We hope you have been having a wonderful year!  As the end of 2014 is quickly approaching, we are writing to share a tip that can help you take full advantage of any dental insurance benefits you may have remaining.

Every year you receive a maximum amount of dollars from your dental insurance company that you or your employer pays for. Those of you who have incomplete treatment ought to utilize your available benefits otherwise this paid benefit is lost for the year.

If you have funds set aside in a flexible spending account (FSA) or healthcare saving account (HSA), now is the time to schedule treatment so your copayment amounts can be applied to this year’s deductions.

Your health is important to us and we want to provide the care you deserve. Calling ASAP will afford you the opportunity to obtain a more convenient appointment time. We find that the holiday season is always our “busy time”, as patients wait to call last minute to use these benefits. So call soon and we will happily accommodate your schedule.

Call today to schedule your appointment!

On a daily basis, we put our teeth through a lot of work! While those pearly whites are helping you to smile, bite into those yummy sandwiches and chew up that fantastic food, we need to remember to keep them safe from gum disease, breaking and decay. Follow these simply steps to lower your risks:

Use your teeth for biting and chewing food. Contrary to what a lot of us do, teeth are not made for removing tags from that adorable new shirt you just bought. Or as a bottle opener! Yup, we’ve seen it all. Using your teeth for things like this can cause to chips, cracks or breaks. Don’t worry, if you didn’t read this blog in time, we are only a phone call away and can get you fixed!

Avoid sipping on juice, sports drinks, coffee, soda and diet soda all day. These liquid sugars and acids pose a much lower risk when they are consumed with a meal. Just remember the catchy phrase: “Sip all day, get decay.”

Brush twice daily and floss daily! Rinse with water between meals or chew sugar free gum. Having these simple things in your routine greatly reduce your chances of getting gum disease, cavities and build up.

See your favorite Elmbrook Family Dental team members twice yearly for routine cleanings, exams and x-rays. Early detection and prevention lead to lower cost dental visits in the future!

Many of you have consumed xylitol and didn’t even know it. So let us tell you a little bit about what it is, and how it can help improve your dental health.

Xylitol is a product often used as a sugar alternative. It is the main ingredient in a few common sugar free chewing gums than many of us chew. It is what makes your piece of gum sweet and tasty! So, how is it so good for your teeth? Use of xylitol through chewing gum, xylitol mints, toothpaste or other products may lower your risk of getting tooth decay by a third. It helps to stimulate a healthy salivary flow and can promote remineralization of enamel. Less cavities? Sounds good to us!

Next time you’re in the check out lane at the grocery store, stop and check out labels on the sugar free gum. Consider chewing a piece after meals, or when your mouth is feeling a little dry. Xylitol products and a good water intake can play a key role in pushing off your next trip to the dentist.

As many of you may have heard, our hygienist Miranda had her baby boy! Beautiful Henry Ray was born on July 8th. He weighed 10 lbs 6oz and was 22 inches long. He is absolutely adorable and very easy going. Mom and baby are doing great.

Today we celebrated Dr Tacks 33rd birthday with some yummy (but mostly healthy) snacks! Dr Tack enjoyed a dinner at Harbor House with some of her good friends on Monday. She was able to spend some time with her Mom and got a mani/pedi, and also got her groove on to some great reggae music at the Skyline Music festival. She enjoyed every moment of the great music despite the rain.

We hope you had a wonderful birthday Dr Tack! We are thankful to be able to celebrate with you and are so glad you’re part of the team.

Our front desk team member Linda, celebrated her 60th birthday this June! In case you haven’t noticed, we LOVE having things to celebrate here at the office, and we LOVE having good food! The front desk staff teamed up and brought in lots of yummy treats along with this beautiful cake. Linda has been a member of our front desk team for almost 3 years. She celebrated her big day by taking a nice road trip up to Door County with her husband Ron and had a blast! When she came back, she was sure to enjoy some pizza and cake with her 3 wonderful children. Happy Birthday Linda!! Cheers to a wonderful year and many more to come.

Welcome to our blog! Take a look around our web site. If you have visited before, you will notice some things are looking different. We have given the site a new look! We have a great section called “Meet us” where you can read all about the dentists here at our practice, a place to read real testimonials written by real patients, and of course, this awesome blog! We update our blog multiple times a month with current happenings around the office, answers to common dental questions, fun and interesting dental topics, and even sometimes great activities or recipes for you to enjoy! Have something you’d love us to write about? Be sure to let us know. We are always looking for a new hot topic.

On May 22nd, we celebrated our last day with Cheryl, our dental assistant of 9 years. We enjoyed a burrito bar from Qdoba. Cheryl started with Dr Neuschaefer at the same time that Dr Brunner was hired to be a part of the Elmbrook team, and has been sitting chair-side and working the front desk ever since. She has grown with the office and been a great asset to our team. One of her favorite things was getting to know patients on a personal level and helping them feel at ease when they were a bit anxious. The hardest part for her is leaving behind the patients she has known for so many years.

As she leaves our practice, she starts her journey into nursing clinicals! We know she will do an awesome job of taking care of people as a nurse, but she will be greatly missed by all of us here. Best of luck to you Cheryl!

Our office will be close this coming Monday for the Memorial Day holiday. We celebrate Memorial Day yearly in remembrance of the men and woman who served in our United States Armed forces and lost their lives. In observance, many people honor those who died while serving by visiting cemeteries and memorials of fallen soldiers. American flags are flown with pride, and families gather to celebrate the freedom we have because of these fallen men and woman who paid the ultimate sacrifice. As we celebrate with friends and family, we want some great food to enjoy! Here are some awesome recipes we found and thought you may enjoy. Happy Memorial Day!!

Jalapeno Popper Burgers: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/jalapeno-popper-burgers

Orange-Mango Punch: http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/orange-mango-punch-52330.aspx

Red, White and Blue Ambrosia: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Red-White-and-Blue-Ambrosia/Detail.aspx?evt19=1