Every September marks the beginning of cold and flu season. As the kids go back to school and the weather changes, we are all more susceptible to picking up a virus. Here are a few simple tips at keeping the illnesses away.

Wash your hands. It takes 30 seconds and use of antibacterial soap with room temperature water to effectively rid your hands of germs. So, don’t rush through it and pay special attention to your finger tips and nails as they’re the perfect hiding spot for bacteria.

Vaccinate. Although the effectiveness of the flu vaccine may vary each year depending on the strain, the flu vaccine can dramatically decrease your chances of contracting a flu virus. The vaccine is recommended for all people over the age of 6 months old. It is firmly recommended for those who are pregnant, have small children, the elderly or have a compromised immune system. Flu shots are generally available at your doctor, a local pharmacy, or even your health department.

Stay home if you’re not feeling well. Your boss may not like it, but the truth is that it is in the best interest of your coworkers and others around you if you stay home when you have symptoms. You’re most contagious when you have a sore throat, a fever or within the first 48 hours of an illness. If you’re not feeling well then consider staying home to rest and recover and keep your colleagues healthy too!

Cough into your sleeve. The flu and cold virus can spread to people up to 6 feet away through droplets in the air from a cough or sneeze. If you use your hand to cover your cough, then touch a door knob, pen or even counter top, you’re leaving the virus there for the next person to pick up. Coughing into your sleeve can reduce the likelihood of the germs spreading.

At at average age of 5, children start to lose their baby teeth in order to make room for their new, larger adult teeth. Many families choose to have the Tooth Fairy come and swap those adorable baby teeth out for a special monetary gift. We have heard many different ways to make the tooth fairy a little more fun and exciting. Here are some things we would like to pass along!

Print this special Tooth Fairy Envelope. Fill out all the fun facts, cut and fold, then use for safe keeping under your little ones pillow until the Tooth Fairy can arrive and make the trade.  http://ideas.hallmark.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/tooth-fairy-certificate-envelope.pdf

Want to make the money from the Tooth Fairy extra special, but don’t want to do it by leaving a $20 bill? Try this simple idea for sparkly Tooth Fairy money. http://amindfulmomma.blogspot.com/p/momma-m.html

And of course, one of our favorite ideas: Leave a note from the Tooth Fairy encouraging good brushing and flossing habits. After all, the Tooth Fairy does only want healthy, sparkling teeth in her collection! Here is a link that gives you basic tips to pass along in the note for your child. Choose the tips your child needs most improvement on. Use bright colors and paper to make it attractive for the little ones. Who knows, it may even make your daily hygiene routine a little bit smoother for a while!  http://www.colgate.com/en/us/oc/oral-health/basics/tooth-fairy/article/sw-281474979039601

Who should go to the dentist? People with a toothache? People who have broken teeth? People who have dirty teeth and need a cleaning? Well, the answer is everyone should go to the dentist! If you have teeth, come to the dentist. If you don’t have teeth, you should still come to the dentist. That’s right. Your Grandpa Ned and Great Aunt Mildred should still see us even if they have full dentures. This is so we can clean the dentures professionally and be sure they’re fitting correctly or make needed adjustments. But most importantly, it is so we can do a detailed exam of their gums, roof of their mouth, tongue and cheeks to be sure there are no signs of abnormal lesions or cancer. For someone with full dentures, once a year check ups are generally sufficient unless otherwise advised. If you have a full set of healthy pearly white teeth, twice a year visits are recommended. There are some patients who have more detailed needs who we may ask to spend a little more time with us. Always remember that routine dental work is the cheapest and easiest dental work you can get. Plus, if it’s been too long, we just start to miss you!

If you didn’t see it on our facebook page already, August is full of birthdays for our staff! Kari, Amanda G, Dr Taibl, Tiffany, Kerrie W and Kim all celebrate in the month of August. This year, we had an extra special birthday to celebrate. Dr Brunner turned 40 years old! If you were lucky enough to be in the office on Tuesday, August 11th, you may have heard some singing, some teasing and laughing or even seen a pink gorilla! We had so much fun celebrating the big FOUR OH with you Dr Brunner.

He was a good sport about it all and wore a big gaudy pin all day announcing his new age. Dr Tack hired a singing pink gorilla to surprise him with the birthday song, and Connie (who is SO talented) made an amazing cake of his caricature. It even had a bald head and extra special jimmies so he could add just as much hair to the cake as he thought he deserved. Interested to see photos? Check out our facebook page and take a look!  https://www.facebook.com/elmbrookfamilydental

This July we said goodbye to our assistant Ashley. In May she graduated with her associates degree in Dental Hygiene. This coming August she will be getting married to the love of her life Rob here in Wisconsin. They have begun a new chapter in their lives down in Texas where Rob is now working. Who knows what their future holds for them! Currently they are easily getting used to the hot weather and great water ski lakes near their new home. She has been a part of our assisting team since June of 2011. After her graduation, she was able to help in our hygiene schedule as well. Good luck to you Ashley and Rob in your new and exciting life. You will be greatly missed.

This month we celebrated Dr Tack’s birthday. Of course we did the obvious and brought some fantastic food into the office. We can never pass up an excuse to bring in some veggies and dip… and other not so healthy snacks!

Dr Tack celebrated with two of her closes friends the day before her birthday. They surprised her and took her for a special dinner at Artisan 179 in Pewaukee.  On her birthday, her good friend Tara surprised her with flowers and special treats.

Happy birthday Dr Tack . We are thankful to have you on our team and so glad we could help you celebrate!

Many of our patients with younger children as us when the right time for their child’s first dental visit. You may get a variety of opinions on the internet or even among local dentists. This blog will share the philosophy that our office follows. If you have further questions, we are always happy to answer them!

At Elmbrook Family Dental, we prefer to see your child for their first visit near the age of 3. This is an age that we can expect  a little more cooperation and understanding from your little one. Although some recommendations discuss seeing a child near the age of 1, the compliance of a child at that age can be unpredictable and may lead to more dental anxiety in the future if it is not a good experience. Around age 3, we will schedule your child for a “Happy Visit”. During this visit we will give your little one special sunglasses to wear and a ride in the chair. If they seem eager and excited, we will “count” their teeth, and hopefully even polish them! The dentist will come in to do an exam at which time they will check for cavities and for early signs of crowding or orthodontic issues. At the end, we will paint a preventative fluoride treatment on their teeth. If your child is apprehensive during this visit, there are no worries! We will not push this visit. We are here to make it a good experience in any way we can. This sets the premise for many more good experiences in the future. Often times the first visit may consist of just a ride in the chair (maybe even on Mom or Dad’s lap)  and a quick peek to scan for any major problems. We will always discuss brushing technique, good diet choices and perhaps use of pacifiers and thumb sucking as well.

If you have’t seen it, we have a great treasure chest with wonderful prizes for after a good dental check up! We look forward to taking care of your smile and the smile of your little family members for years to come.

A majority of adult patients have some recession. Perhaps you have even heard us mention it during one of your dental visits. Since it is so common, it is important to know how we decide that it’s a problem and how we determine there is nothing to worry about.

To put it simply, recession is when your gums move back from it’s normal location on the tooth (right around the neck of the tooth) and begin to expose some of your root surface. If you have 1 or 2 millimeters of recession, don’t worry. Chances are it will not be a problem as long as you take the correct precautions. If the root surfaces have been worn after recession occurred, a simple filling or crown may easily protect that root surface. If the recession is more severe, or the wear on the root is more severe, gum surgery may be an option. Our goal is simply to prevent the recession from ever getting to a severe enough point in which surgery is necessary. Here are some helpful hints on how to prevent recession from ever happening, or preventing it from getting worse.

1. Brush correctly. Believe it or not, you can actually scrub your gums away through heavy handed brushing. Keep a gentle hand, use a soft or extra soft bristled toothbrush, and replace it every 3 months. Angle your bristles 45° toward the gums and make a gentle circular motion for 2 minutes. A Sonicare toothbrush is also a very effective method of cleaning your teeth while keeping your gums safe.

2. Manage acidity in your mouth. Patients who suffer from acid reflux or who enjoy a diet high in acidity often have more recession than those that don’t. If you feel like you have indigestion often or burp more than normal after meals, you may have acid reflux that comes up into your mouth during the day or while you are asleep. This acid can be destructive to your teeth and gums. In addition, a diet containing frequent soda, coffee or juice intake, or even sucking on lemons (yes, people do this!) is highly damaging to gums and teeth. Talk with your general doctor or your dentist if you think you may be at risk.

3. Protect those pearly whites against clenching and grinding. Wearing a night guard at night can prevent wear of your teeth and also prevent gum trauma over time. Exercises and stretching techniques can help relax your jaw during the day.

Ask our staff at your next visit to discuss your risk factors for recession and the best way for you to prevent it from happening or getting worse. After all, you’re not a shark! These are the only teeth you are going to get.

At Elmbrook Family Dental, our staff is made up of people who have been on the team for over 20 years, and staff that has been with us for less than 1 year. We have been so blessed to grow so much over the years! As our team grows, the doctors recognize how important it is for us to all be there for each other on a daily basis within the office. In order to help the team members bond, they plan some great team building events throughout the year. This month, we all went to Dave and Buster’s for some great food and fun competition. Thank you Dr Brunner, Dr Taibl and Dr Tack for giving us such a fun afternoon.