Many of you will be celebrating Easter tomorrow. There are lots of facebook updates saying you are getting ready for some egg dyeing fun, so we thought we would post on one of our favorite ways to add something different to your eggs without having to purchase a whole new kit. Rubber bands! Simply take rubber bands of any thickness, and wrap them around your clean eggs before placing them in dye. After you take the eggs out of your chosen color, let them dry for a short time, then remove the bands to reveal an awesome pattern. For a two-toned look, remove only a few rubber bands after the first color, then dip into another color. Your result will be fun and colorful eggs. Each are one of a kind!

One of the great things about being a dentist is the continuing education classes. Dr Brunner had the opportunity to attend a seminar about Acid erosion in February. It is something that is becoming much more commonly diagnosed in dentistry. So, here are some things we think you might like to know!

What is erosion? Erosion is the chemical loss or destruction of tooth structure. Anyone can be at risk, however some higher risk categories include teenage males (due to extend of acidic food in their diet), teenage females (often related to bulimia) and the elderly (due to dry mouth). Erosion occurs due to a diet high in acidic foods or from acid reflux or indigestion.

How do you know you have acid erosion? You or your dental provider may notice a pattern of cupping on your enamel or even enamel loss. Often times these cupped areas are mistaken for wear caused by clenching and grinding. These wear facets can put a patient at risk for cracked teeth, dental cavities, and breaking down fillings.

Treatments for erosion include: 1: A diet lower in acidity. This means less soda, coffee and energy drinks, less acidic fruits, and less tomato based products. 2: treating acid reflux with prescription or over the counter medications and 3: restore broken down teeth as needed to maintain a sound tooth structure.

Often times patients are not even aware they have acid reflux and the first signs present on your teeth. Detection and prevention not only save your teeth, but can save your life by determining a diagnosis. Un-diagnosed and uncontrolled reflux can lead to, bad breath, stomach discomfort, ulcers and even precancerous conditions such as Barretts esophagus. If you have questions regarding erosion or think you may have signs, call us today for an exam.

In case you missed our e-mail blast on how to sign up for the Elmbrook Family Dental NCAA tournament, here are the details:

To sign up, follow this link: http://games.espn.go.com/tcmen/en/frontpage and create an account. Once you have logged in, click “My Groups” link toward the top of the page. Type Elmbrook Family Dental in the search box. Our group password is TEETH. Create your own bracket using your actual name as your team name (so we know who you are!) and pick who you think will win. For more information, click the “How to Play” link.

Prizes will be awarded for 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th places. Anyone can participate, but only current patients will be awarded prizes. The prize list will be posted this week! Become a fan of our facebook page to ensure you are notified of this prize list when it is posted.

You must sign-up and pick your teams by the tip-off of the first game on March 21st in order to play.  You will not be able to pick your teams until the tournament field is announced on March 17th.

Good luck and have fun!

On March 17th each year, we celebrate the most famous Saint of Ireland with a feast and celebration. We commemorate St Patrick with parades, the color green and feasts of great food and drink! Here is a fun and simple recipe by Kraft that we found for Irish Soda bread. Enjoy!

Visit this link for recipe details: http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/irish-soda-bread-63745.aspx?cm_mmc=eml-_-rbe-_-20130312-_-1040&cm_lm=02DB927E93F00A43D444F1F1B1B9947A

Every day we have patients wondering about their PPO dental insurance plan. Patients asking if we are an “In Network Provider” and what this means to them. At Elmbrook Family Dental, we are In Network Providers with many PPO insurance plans. This means that every year Dr Neuschaefer works hard at completing and negotiating contracts with insurance companies. These contracts state we are to provide a patient with a reduced price for their dental services. Still confused? Don’t worry, it’s not just you! Here is a general example: If we charge $100 for a dental service, but our participating provider contract states the fee is $80, your fee is then $80. The office writes off the additional $20 that is not contracted with your plan.

Keep in mind that every insurance company has a different level of contracted fees. So Delta Dental patients do not receive the same benefit level as Metlife patients. Your employer is the one who chooses the benefits available to you, and this is how your benefit level is determined. Our front desk team is trained to help you as the patient utilize your benefits to the fullest. A benefit over view and estimates of future work are done as a courtesy to our patients. We are here to help you to the best of our ability, so do not hesitate to ask!