Shwedel Smile Times Blog

Sealing Out Decay

shwedeldental — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 14:11:11 +0000

Fluoride is very effective at preventing cavities on smooth tooth surfaces, but not as effective on the chewing surfaces of the back teeth, which are covered with deep pits and grooves. These pits and grooves are prime locations for decay. A plastic-like coating, called Pit and Fissure Sealant can be applied to chewing surfaces as a preventive measure to ward off decay. Statistics show that most posterior teeth will decay if not sealed. The ideal time to seal a tooth is when it first erupts into the mouth, however, it is still worthwhile sealing any posterior tooth regardless of age.

To apply the sealant, the enamel is treated with a mild etching solution that kills bacteria and causes the tooth to be temporarily porous and somewhat rough. The liquid sealant, pink in color, is applied and turns white when light-cured to harden. Within a few days any excess wears off, leaving the sealant only in the pits and fissures to block out decay producing bacteria.

The use of sealants does not eliminate the need for regular dental care. You still must brush and floss and limit the amount and frequency of sugary/acidic foods you eat. Although the sealant may last for many years, it must be checked periodically for defects and may need to be reapplied if damage appears over time.

At Shwedel Family and Cosmetic Dentistry, it is our goal to keep your mouth healthy and your smile beautiful. Should you have any questions about Pit and Fissure Sealants or any other dental related topic, please contact us at 313-292-5590 or visit our website www.shwedeldental.com. We are looking forward to seeing you soon.

Dentistry For Those In Need

shwedeldental — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 15:27:44 +0000

As a growing number of Americans are out of work or just don’t have dental insurance, dentists across the country have come up with a great way to help address this problem.

Dentistry From the Heart (DFTH) is a non-profit organization with a simple mission – making people smile. Founded in 2001, DFTH was created to aid those in need. Over 100 million Americans lack dental insurance, and over 29% of adults have untreated cavities. Without events like DFTH, dental care simply isn’t an option for many of the uninsured. DFTH has helped more than 25,000 patients and provided over $5.5 million in dental care.

“Now more than ever, I know there are people out there that need my services, but have no means to afford them – whether they’re out of a job, or just don’t have dental insurance. Dentistry From the Heart is my way of giving back to the community, and helping people who are in need of dental work,” said Dr. Steven Shwedel.

Dr. Shwedel and his staff, along with Dr. Caroline Okonkowski, Dr. Scott Shwedel and Dr. Paul Ho are busily preparing to make their 2^nd Annual Dentistry From the Heart event even better than their first. This year’s event is scheduled for Saturday, September 25, 2010 at their office located at 25650 Goddard Rd., Taylor, MI from 8:00am – 5:00pm. This is a first come, first serve event (NO appointments). Dr. Shwedel and his team of volunteers will treat the first 100 patients, or however many they can see by 5:00pm. Each patient (age 18 or older) will receive 1 filling OR 1 extraction OR a cleaning at no cost to them!

After last year’s event, Dr. Shwedel and his staff commented, “The smiles and thanks we received from all the people we treated made the long hours and hard work one of the most incredibly rewarding experiences of our lives.”

Dentistry From the Heart is Shwedel Family and Cosmetic Dentistry’s way of giving back to the community by being there for people in need of dental work. If you have any questions about DFTH or any other dental concerns, please contact us at 313-292-5590 or visit our website at www.shwedeldental.com. We look forward to seeing you soon.

Summertime Snacks

shwedeldental — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 16:01:50 +0000

When the days are long, the weather gets hot, and the kids are out of school, families tend to raid the refrigerator more often – for snacks and cold drinks. In fact, studies have shown that people develop more tooth decay during the summer months than at any other time of the year. So it’s even more important to have lots of sugar-free, nutritious foods and beverages on hand, because they’re better for your family’s teeth, as well as being low in calories and easy on the budget.

Excellent choices for snacking are fresh fruits and vegetables – like berries, citrus, melon, peaches, grapes, slices of green or red peppers, or carrots and celery sticks. Other good ideas include nuts, cheese, eggs, plain yogurt, crackers, bread sticks and popcorn. Instead of ice cream or popsicles, try freezing unsweetened fruit juices. Or try combining peanut butter on apples slices, it’s delicious.

For beverages consider unsweetened ice tea or natural fruit juice, but not fruit “drinks” which are high in sugar. The best cold drink, of course, is ice water… but don’t chew the ice!

At Shwedel Family and Cosmetic Dentistry, it is our goal to make and keep your smile beautiful. Should you have any questions about the latest ways to keep your mouth healthy or any other dental related topic, please contact us at 313-292-5590 or visit our website www.shwedeldental.com. Have a great summer and we are looking forward to seeing you soon.

Fun in the Sun

shwedeldental — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 16:46:18 +0000

Now that warm weather has arrived and children are spending more time outdoors, it’s a good time to warn them about accidents that could result in fractured teeth.

Share the following safety rules with your child.

Remain seated on a swing. Don’t jump from or walk under a moving swing. Children often lose teeth from being hit in the mouth by a swing.
Don’t run or push on the pool deck. Always use a ladder to climb out of a swimming pool. Each year many children hit their mouth on the concrete or tile edge of swimming pools, often damaging teeth.
Leave the person drinking from a fountain alone until he or she is finished. Hitting, pushing or throwing things could cause the person to hit their teeth on the metal faucet or edge of the fountain, possibly injuring them.
Never trip or push anyone during outdoor games. The person could lose their balance, fall and hit their mouth or teeth.
If you have to ride your bicycle in the rain, be very careful. Wet pavement is slippery and dangerous. And always remember to wear a helmet.

Hopefully, your summer will be safe and healthy. But should an accident occur, Shwedel Family and Cosmetic Dentistry will be there for you. Just call us at 313-292-5590. Even on weekends, one of our highly trained office staff is available to take your call and get you the dental care you need. It is our goal to keep your smile beautiful and your mouth healthy. For more dental health information visit our website www.shwedeldental.com. Enjoy your summer!

Are You Ready for Your Close UP?

shwedeldental — Wed, 19 May 2010 13:55:35 +0000

Do you have the smile you truly want? Have you always wanted to change your smile? Make the moment now!

LUMINEERS porcelain veneers can transform your smile with little or no preparation (meaning minimal to no removal of tooth structure). LUMINEERS can whiten stained teeth, reshape misaligned/awkward/crooked teeth, even out uneven teeth, lengthen short teeth, close unwanted gaps between teeth or fix chipped teeth.

New technology makes LUMINEERS extremely strong and much thinner than traditionalveneers. If tooth reduction is required, only minimal contouring is done, eliminating the need for anesthetic and the possibility of sensitivity afterwards. The results are outstanding!

LUMINEERS can only be done by LUMINEERS Certified Dentists. At Shwedel Family and Cosmetic Dentistry, both Dr. Shwedel and Dr. Okonkowski are LUMINEERS Certified Dentists. It is our goal to make and keep your smile beautiful. Should you have any questions about LUMINEERS or any other dental related topic, including the latest ways to keep your mouth healthy, please contact us at 313-292-5590 or visit our website www.shwedeldental.com. We are looking forward to seeing you soon.

Are You Ready for Your Close Up?

shwedeldental — Wed, 12 May 2010 16:14:48 +0000

Do you have the smile you truly want? Have you always wanted to change your smile? Make the moment now!

New technology makes LUMINEERS extremely strong and much thinner than traditional veneers. If tooth reduction is required, only minimal contouring is done, eliminating the need for anesthetic and the possibility of sensitivity afterwards. The results are outstanding!

WHAT’S IN A KISS?

shwedeldental — Wed, 05 May 2010 15:40:12 +0000

A kiss is not JUST a kiss!!! Researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Dentistry had dental students kiss bacterial culture plates to tell how much bacteria is transferred in a kiss.

THE RESULTS:

Ø A 12-second kiss has double the bacteria of a 2-second kiss.

Ø Lipstick reduces bacteria.

Ø Kissers with mustaches spread more bacteria than kissers with a hairless lip.

Ø More bacteria are on lips when kissing occurs first thing in the morning.

Not that we would want to discourage anyone from kissing, we would however encourage conscientious home care. Brushing with a fluoridated toothpaste not only make teeth stronger and more resistant to decay, but also slows down how fast bacteria reproduce. And of course we can’t say enough about the benefits of flossing and using a tongue scraper in reducing the levels of bacteria in the mouth. Although it is nice to share, let’s not share germs.

It has been shown in others studies than if one person has gum disease (which is caused by bacteria), it can be transferred to their partner. So besides good home care make sure you keep up on your regular preventive dental visits.

At Shwedel Family and Cosmetic Dentistry, it is our goal to keep your smile beautiful and your mouth healthy. Should you have any questions about this or any other dental related topic including the latest ways to give you a beautiful smile, please contact us at 313-292-5590 or visit our website www.shwedeldental.com. We are looking forward to seeing you soon!

Dear Patient — YOU’RE BUSTED!!

shwedeldental — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 16:54:00 +0000

Recent research has shown that most Americans are not doing a simple activity that will keep their smiles looking beautiful, reduce cavities, prevent tooth loss and as many dentist and physicians now believe – significantly reduce the chance of heart disease and strokes.

Even though most of our patients swear they do this activity, according to the American Dental Association, more than 90% of Americans don’t! That simple activity? You guessed it – it’s flossing your teeth. And a quick and strenuous attempt to floss right before your dental visit doesn’t fool us! But please read on, because there is hope for everyone!!

Flossing is the best way to clean bacteria and debris from the spaces in between your teeth and underneath your gums. Left in place, that harmful film can cause cavities and gum disease, eating away at the bone that actually holds your teeth in place and causing your teeth to loosen and eventually be lost. Scarier yet – recent research has linked gum disease to heart disease and strokes. So don’t throw in the towel (or floss!) yet.

Any activity requires practice. You couldn’t drive without lessons and a few thousand miles on the road. You couldn’t type the first time you sat down at a keyboard. And though flossing is much easier than either of those activities, many people try it a few times and then frustratingly proclaim “I can’t floss!” Well with a little patience and practice you can! And some of the better flosses on the market (such as “Glide”) make it much easier than it was in the past.

At Shwedel Family and Cosmetic Dentistry we really want you to keep your teeth the rest of your life and be as healthy as you possibly can. That definitely involves flossing every single day – and we know you can do it! Feel free to give us a call at 313-292-5590 and we will arrange for one of our fantastic hygienists, Gaye, Cheryl or Marissa, to give you a free flossing lesson. Or just ask during your regular cleaning appointments. No one is a “natural born flosser,” it takes practice. So there is nothing to be embarrassed about, and your beautiful smile will last a lifetime!

SPRING CLEANING TIME?

shwedeldental — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 18:48:51 +0000

Now that spring is really here, it’s time to get to the “Spring Cleaning” – including your SMILE!!!

Having regular “continuing care” is a very important preventive measure to detect early signs of tooth decay, gum disease, and possibly oral cancer. At continuing care appointments, all tissues of the mouth are visually examined, including lips, tongue, cheeks, palate and floor of the mouth, in addition to teeth and gums. A minimal number of digital radiographs (x-rays) allows for the teeth to be evaluated for decay and possible abscesses as well as to check bone levels in those areas we can’t see visually. Cleaning and polishing the teeth thoroughly removes soft plaque and hard deposits (tartar) from tooth and root surfaces in hopes of preventing decay and gum disease.

Remember, early detection will certainly result in less extensive and less expensive treatment with a greater chance of success.

At Shwedel Family and Cosmetic Dentistry, it is our goal to keep your smile beautiful and your teeth cavity-free. Should you have any questions about this or any other dental related topic including the latest ways to give you a beautiful smile, please contact us at 313-292-5590 or visit our website www.shwedeldental.com. We are looking forward to seeing you soon!

BEDTIME BOTTLE BLUES

shwedeldental — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 14:16:00 +0000

The bedtime bottle may seem to be a great way to get your baby to quiet down and go to sleep, but it’s also the main source of tooth decay for children under three years of age.

How come? Because milk, infant formulas, and fruit juices (especially apple juice) all contain high levels of the various natural sugars – lactose, dextrose, maltose, fructose or sucrose. And when your baby falls asleep while nursing, these sugars feed the bacteria that are always present in the mouth…producing an acid that attacks the tooth enamel and causes decay.

The result is what dentists call “Nursing Bottle Mouth Syndrome” – serious decay, especially in the upper front teeth that are closest to the nipple. But all your baby’s or toddler’s teeth are vulnerable to this kind of decay. And it’s important to remember that baby teeth have thinner enamel than permanent teeth…so they’re more likely to develop cavities.

How can you deal with the problem? Ideally, by preventing it:

Finish your child’s feeding before putting him to bed. (For children who are already used to falling asleep with a bottle, the best approach is to reduce the amount of sugar over several days –by diluting it with water – until the bottle contains only water.)
Clean your baby’s mouth after every feeding – even before the teeth come in – with a wet washcloth.
Brush your toddler’s teeth with a soft, child-size toothbrush. (This will also help your child develop good dental hygiene habits from the very beginning.)

At Shwedel Family and Cosmetic Dentistry it is our goal to keep your smile beautiful and your teeth cavity-free. If you have concerns about your child’s teeth or if they haven’t seen a dentist yet (we recommend their 1st visit around age 2-1/2), please contact us at 313-292-5590 or visit our website at shwedeldental.com. We look forward to seeing you soon!