keeping it Clean

Did you know the tongue is made up of 8 muscles? 

The top surface is mucous membrane lined with papillae which are responsible for our taste and texture of food. It is important to keep your tongue clean removing bacteria and food particles.

A Tongue Scraper is an effective way to achieve cleanliness of the tongue. When using a tongue scraper you start at the back of the tongue and pull the scraper forward. This removes excess plaque and odor causing bacteria.

The next time you're in our Kalamazoo office, ask us how this could benefit you!

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-12028/5-reasons-why-everyone-needs-a-tongue-scraper.html