PatientFYI: 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. read more…

Tags: Dental Health, Improve Your Smile

PatientFYI: 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. read more…

Tags: dental, Dental Health, Find a Dentist, Gum Disease, Improve Your Smile, Patient Reviews

PatientFYI: 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!

Tags: dental, Dental Health, Diabetes, Gum Disease, heart disease, Improve Your Smile, Patient Reviews

Dr. Guy Mangia: Comprehensive Dental Examination is a service we provide for all new patients and for our adult patients of record every 2 years. Similar to a complete medical examination with your physician, this examination  process is considered the current Standard of Care with the American Dental Association.  During this examination we are able to document and compare the findings that are significant to your oral health.  Being able to compare these findings at a two year interval allows us to detect changes in your dental health that may be subtle to the human eye, resulting in early detection and correction of oral problems.  Of course, we will continue to provide updated examinations at the time of your  periodontal maintenance visit in between your comprehensive dental evaluations.

The Comprehensive Examination and Evaluation consists of six areas of your oral health: read more…

Tags: Cosmetic Dentistry, Cosmetic Dentists, dental, Dental Health, Dental Implants, Dentist Reviews, Find a Cosmetic Dentist, Gum Disease, Improve Your Smile, Teeth Whitening, Veneers, Whiter Teeth

PatientFYI: A dental exam is much more than a cavity-spotting expedition. In addition to decay, dentists look for potentially life-threatening conditions including oral cancer.

According to the Oral Cancer Foundation, 35,000 Americans are diagnosed each year with oral cancer, while 8,000 Americans each year die from it. Without early detection, survival rates significantly worsen. read more…

Tags: Dental Health, dental technology, Dentist Ratings, Find a Dentist, Gum Disease, Parent Reviews of local Dentists, Patient Reviews

PatientFYI: Whether or not children receive regular dental care is strongly associated with their parents’ history of seeking dental care. A new report to appear in the journal Pediatrics, which has been released online, is the first to analyze the relationship between parents’ and children’s’ dental visits in a nationally representative sample.

“When parents don’t see the dentist, their children are much less likely to see the dentist,” says Inyang Isong, MD, MPH, of the MassGeneral Hospital for Children (MGHfC) Center for Child and Adolescent Health Policy, the study’s lead author. “It looks like strategies to promote oral health should focus on the whole family.” The result of this study is clear. To set the pattern of good dental care for their children, parents need to set the example of regular dental care for themselves. Parents, you’re children are watching!

Meet Dr. Sorkin!

Tags: Children's Dentistry, Dental Health, Find a Children's Dentist, Find a Dentist, Parent Reviews of local Dentists, Preventive Dentistry

It is estimated that 80 percent of people brush their teeth every day, but far fewer pet owners do the same for their pets. Pet Dental Health Month, celebrated every February, teaches pet owners proper dental hygiene is equally as important for their pets.

“Most people have no idea that dental health is so important to their pets, and that’s why Pet Dental Health Month is such a great idea,” explains Dr. Larry Corry, president of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). “In fact, veterinarians report that periodontal disease is the most commonly diagnosed problem in dogs and cats. This can lead to painful infections of the mouth, and in severe cases these infections can spread and become life-threatening conditions. During Pet Dental Health Month, the AVMA is encouraging all dog and cat owners to regularly brush their pet’s teeth and regularly see their veterinarian for checkups.”

The AVMA, a sponsor of Pet Dental Health Month, offers an informative video giving step-by-step instructions on how to brush your pet’s teeth. The Pet Dental Month Web site, http://www.petdental.com, includes tips from a veterinary expert on pet dental health, Dr. Brook Niemiec.

“Periodontal disease, an infection of the gums, is incredibly common in pets, and it can be quite serious,” explains Dr. Niemiec, a board certified veterinary dental specialist. “It’s estimated that by the age of two, 80 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats have some form of periodontal disease. Periodontal infections have been linked to diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease and other life threatening disorders. The best way to prevent periodontal disease is by regularly brushing your pet’s teeth and by regularly visiting your veterinarian.”

For more information, please visit http://www.avma.org, and to show off your pet’s pearly whites upload their photos at the AVMA Flickr site Pearly White Pets.

Tags: Cats, Dental Health, Dogs, Veterinarians