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a wink & a smile

eye and dental care

a wink & a smile

Your Child’s Baby Teeth Are Important

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“DO I NEED TO FIX my child’s baby tooth since it’s going to fall out anyway?” This is a question we get asked a lot as dental professionals. The answer is a resounding YES! Primary, or “baby,” teeth serve an important purpose in your child’s present and future oral health.

Baby Teeth Have Three Main Functions

Besides providing an aesthetic appeal to your child’s smile and boosting their self-esteem, primary teeth have three main functions:

  1. They aid in proper chewing, fostering good nutrition
  2. They promote proper speech development
  3. They reserve a space for permanent teeth to grow in

If a primary tooth falls out or must be removed before its time due to decay, the surrounding teeth may shift into the gap, causing dental crowding and future orthodontic problems. In some cases, untreated infections in baby teeth can even affect the developing permanent teeth.

Taking care of those primary teeth not only prevents decay, but also helps your child get into the habit of good oral hygiene and sets the stage for their future oral health. Baby teeth may fall out but they’re still very important!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VN-1dZymGQI?rel=0

Regular Dental Visits Make For A Lifetime of Healthy Smiles

Your child’s first dental visit is an important milestone! Children should visit the dentist when their first tooth appears or around their first birthday.

A February 2005 Children’s Dental Health Project report found that children who visited the dentist by age one were less likely to visit the emergency room for oral health problems. They also found that children age five who had their first dental visit by the age of one incurred less oral health-related costs than their peers who didn’t see a dentist until age five.

On your child’s first visit, we will check their mouth for decay and other problems as well as show parents proper cleaning techniques. Another benefit of early, regular dental visits is that we can determine if a child is at a higher risk for cavities and implement appropriate intervention.

Baby Teeth Matter

Even though they’re temporary, your child’s baby teeth are essential to their growth and development. Teach children to take care of their baby teeth and set them on a lifelong path of good oral hygiene. If you have any questions, call us or comment below!

We love our patients and their beautiful smiles!

The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

Image by Flickr user Donnie Ray Jones used under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Image cropped and modified from original.

Makeup Tips To Protect Your Eyes

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Eyeliner, mascara, eyeshadow… Makeup can really make eyes pop!
Despite the striking effect of beauty products, it’s important to remember that putting anything that close to your eye can potentially be harmful. We’ve compiled some cosmetic safety tips so you can look beautiful AND protect your eyes.

Watch Out For Allergic Reactions
For those who are prone to allergic reactions to certain cosmetics, it’s important to introduce one new eye makeup product at a time to your routine. If you don’t have a reaction, go ahead and add another.

Be sure to to remember makeup ingredients you’re allergic to and always check labels when picking out a new product. Allergic reactions can cause redness, irritation, swelling or infection in your eyes. So, do your best to avoid them!

Avoid Scratching Your Eye
One of the most serious eye issues that makeup application can cause is a corneal abrasion. This often happens when using a safety pin or other sharp object to separate the eyelashes. It also occurs when attempting to apply makeup in moving vehicles. We all know accidents happen, so it’s best to be as cautious as possible.

Prevent Eye Infection
Unfortunately, infection is a common problem associated with eye makeup. But not to worry, here are some ways you can avoid infection and still rock that smokey eye!

  • Wash your hands. You never want to introduce all that bacteria on your hands to your eyes. Always wash your hands before applying makeup.
  • Don’t use expired makeup. Bacteria thrive in dark, moist places, just like your mascara tube and makeup sponges. The more you use your makeup, the more bacteria you introduce. Be sure to replace makeup every three months.
  • Don’t share. When you use somebody else’s makeup, you’re introducing different bacteria to your eyes that may be harmless to your friend, but damaging to you. When it comes to makeup, sharing is not caring!
  • Get new makeup after an infection. Makeup can be contaminated with the bacteria causing your eye infection. To avoid any risk of reinfection, throw out your old stuff and use it as an excuse to get some new makeup!

Here are a few more helpful tips to keep in mind when you go through your old makeup:

If You Wear Contacts, Take Extra Precautions
Eye makeup is one of the most common problems for contact lens wearers. Always remember to insert your contact lenses prior to applying makeup and try to opt for makeup that doesn’t flake, like cream eye shadows. Avoid fiber mascaras as well as there is a higher risk of makeup particles entering the eye.

Many makeup wearers who use contacts switch to daily lenses so they can be sure they’re using fresh, makeup- and residue-free contacts.

Stay Safe And Beautiful
If you’re concerned about makeup and eye safety or have any questions, come talk to us. We’re here to help you know how to protect your eyes as well as beautify them!

The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.
Image by Flickr user eflon used under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Image cropped and modified from original.

What Is a Frenectomy?

HAVE YOU EVER HEARD of a person being “tongue-tied” or “lip-tied”? As dental professionals, we care about the health of your mouth as a whole, not just your teeth. When a tongue or lip-tie is present, some problems may arise that we can help with!

Why Do Lip And Tongue-Ties Occur?

A lip or tongue-tie occurs when a thin tissue in the mouth called a frenum is overgrown. There are two kinds of frena in the mouth, labial (lip) frena and the lingual (tongue) frenum. The labial frena can be found in the center of the lips, connecting the inside of your upper and lower lips to the gum tissue. You can see the tongue frenum by looking in the mirror and lifting your tongue up to touch the roof of your mouth.

The purpose of the frenum is to limit certain muscle movements to prevent tissue damage. When the frenum tissue is excessive, however, it has the potential to do more harm than good.

What Problems Can Arise As The Result Of A Tongue-Tie?

A tongue-tie restricts the tongue and prevents it from moving freely. Tongue-ties may be moderate, resulting in only small inconveniences like not being able to lick an ice cream cone. In some cases, however, they cause severe impairments such as:

  • Difficulty nursing as an infant and eating later in life
  • Speech impediments
  • Pain and discomfort
  • Periodontal issues, such as receding gums
  • Tongue thrust and bite misalignment


What Issues Can A Lip-Tie Cause?

A lip-tie refers to a frenum that attaches too far down on the gum. The possible complications of a lip-tie are somewhat similar to those who are tongue-tied. An overgrown labial frenum can:

  • Cause pain and discomfort
  • Make it difficult for children to keep their teeth clean
  • Complicate nursing
  • Lead to periodontal issues, such as receding gums
  • Result in misaligned teeth and bite (usually gap teeth)

A Frenectomy Helps Alleviate Tongue and Lip-Ties

A frenectomy is a simple procedure that can be performed by dental professionals where excess tissue on the frenum is removed. Before performing a frenectomy, several factors are taken into account, including the possibility that the condition may correct itself over time.

We’re Here To Answer Your Questions

If you’re concerned about a possible lip-tie or tongue-tie in yourself or your child, schedule an appointment with us today. We’d be more than happy to answer your questions and together, we’ll determine the best way to move forward!

Thank you for trusting us with your oral health concerns!

The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

How to Make the Most of Your Dental Visits

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FOR THE AVERAGE PERSON, you only see your dentist twice a year. While you may think going to the dentist simply requires you to show up and open wide, it’s important to take advantage of each and every dental visit!

We want to answer your questions and address your concerns. Here are some easy tips that will help you maximize your time with the dentist and make the most out of your biannual visits.

Make a Checklist of Questions and Concerns

It’s easy to forget about all the questions you’ve had about your oral health over the past couple of months when you’re sitting in the dental chair. Writing a checklist or note beforehand of things you’d like to ask us or talk to us about can help you remember! For example, have you experienced bleeding while brushing or any new pain or sensitivity? Are there any wounds in your mouth that haven’t healed normally? Let us know–we’re here to help!

You May Even Have a Fun Question Like This!

 

Keep Us Updated

You’ve probably heard of something called the mouth-body connection. It simply means that your oral health and overall health are strongly connected. This is why it is important that your dentist knows your complete medical history.

Alert your dentist if you are pregnant or have been diagnosed with diabetes or other illnesses since your last visit. Inform them of any new medications you are taking. Certain illnesses and medications can increase your risk of dental problems and disease. The more your dentist knows about your health, the more personalized your care will be.

Connect With Us On Social Media

We use social media to connect with our patients and facilitate one-on-one relationships with them! Since we only see some of you every six months, our social media tools–like our blog and Facebook page–help us stay in touch.

We try to provide you with relevant and easily accessible information on our social media platforms so you can be informed about both your dental health and our services. Like us on Facebook to learn more and feel free to comment or leave us a private message. Your relationship is important to us!

Thank You!

We can’t say it enough… Thank you, valued patients and friends! We love seeing you healthy and happy!

 

Image by Flickr user Antonio García-Melgares Hernández used under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Image cropped and modified from original.

The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

Are You Blinking Enough?

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We don’t often pay attention to our blinking habits throughout the day. But whether we realize it or not, blinking is vitally important to our eye health.

The average adult blinks between 10 and 20 times per minute. Even though a blink only takes one tenth of a second, all those blinks add up to about 10 percent of our waking life! So, what’s so important about blinking that we need to miss out on 10 percent of everything that’s happening right in front of us?

Blinking Nourishes And Lubricates Our Eyes

Blinking is necessary to clean and moisturize our eyes. Each time we blink, a thin layer of tears is spread across the eye surface, keeping them from drying out as well as brushing away any small particles of dust or dirt that could otherwise irritate our eyes or impair our vision.

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When We Focus, We Blink A Lot Less

Did you know that the number of times we blink decreases drastically when we are focused on something? On average we only blink three to eight times per minute when reading, watching TV, listening to a podcast, working on a computer, or another activity that requires intense focus. That’s roughly 60 percent less than our normal rate of blinking! This lack of blinking over time can lead to eyestrain and dry eyes.

Blinking Exercises Can Relieve Strain And Help Dry Eyes

For the most part, we may not realize when we’re blinking. However, making a conscious effort to blink more often during high focus activities can do our eyes a world of good.

Make it a habit to close your eyes when you are thinking or doing something that doesn’t require your vision. Set reminders for yourself to do a blinking exerciseevery hour during periods of focus. One good exercise that will leave your eyes feeling fresher is to simply close your eyes and pause, squeeze them for a moment, open them and relax.

A Lot Happens In The Blink Of An Eye

The mechanism of our eyes is incredible! Different types of tears along with multiple oil-producing sebaceous glands work together all day to nourish and protect our eyes.Truly, a lot happens in the blink of an eye!

Ask yourself, are you blinking enough throughout the day? Even though blinking seems minor to us, it essential to keeping our eyes healthy.

We are grateful to our loyal patients!

 

Image by Flickr user gautsch. used under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Image cropped and modified from original.

 

The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

10 Fun Dental Facts You Probably Didn’t Know!

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THE TRUTH IS, our teeth are amazing! Without them we wouldn’t be able to speak, eat, sing, or smile properly. We’d like to celebrate our teeth by sharing some interesting dental facts you may not have known!

Here Are 10 Fun Dental Facts

  1. If you’ve been using floss daily, by the end of the year the total length will be the perimeter of a baseball diamond! Is your floss going to make it to home plate?
  2. Because birds lack teeth, many swallow stones or grits to aid in breaking up hard foods.
  3. On average, women smile 62 times a day and men only eight times a day. Step it up, guys!
  4. The average American spends 38.5 total days brushing their teeth in their lifetime.
  5. Only 40 percent of young people age six to 19 have had cavities in their life. That’s down from 50 percent a decade ago!
  6. In the middle ages, people thought that a dog’s tooth boiled in wine made an excellent mouth rinse to prevent tooth decay. Tasty!
  7. The Egyptian plover, also known as the crocodile bird, is famous for flying into crocodile mouths and cleaning their teeth.
  8. Prior to the 1850s, ‘toothpastes’ were usually powders and contained soap and chalk.
  9. An obscure law in Vermont states that it is illegal for women to wear false teeth without the written permission of their husband. Crazy!
  10. Different animals have different amounts of teeth; armadillos have 104, pigs have 44, and humans have 32.

Another cool fact: the narwhal’s tusk Is actually a tooth!


How Many Of These Facts Have You Heard Before?
It’s always fun to learn about the obscure facts and crazy history that make up our tooth trivia! Do you know any other cool dental facts?
Comment below or on our Facebook page! And remember, take care of your teeth. They do so much for you!

The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.

Image by Flickr user la vaca vegetariana used under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Image cropped and modified from original.

The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.