Happy Holidays

We wish all of you a happy and peaceful holiday season! As a reminder, our office will be closed for the holidays from December 21 to January 2. If you would like to maximize your insurance benefits before the end of the year, please call us to schedule an appointment at 541-343-8527.

Trick or Treat Time!

We wish all of our patients and friends a Happy Halloween! Remember to brush and floss after enjoying your treats.

Stop by our office on October 31 to see Dr. Stephenson and our office staff step back in time.... we are celebrating the 70's for Halloween this year. We hope you have a great Halloween!

Fluoride

More than 65 years ago - on January 25,1945 - Grand Rapids, Michigan became the world's first city to adjust the level of fluoride in its water supply.  Since that time, fluoridation has dramatically improved the oral health of tens of millions of Americans.  Community water fluoridation is the single most effective public health measure to prevent tooth decay.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has proclaimed community water fluoridation as one of 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century.  Approximately 72.4% of the U.S. population served by public water systems receive the benefit of optimally fluoridated water. 
Fluoridation of community water supplies is simply the adjustment of the existing, naturally occurring fluoride levels in drinking water to an optimal fluoride level recommended by the U.S. Public Health Service (0.7 - 1.2 parts per million) for the prevention of tooth decay.  Water that has been fortified with fluoride is similar to fortifying milk with Vitamin D, table salt with iodine, and bread and cereals with folic acid.
Studies conducted throughout the past 65 years have consistently shown that fluoridation of community water supplies is safe and effective in preventing dental decay in both children and adults. Simply by drinking water, children and adults can benefit from fluoridation's cavity protection whether they are at home, work or school.
Today, studies prove water fluoridation continues to be effective in reducing tooth decay by 20-40%, even in an era with widespread availability of fluoride from other sources, such as fluoride toothpaste. 
Fluoridation is one public health program that actually saves money.   An individual can have a lifetime of fluoridated water for less than the cost of one dental filling.
 
The American Dental Association continues to endorse fluoridation of community water supplies as safe and effective for preventing tooth decay.  This support has been the Association's position since policy was first adopted in 1950.  The ADA's policies regarding community water fluoridation are based on the overwhelming weight of peer-reviewed, credible scientific evidence.  The ADA, along with state and local dental societies, continues to work with federal, state and local agencies to increase the number of communities benefiting from water fluoridation.        

Article courtesy of ada.org

Small, Easy Steps to a Healthy Smile

1. Brush your teeth at least twice each day. Aim for first thing in the morning and before going to bed. Once a day, use floss or an interdental cleaner to clean between teeth to remove food that your toothbrush missed. Make sure you: Drink fluoridated water if you can. Fluoride's protection against dental decay works at all ages. Most communities in the United States are served with public water systems that have added fluoride. But not everyone lives in a community with a centralized, public or private water source that can be fluoridated. Check with your community's water department or health department to find out if there is fluoride in your water. You also may want to use a fluoride mouth rinse, along with brushing and flossing, to help prevent tooth decay. Gently brush all sides of your teeth with a soft bristled brush and a fluoride toothpaste. Circular and short back-and-forth strokes work best. Take time to brush along the gum line, and lightly brush your tongue to help remove plaque and food debris. Ask your dentist or dental hygienist to show you the best way to floss your teeth. Change your toothbrush at least every three months or earlier if the toothbrush looks worn. A new toothbrush can remove more plaque than one that's more than three months old. If you wear dentures, be sure to remove them at night and clean them before putting them back in the next morning. 2. Have a healthy lifestyle. Eat healthy meals. Cut down on tooth decay by brushing after meals and not snacking on sugary or starchy foods between meals. Don't smoke. Smoking raises your risk for getting gum disease, oral and throat cancers and oral fungal infections. If you drink alcohol, only drink it in moderation — no more than one drink per day for women or two drinks per day for men. Heavy alcohol use raises your risk for oral and throat cancers. When alcohol and tobacco are used together, your risk for oral cancers is even greater than using one of these alone. 3. Get regular checkups. Having an oral exam twice each year will help find signs of problems early. During regular checkups, dentists and other types of dental providers can find signs of nutritional deficiencies, diseases, infections, immune disorders, injuries and some cancers. Make an appointment right away if your gums bleed often, if you see any red or white patches on the gums or tongue, have mouth/jaw pain that won't go away, have sores that do not heal within two weeks or if you have problems swallowing or chewing. Besides your dentist, here are some other types of dental providers: Dental hygienists — work as part of your dentist's staff. They clean gums and teeth and instruct patients on ways to prevent oral disease and to maintain oral health. Periodontists — dentists who treat gum disease and place dental implants, or artificial teeth, to replace lost teeth. Oral surgeons — dentists who can perform biopsies (taking a sample of tissue in your mouth to look at under a microscope) or surgery on your mouth and supporting tissues if you have a serious problem.

4. Follow your dentist's advice.
Your dentist may suggest that you do different things to keep your mouth healthy. He or she can teach you how to properly floss or brush and how often. He or she might suggest preventive steps or treatments to keep your mouth healthy.
5. If you have another health problem, think how it may affect your oral health.
For instance, if you take medicines that give you a dry mouth, ask your doctor or nurse if there's another drug you can use instead. Have an oral exam before beginning cancer treatment. And know that if you have diabetes, good oral hygiene to prevent gum disease is very important.

Source: The National Women's Health Information Center, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Fruit Drinks, Like Energy Drinks, May be Problematic

Written by Dentistry Today Wednesday, 23 May 2012 20:23

Parents need to rethink giving their children fruit drinks.

Dentists are warning that some fruit drinks can have the acidity levels of vinegar. So some parents with good intentions may actually be putting their children's oral health at risk.

Fruits drinks and smoothies were thought to have some nutritional value as a healthy option other than drinks like soda. But, in actuality, these drinks contain sugar, in addition to having high acidity levels.

When consuming these fruit drinks, bacteria in the mouth produce dangerous plaque acids that attack the enamel. With weakened enamel, it's possible for the tooth to become compromised.

According to some studies, there are certain fruit drinks that are considered more acidic than vinegar.

Based on this information, whether or not a drink contain fruits is irrelevant. What's more important is whether or not it contains sugar. Water is beneficial because it doesn't have any sugar and lowers the risk of obesity, something that is rising among young children. Drinks filled with sugar are one of the main reasons for this rise.