Summer is finally here! School is out and it’s time for fun in the sun, hot days at the pool, and beach vacations. While everyone looks forward to a break from the daily grind and more time to rest and relax, a shift in routines and increased exposure to hazards can pose risks to your teeth and mouth. Later bed and wake times can lead to skipped tooth brushing and flossing. Sports on the beach and games in the pool can lead to chipped or broken teeth, while indulging in too many sweet cold treats and convenient snacks can lead to a build-up of cavity causing plaque.
To ensure you and your family enjoy this season to its fullest, protect everyone’s oral health and avoid unexpected dental issues, especially on vacation. Here are four important tips to follow this summer:
Stick with a Healthy Dental Routine
When we get out of our regular daily routines, it is easy to forget to brush our teeth twice a day and floss as well. Going to bed late and sleeping in the next day may lead to skipping important steps of the dental routine. To help you and everyone in your house to remember, try hanging a chart next to the sink in the bathroom, for each family member to check off when they brush or floss each day. Also, be sure to pack extra toothbrushes, paste and floss when going away on vacation or day trips, to ensure your family’s smiles stay healthy even when your family is on the go!
Snack and Sip Smart
Laid back days hanging at the beach or playing by the pool often lead to changes in our eating habits during the summer months. The kids seem to snack all day long, and the temptation of a sweet cold treat or refreshing sugary beverage is around all the time. Indulging occasionally is fine, but consuming too many unhealthy foods and beverages can increase plaque build-up, which then leads to cavities. Help your family make good choices this summer by stocking your fridge, coolers and picnic baskets with tasty options that won’t harm your teeth. Fresh cut fruits and veggies, such as apples, carrots and celery are healthy snacks, as is cheese, yogurt, and nuts. Staying hydrated is so important on sweltering summer days, so always have plenty of cold water, unsweetened ice tea, and milk on hand for healthy sipping.
Protect Your Smile
While we don’t want to stop the kids from playing and having fun this summer, we do want to take steps towards protecting their smiles. Bumping into hard surfaces, falling on slippery pool decks, and injuries from contact beach sports can lead to chipped or even broken teeth. Setting and enforcing safety rules at the pool, such as no running or rough housing, can help. Having your child wear a protective mouth guard can also be a good safety measure, especially if your child has braces in their mouth. A mouth guard not only protects the teeth, but also protects the braces from being damaged or from harming the soft tissue around them. Lastly, while everyone remembers to put sun screen on the kiddos, their lips are often left unprotected and vulnerable to damage from the sun’s powerful UV rays. So be sure to apply a lip balm that contains SPF 15 or higher.
Come Visit Us at Roselle Park Dental & Implants!
Summer is the perfect time to schedule a dental checkup for your entire family. Scheduling your visit at the start of the season can help you to avoid possible dental issues from popping up while away on vacation. Also, if there is additional dental work needed after your checkup, finding time to have it done is easier in the summer months than during the school year.
Start your summer off right: call us today at 908-998-4698 – or visit us online at www.roselleparkdental.com – to schedule your family’s next appointment and keep everyone smiling all season long.
Author: Sara Magnola Taner is an online marketing and communications specialist – with a website development and editorial background – who has 15 years of experience creating and editing clear, compelling content on diverse topics across a wide range of mediums.
Filed under: Uncategorized — roselleparkdental @ 5:56 am
Are you missing teeth? You aren’t alone. So are millions of other Americans throughout the country. Fortunately, you won’t need to go the rest of your life with gaps in your smile. Dental implants are the superior option or replacing missing teeth because of their numerous benefits, including the fact that you have no eating restrictions. Read on to learn which delicious summer foods you can finally enjoy again.
Summertime is right around the corner! And that means fun in the sun, vacations, and backyard barbecues. While we are usually concerned with getting our physique ready for bathing suit season, we don’t often consider what effect our dietary choices have on our oral health.
To keep you smiling all summer long – and avoid any emergency dental visits – we have rounded up some of the worst (and sneakiest) summer favorite foods to avoid, and offer up some tasty alternatives that won’t harm your mouth, teeth or gums.
Skip the Chips
Although crunchy potato chips seem like the perfect summer snack or side dish for a hot dog or hamburger, think twice before you start munching! Since chips are high in starch, as you chew they are broken down into sugar which sticks to your teeth and breeds bacteria that can cause cavities. Eating them for a prolonged period of time – because who can stop after just one or two chips – causes the mouth to produce excess acid which can cause further tooth damage. Chomping on harder chips with sharp edges, can also increase your risk of gum damage. This summer, skip the chips! And instead opt for crunchy crudités dipped in hummus. Munching on fresh chopped veggies, such as carrot and celery sticks, can actually clean your teeth by scrubbing away built-up food particles.
Choose Your Fruit “Berry” Wisely
Choosing fruit over a sugary dessert seems like a healthy choice, but certain berries actually pose a threat to your teeth. The juice from blueberries, strawberries and Boysen berries can undo the effects of a recent whitening treatment, and even cause further staining. Additionally, berries with seeds – especially larger ones such as blackberry and raspberry seeds – can get stuck in between teeth or lodged in the gums, which can lead to decay or abscesses at the gum line. To avoid the many dental pitfalls of berries, choose a different summer fruit, such as seedless watermelon or a juicy peach, to enjoy instead!
Beware of … Corn on the Cob
No backyard BBQ is complete without corn on the cob! But sadly, it can wreak havoc on your dental health due to the skin on the corn kernels which easily gets trapped between teeth. Once this happens, it can cause several problems for your teeth and gums. Despite being a vegetable, corn is high in sugar, so the pieces stuck between teeth provide food for bacteria to grow and cavities to form. People often try to dislodge the pieces of corn stuck in their teeth using a toothpick which can pierce the gums and cause pain or lead to infection. Try cutting the corn off the cob before eating it to minimize the amount that gets stuck between teeth, and use floss or a dental pick instead of a hard wooden toothpick.
Hydrate Wisely
While we all know that soda and sports drinks are loaded with sugar – which will eat away at your teeth when sipped slowly over time – during the heat of the summer when we are often parched and thirsty, it can be hard to resist. To reduce temptation, try preparing and enjoying some delicious and nutritious infused water to sip and share instead. Simply fill a pitcher or glass with water and then cut up fruits, veggies and herbs of your choice. Some of our favorite combinations include watermelon and mint or strawberries and lemons. Refrigerate for an hour or two and then strain to serve over ice.
At Roselle Park Dental, we want you to have your BEST SUMMER! Get your smile summer ready – call us today at 908-998-4698 or visit us online: www.roselleparkdental.com to schedule your next cleaning appointment or whitening treatment!
Author: Sara Magnola Taner is an online marketing and communications specialist – with a website development and editorial background – who has 15 years of experience creating and editing clear, compelling content on diverse topics across a wide range of mediums.
In years past, you loved soaking in the sun, taking selfies while you have adventures, and taking it easy. But since you’ve lost a few teeth, you may not have felt keen on letting your smile show as often as you used to.
You’ve decided—you’re going to get dental implants. You’re just waiting for the best time to pull the trigger and start treatment. It’s right now during the summer! These tooth replacements can change your life for the better in countless ways, and this season is a great opportunity to move forward with your fully restored smile. Check out these reasons you should get started!
Today’s patients are lucky, when they lose a tooth or multiple teeth, they have plenty of reliable options to choose from in order to fill in the gap and restore their bite and appearance. When you have to replace more than one tooth (but still have enough teeth in the arch worth saving), your best bet is likely either a dental bridge or a partial denture. Both have their benefits, but which one is truly best suited for you? Read on to learn the key difference between partial dentures and dental bridges.
April is oral cancer awareness month. The number of people with oral cancers – which include all cancers in the mouth and throat – has recently been increasing, with men being more than half of those diagnosed. The good news is that the majority of cases are highly preventable by avoiding certain risky behaviors. Equally, early detection via an oral cancer screening and self-examination is key to decreasing the severity of the disease.
Avoiding use of all tobacco products – including cigarettes, chewing tobacco, and cigars – dramatically reduces your risk of suffering from oral cancer. Other risk factors include:
Increased Risk
Drinking alcohol in excess
Being older than 55
Spending a lot of time in the sun
Having certain forms of human papillomavirus (HPV)
Prevention: Even if you are at a higher risk for oral cancer, there are certain steps that you can take to help decrease your chances of getting it:
Limit alcohol consumption
Incorporate a lot of fresh produce into your diet
Avoid being exposed to excessive sunlight during the middle of the day
Wear a minimum of SPF 30 or higher on your lips
Catching signs of oral cancel early is key to reducing the mortality rate. If you notice any of these symptoms, call your dentist right away:
Symptoms Not to Ignore
Bleeding in the mouth
Persistent mouth sores or earaches
Numbness, pain or swelling in the mouth, throat or jaw
Teeth loosening
Changes in your voice
A lump in the mouth or neck areas
Red or white patches on the lips, gums, or tongue
Regular Screenings
At Roselle Park Dental, we perform oral cancer screenings as part of every routine dental checkup as a courtesy to all our patients. Our dentists and hygienists will thoroughly check your mouth, teeth, gums, and tongue for any signs of cancer or precancerous conditions. Also, making sure to check your mouth in the mirror once a month for any of the symptoms listed above is vital! If oral cancer is caught early, there is a greater chance that it can be cured.
Author: Sara Magnola Taner is an online marketing and communications specialist – with a website development and editorial background – who has 15 years of experience creating and editing clear, compelling content on diverse topics across a wide range of mediums.
As winter begins to thaw into spring, it is the perfect time to throw open the windows and doors and let in fresh air and sunshine! We often mark this shift of seasons by clearing away clutter, scouring and sanitizing our homes. This year, why not also spring clean your smile!
The well-being and attractiveness of your mouth, teeth and gums is important for your overall health as well as your quality of life. According to the Mayo Clinic, your oral health offers clues about your general health. Additionally, problems in your mouth can affect the rest of your body and contribute to various diseases and conditions including:
Alzheimer’s disease
Cardiovascular disease
Diabetes
Osteoporosis
Pregnancy and birth complications
Pneumonia
Cosmetic issues such as missing, overcrowded, or crooked teeth, as well as a misaligned jaw, can lead to both diminished self-esteem as well as tooth decay, gum disease, and even tooth loss. Addressing these issues – even for adults – is an important step towards achieving a beautiful and healthy smile. Focusing on the following key areas can help you achieve this goal!
Brighten and Whiten
A slight yellowing of the teeth is often a normal part of aging or a result of consuming certain foods that stain the surface of the teeth. But it can also be an indicator of poor brushing and flossing techniques, plaque buildup, or tooth decay. It can also cause a person to feel self-conscious about their appearance.
Luckily, there are several simple and easy ways to help improve the color and brightness of your smile:
Orthodontics are no longer just for kids! A 2019 report by the American Association of Orthodontics, found that one in four orthodontic patients are adults. Adults who suffer from misaligned teeth or jaws (over- or under-bites) have a higher chance of suffering from tooth decay, cracked or broken teeth, gum disease, and difficulty chewing as they age. Thanks to modern medicine and treatment options, orthodontics for adults are less visible and more comfortable.
At Roselle Park Dental, our excellent team of doctors and specialists includes Dr. Ranu Sinha, a highly-trained orthodontist who excels at helping patients of all ages achieve exceptional results they can enjoy for years to come. Dr. Sinha offers both traditional braces, as well as a quality alternative – Invisalign® – for the many people who can’t get past the hurdle of wearing noticeable metal braces.
To learn more, or to schedule a consultation, please visit: www.roselleparkdental.com/request-an-appointment.html.
Author: Sara Magnola Taner is an online marketing and communications specialist – with a website development and editorial background – who has 15 years of experience creating and editing clear, compelling content on diverse topics across a wide range of mediums.
Most children will have mixed emotions at the prospect of getting braces – excitement about getting older and having their teeth “fixed”, as well as some concerns about how it will look and feel to have braces. As their parents, you will share these feelings, and also have plenty of questions of your own.
Why does my kid need braces? Crowded, crooked, or missing teeth – as well as a misaligned jaw size or position (overbite or underbite) – require orthodontics to correct them. The majority of cases are hereditary, but in some instances the need for braces is caused by behavior. These can include prolonged thumb sucking or an accident or other incident that left permanent damage to your child’s teeth or jaw.
At what age will they get them? There is no set time or age for children to get braces, but according to the Mayo Clinic the general range in the U.S. is 8-14 years old. During their regular dental checkups, your child’s dentist will thoroughly examine the adult teeth as they come in and take x-rays of their mouth to review development. If he or she decides that braces may be needed based on what they see during the checkup, you will be referred to an orthodontist – a dental specialist that deals with the diagnosis, prevention, and correction of mispositioned teeth and jaws as well as misaligned bite patterns. In addition to further examination and x-rays, the orthodontist will likely take an impression – or mold – of your child’s teeth, jaw and mouth. This mold will be used to fit them with custom braces.
What will the process be like? While the majority of children who need braces will get fixed braces, some will use clear, removable plastic trays – such as Invisalign. The first step to getting fixed braces is the placement of brackets on the child’s teeth. These brackets are usually metal but can also be made of white or clear ceramic. Once the braces are attached to the teeth, they are connected with wire and rubber bands. These connections will be gradually tightened over time, creating pressure that will move the permanent position of the teeth. Some children will need additional devices, such as headgear that will be worn at night.
How do we take care of their teeth with braces? After getting their braces, your child will visit the orthodontist frequently to ensure that everything is in good condition. Children with braces need to put in extra time and effort to keep their teeth and braces clean. Kids with braces should brush their teeth after every meal, since the attached brackets easily trap food. Certain foods – including sticky and hard candies, popcorn, and gum – should be avoided altogether since they can cause cavities and even harm your child’s braces. If their braces do get damaged, you should go see the orthodontist as soon as possible to have them fixed.
Can we afford orthodontics?
According to U.S. News & World Report, braces usually cost anywhere between $3,000 to over $6,000 per child. While this is a considerable amount of money, it is a worthwhile expenditure, since it will set your child up for a lifetime of better oral health. If you have dental insurance, check to see what orthodontics your plan covers, since many do pay for – or reimburse for – a portion of braces. Other ways to help shoulder the financial burden include:
Get a second opinion
Seek services from a dental school
Ask for a discount
Use tax-exempt savings accounts
Enroll in no-interest financing
At Roselle Park Dental & Implants, we look forward to giving you and your child a comfortable and fulfilling orthodontic journey through our dedicated approach. Our excellent team of doctors and team members includes Dr. Ranu Sinha, a highly-trained orthodontist who excels at helping patients of all ages achieve exceptional results they can enjoy for years to come. To learn more, or to schedule a consultation, please visit: www.roselleparkdental.com/request-an-appointment.html.
Author: Sara Magnola Taner is an online marketing and communications specialist – with a website development and editorial background – who has 15 years of experience creating and editing clear, compelling content on diverse topics across a wide range of mediums.
Health is at the forefront of a lot of people’s minds when they’re making New Year’s resolutions, but most of them are focused on weight loss or breaking bad habits. This year, why not give your dental health some extra consideration? After all, a clean, healthy smile can have a large impact on your overall quality of life. Your first step towards a year of improved oral health should be to schedule a dental checkup in Roselle Park, which will let your smile enjoy the following 4 benefits.
Living through a global pandemic for most of 2020 made it a challenging year for many of us. Despite our best intentions, the many obstacles we faced – quarantine, limited access to groceries, fear of getting sick – made it difficult to prioritize our health and stick to good habits.
As we head into a promising new year, now is the perfect time to plan to make 2021 your healthiest year yet! And there is no better place to start than with your oral health.
To help you improve your oral health and establish healthy habits to protect your teeth, mouth and gums, we have come up with a year-long healthy smile schedule:
Winter
Get and Understand Your Dental Insurance: Almost three quarters of Americans pay for dental insurance each year, and for good reason. While all plans differ, most cover all or most of preventive care, as well as a varying percentage of basic and major procedures. If you need to sign up for insurance, check out eHealth. To learn more about what benefits your existing coverage offers, give us a call at 908-998-4698 or send an email to roselleparkdental@gmail.com.
Out With the Old … Toothbrush or Brush Head: The ADA recommends replacing your toothbrush or electric toothbrush head with a new one every three to four months. Due to daily use over time, the bristles become worn down. The older and more frayed the bristles, the less effective the brush becomes at cleaning food particles from your teeth and gums.
Spring
Visit Us at Roselle Park Dental: One of our amazing hygienists will take x-rays of your teeth and then perform a professional cleaning to remove any built-up plaque. Next, one of our skilled dentists will inspect your teeth, gums, and overall oral health. Before you leave, be sure to set up your next cleaning appointment in six months.
Spring Clean Your Diet: As the weather begins to warm up, it is a perfect time to make some healthy changes to what we eat to benefit both our waistline and our oral health! Making a few simple swaps, such as eating fresh fruits instead of cookies or candies and sipping on water instead of soda or juice, will reduce the amount of sugar in your diet which lowers your chance of tooth decay and may lead to weight loss as well.
Replace Your Toothbrush or Brush Head Again😊
Summer:
Stick to a Daily Flossing Routine: During this season of fun vacations and R&R, our regular routines and schedules often lapse. But one daily habit we should not take a break from in the summer is flossing daily! If you find yourself forgetting to floss since your bedtime is later and you are too tired, try doing it right after lunch each day instead.
Assess What Dental Benefits You Have Remaining: If you have dental work you’ve put on hold, now is a good time to schedule an appointment to maximize your insurance benefits. If you have been paying a monthly premium to keep your insurance, be sure to use it before the year ends! It is also a great time to use any remaining flexible account dollars you may have saved up. Flexible accounts are created to set aside pre-tax dollars for medical and dental expenses, but if that money is not used before the end of the year, it is lost to you forever.
Visit Us at Roselle Park Dental: We offer several amenities to help you feel at ease during your appointments, including sedation dentistry, pillows blankets, and more. We also utilize the most state-of-the-art tools and equipment to improve the accuracy, speed, and quality of the dental care we provide to you at every visit.
Replace Your Toothbrush or Brush Head Again😊
We look forward to helping you make 2021 your healthiest year yet!
At Roselle Park Dental & Implants, our dedicated team believes that dentistry can change not only your teeth, but your overall quality of life as well for the better. That’s why we work so hard every day to give each patient a new reason to smile.
Author: Sara Magnola Taner is an online marketing and communications specialist – with a website development and editorial background – who has 15 years of experience creating and editing clear, compelling content on diverse topics across a wide-range of mediums.
