Life's Routine: The Dental Connection!

Whether it's watering the garden, changing the oil, or replacing the smoke detector's batteries, life has many important routines. While daily oral hygiene habits are essential to good oral health, professional dental cleanings at our office ensure that your teeth are treated to a more thorough level of cleaning.  Current recommendations encourage the average patient to have a routine checkup every 6 months.  In addition to a cleaning and polishing of your teeth, these regular visits help to detect and prevent the onset of tooth decay and periodontal (gum) disease.  If you are pregnant, use tobacco, or have certain medical conditions like diabetes or a dry mouth, more frequent visits may be needed.

If you have any questions or are in need of an appointment, call our office at 918-455-0123!

God Bless,
DRT

Memorial Day 2015!

While fire trucks, baton twirlers, marching bands covering patriotic tunes, colorful floats, costumes, and millions of red, white, and blue American flags being waved in the air on a beautiful day in late May seem to represent this federal holiday, Memorial Day truly represents the time when America observes a day and takes the time to remember and celebrate the men and women who have lost their lives while serving our country in the Armed Services.  The holiday originated after the Civil War; at that time it was known as Decoration Day.  Unlike other holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter, Memorial Day has changed over time, and in the 21st century we observe a far different holiday than what Americans did after the Civil War, or even the World Wars.

While many people place flags at cemeteries and visit national memorials in order to honor those that gave the ultimate sacrifice defending our freedom, Memorial Day is also a time for family barbecues, pool parties, trips to the beach, blockbuster movies, long weekend getaways, and fireworks.  In America, Memorial Day has also come to represent the unofficial start of the summer - a long, hopefully sunny, warm, weekend devoted to family togetherness, outdoor events, and community.

So whatever you're weekend encompasses, our entire team at Thomas Family Dentistry wish you a happy and safe Memorial Day Holiday!

God Bless,
DRT 

The Working Lunch: The Dental Connection!

Many working adults find that the demands of their job require eating lunch while continuing to work. Although a recent survey revealed that despite knowing that a healthy, good-looking smile affects not only their personal health, but their professional image as well, with the time constraints placed on them by their work environment, very few people have the time to brush and floss at the office regularly, which allows harmful food debris to have an impact upon their teeth and gums.

Although time is a premium at work, it only takes two minutes to improve your oral hygiene. With this in mind, consider these brushing tips while at work.

• Leave a toothbrush at work to increase the likelihood of brushing.
• Brush your teeth at least two minutes, twice daily.
• Replace your toothbrush every 3 months.
• Clean between your teeth with floss daily.

Brushing after breakfast and lunch will eliminate any remaining food particles and odors.  Removing plaque and debris after each meal, even after that working lunch, can decrease the risk of decay and gum disease.

If you have any questions or are in need of a dental appointment, call our office at 918-455-0123.

God Bless,

DRT

Secrets: The Dental Connection!

Life is full of secrets, but the secret to keeping your teeth for life is... that there is no "real" secret; and in fact, there is no difficulty involved.  Following this simple basic four-step process can help insure that you will have healthy teeth for life!

BRUSH

             At least, you should brush your teeth for two minutes twice daily, preferably once in the

             morning and once at night.  Use a soft-bristled toothbrush and light pressure; you do not 

             want to scrub away your gums.  Keep your toothbrush clean and replace it about every 

             three months.

FLOSS

            Make flossing part of your daily routine, at least once a day.  Flossing is important for more 

            than just removing food particles between your teeth.  The process also help to remove 

            bacteria that you cannot see.  Bacterial build-up turns into plaque, or tartar: a cement-like 

            substance that cannot be removed by brushing alone.  Effectively flossing not only removes 

            the bacterial from below the gum line, but also at the contact point between the teeth, 

            where the toothbrush cannot reach.

RINSE

            Mouthwash does more than freshen breath.  Rinses help kill the bacteria that lead to plaque

            formation and gum disease.  This extra step can go a long way toward having healthy teeth 

            for life.

APPTS

            Not a misspelling for the word  "app" in the electronic world, but it stands for 

           "Appointments."  Although dental appointments seem to get pushed aside in our everyday

            hectic lives, for the average patient, committing to a professional cleaning twice a year is 

            essential to maintaining optimal dental health.  Our hygienists will remove any plaque 

            build-up to prevent gingivitis, which if left untreated, can become full-blown gum disease

            called periodontitis, which is the leading cause of tooth loss in the adult population.  Equally 

            important, at each regular cleaning appointment, your teeth are checked for cavities and an 

            oral cancer examination is completed.  Early detection and treatment of any dental 

            problem is much easier to remedy than waiting until the situation becomes more critical.

If you have any questions about the "dental secrets" of maintaining your teeth for life or are in need of a dental appointment, call our office at 918-455-0123!

God Bless,

DRT