To Do List: The Dental Connection!

TO DO LIST:

• Oil Change Every 3,000 Miles
• Replace Smoke Detector Batteries Yearly
• Water Garden Three Times A Week
• Exercise Five Times A Week

There are many things in life that are on our regular to-do list.  Although many people would never neglect their routine car maintenance, one of the most important regular routines that is commonly overlooked is their dental health!  Your teeth need to see the dentist on a regular schedule, too.

While daily oral hygiene habits are essential to good dental health, professional dental cleanings at our office ensure that your teeth receive a more detailed removal of plaque and tartar.  It is recommended that the average patient have a dental check up every six months.  In addition to a thorough cleaning and polishing of your teeth, these regular visits help detect and prevent the onset of tooth decay and gum disease.  During your visit, we check the health of your mouth, teeth, gums, cheeks and tongue.  We also check old fillings and restorations, as these can wear away over time from constant chewing, grinding or clenching.

If you are predisposed to oral diseases, you may need to visit our office more often than every six months.  Factors include age, pregnancy, tobacco use, medical conditions like diabetes as well as simply how well you are able to take care of your teeth on a daily basis.

If a dental visit has not been on your regular TO-DO LIST, call our office for an appointment at 918-455-0123!

God Bless,

DRT

Implants: The Dental Connection!

Nothing can take the place of a healthy set of natural teeth.  But when disease or an accident ends in tooth loss, it's good to know that there are options for restoring your smile.  Many patients choose implants to replace a single tooth, several teeth, or to support a full set of dentures.  When surgically placed, implants fuse with the jawbone, offering firm support to man-made teeth.

Implants are a popular and effective way to replace missing teeth.  The development and use of implants has been one of the biggest advances in dentistry in the past 40 years.  U.S. dentists place more than 5.5 million implants annually.

To determine if an implant is your best tooth replacement option, call our office at 918-455-0123!

God Bless,
DRT

Advancements: The Dental Connection!

The world around us is always changing and evolving, whether it's the latest gadget that you ordered online or the high-tech braces on your teeth!  A recent article in The New York Times about dental implants reported that they are becoming increasingly favored over bridges to replace lost teeth.  One thing to remember about dental implants is that they need to be cared for just like your regular teeth; daily brushing and flossing are a must!

Call us today at 918-455-0123 to schedule an appointment with our office to discuss your implant options.

God Bless,
DRT

A Healthy Start: The Dental Connection!

At the beginning of every year, it seems like most people try to make a healthy new start.  If you look around, there are many ads about fitness memberships and exercise equipment.  Although health clubs see an increase in membership during this time of year, many well intended people fail to realize that the best place to start is actually with smart nutrition!

A healthy diet is very important.  Following the recommended guidelines for the proper daily dietary intake of fruits, dairy, vegetables and meat, will lead to a huge decrease in deadly diseases like heart disease, cancer and high blood pressure.  Adding an extra piece of fruit or an extra vegetable to your diet each day can also help you achieve the correct number of daily servings as well.

Water is also a vital component to an overall healthy diet.  If you make water your primary beverage of choice, you will ensure that you are drinking a zero-calorie, low chemical drink instead of a high-calorie chemical alternative like a soda.  Fruits such as berries are a great source of antioxidants, as well as other chemicals that your body uses to repair and prevent some of the damage that is caused by aging.  Like fruit, fish and nuts are healthy as they are great sources of Omega 3's and improve your good cholesterol.

If you try to change only one thing about your diet each week, you will begin to view these changes as a habit over time, which will provide you with a healthy start on your way to an overall healthier lifestyle!

God Bless,
DRT

Flu Season: The Dental Connection!

With Flu season seemingly being more widespread and virulent this year, many people may not realize that there is a dental connection with colds and the flu!  After recovering from a cold or the flu, one of the most important steps that you can take to avoid becoming reinfected is to replace your toothbrush!

Germs can linger on the bristles of your toothbrush and can risk prolonging the illness by continuing to use the same brush.  Be wise, always keep a spare!  To protect your toothbrush from bacteria all year long, consider these following tips:

• Wash your hands before and after brushing.
• Allow the brush to air dry after each use.  
• Harmful bacteria die after being exposed to oxygen.
• Store your toothbrush in an upright position to allow water to drain and dry faster.
• Replace your toothbrush every 3-4 months.  
• Worn bristles are less effective in properly cleaning your teeth and can actually be damaging if used too long.

Hope these tips helped and we pray that everyone stays healthy and avoids the flu this year!  If you have any dental questions or are in need of an appointment, call our office at 918-455-0123!

God Bless,

DRT

2013 Resolutions: New Year, New Apps!

With 2012 over, many of our patients have made various resolutions. We ran across a list of the top resolutions for 2013, some new and improved apps that have been developed to help you achieve your goals and decided to pass them along!

• Resolution:  Eat Healthier
• App: Fooducate
• Lose Weight, eat real food and get healthy. This app grades your groceries, explains what's really inside each product and offers healthier alternatives. Their database includes over 200,000 UPC codes!

• Resolution:  Work Out / Exercise More
• App: NPT Boom 
• Nike BOOM syncs your music to your dynamic training workouts, with the world's most elite athletes and coaches motivating you along the way.  Choose your type of workout, length of training, best workout music and favorite Nike athletes-then get to work.

• Resolution:  Gain More Control Of Finances
• App: Mint
• Mint.com allows you to track, budget and manage your money all in one place, so you can see where you're spending and where you can save.  Open an account, add your bank, credit, loan and retirement accounts and Mint will automatically pull in and categorize your transactions.  

• Resolution:  Become More Organized
• App: Wunderlist
• Wunderlist 2 is the easiest way to manage and share your daily to-do lists.  Whether you're planning an overseas adventure, sharing a shopping list with a loved one, or simply keeping track of your daily to-dos, Wunderlist can help get things done.

Although improving your dental health did not make the top of the list, taking care of your smile does impact each one of the top four resolutions in one way or another.  From eating healthier "dental" foods, which provide energy to exercise, to keeping track of your regular dental cleanings, which can lower your overall costs for maintaining your smile, these apps for 2013 can help keep your dental health on track this year! If you are in need of a dental appointment, call our dental office at 918-455-0123! May each of you have a great new year!

God Bless,

DRT