It’s time we take a break from everything dental. After all, it IS summertime! The kids are home on summer break and they are already telling you they’re bored, right? Well, check out a couple of these fun summertime crafts from spoonful.com. We think they might like them!

Nature t-shirts are a great way to get the kids out and active, and allow them to show their creativity: http://spoonful.com/crafts/nature-t-shirt

Keep the un-wanted creatures out of your garden with this garden noisemaker: http://spoonful.com/crafts/garden-noisemaker

During your next trip to the beach, have the kids collect some rocks and stones. They can make their very own pet rocks: http://spoonful.com/crafts/pet-rocks

Here at Elmbrook Family Dental, our favorite new patients are those referred by our current loyal patients. Referral of your friends and family is the best compliment we can get! These referrals have helped our practice grow to the lengths that it has. Each patient is valuable to us and we are so thankful for each one of you. In fact, we are so thankful for each of you that when you refer friends and family members, we will send you a gift! That’s right, for each person you send to our office above the age of 18, we will send you a token of our appreciation. Our gifts over the last few years have been gift cards to local restaurants and even movie tickets. Thank you again for your trust and confidence.

You may know that sugar can be bad for your teeth. Because of this, many people think it is safe to drink diet soda and be saved from tooth decay. But, did you know that diet soda is still acidic? That’s right; although diet soda has no sugar, the ingredients in them cause an acidic environment which is conducive to decay. If you have read our previous blog titled “Acid Erosion”, you are familiar with the chemical form of acid erosion which is caused by food and liquids in your diet.

Indications of erosion can be a dark or stained look to your teeth, a soft feeling, cupping or abnormal wearing of your enamel. Individuals that are at highest risk are those who drink diet soda in larger amounts and sip over long periods of time. We won’t tell you not to enjoy a soda at all, but if you must have one, enjoy it with a meal. Be sure you are not exposing yourself to acids in regular or diet soda over an extended period of time. Remember the phrase: “Sip all day, get decay”.

This article has some great information on diet soda and tooth decay. It even compares it to people people with drug addictions to Meth. So, take a look at the following link: http://health.usnews.com/health-news/news/articles/2013/05/23/diet-soda-habit-as-bad-for-teeth-as-meth-addiction-study-claims