The month of February is a popular month! We choose February to celebrate Black History, Womans Heart Health and also Dental Health. So, this month, spend some time doing fun activities and projects with your kids. Here is one that we love:

Draw a molar on a piece of white paper. Give your children some magazines. (cooking magazines work great!) Ask them to cut out pictures of things that are healthy for their teeth and do not promote cavities. They can paste these pictures onto the molar. Your child can then explain to you what pictures they chose and why. A great way to have fun and learn too!

This week we celebrate Valentines Day. What better thing to celebrate than LOVE? Here are some fun ways to celebrate that do not include splurging on a dozen long stem roses and steak dinner for two.

Visit the Domes for the Music Under Glass series. On Thursday, February 14th at 6:30pm, listen to some great Jazz music and take some Valentine photos with your honey.

Cook dinner together at home! Look up a fun recipe online, put your aprons on and cook together. Enjoy the food by candle light.

Take a tour of the Palermos Pizza Factory. For $9.25, you can take the tour, enjoy a hot slice of pizza, soft-drink, and also receive a t-shirt. Tours are Monday-Friday and they advise you call ahead.

Enjoy dinner and a movie at the Majestic in Brookfield, or the Fox Bay theater in Milwaukee. Get served your meal while enjoying a show on the big screen.

Whatever you decide to do, make it thoughtful and have fun! Happy Valentines day.

We often have patients confide in us that they are concerned about the smell of their breath. Did you know that the technical term for bad breath is halitosis? This can by caused by a number of things. To help determine what the cause of halitosis might be, talk with your hygienist and dentist at your next visit. In the mean time, here are some things to consider:

Do you have active tooth decay or periodontal disease? The bacteria involved in cavities and gum disease can often cause a foul mouth odor for a prolonged period of time. The best solution is to this is repair active decay and treat gum disease as directed by your dentist and hygienist.

Are you having sinus drainage from a cold or allergies? Post nasal drip and mucous can cause bad breath during periods of time that you experience sinus symptoms. An over the counter sinus medication or visit to your general physician can help keep drainage at bay.
Do you suffer from indigestion or GERD? Reflux and stomach acids can cause bad breath starting from all the way inside of your stomach. With these conditions, acid is allowed to enter into the esophagus and the gasses escape through the mouth. Your general physician can prescribe something to help block stomach acids from being produced in excess.

Are you doing an adequate job of brushing, flossing and tongue brushing? If you are missing areas during your oral hygiene routine and leaving plaque behind, this may be a cause of halitosis. The most likely cause? A plaque coated tongue-especially the farthest back portion! So, stick out your tongue and take a look. A plaque coated tongue often appears to have a white or yellow coating. A tongue scraper will get this cleaned up in no time!

So, before you grab for that piece of sugar free mint gum, ask yourself what the cause of your bad breath might be. If you think it might be more than just the garlic you ate for dinner, give your dentist or general doctor a call. We would be happy to help you find your way back to fresh!