Elmbrook Family Dental

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

If you have a little one at home, you know how difficult it can be to get them to brush their teeth. Or worse, to get them to allow YOU to brush their teeth! We hear stories from many moms and dads about how toddlers won’t allow mom or dad in to brush for them. So, here are some tips to help you to get through it:

Until your little one can spit into the sink, use a training toothpaste which has little to no fluoride in it. There are many different brands of training paste, so choose your favorite and use only a pea size amount on their brush.

Allow your little one to brush their teeth first. Then, tell them its mom (or dads) turn to brush their gums! Gentle brush around the gum line the best that you can. Make a fun song out of it and stay positive. Here is a fun song! Sing it to the tune of “Twinkle, Twinkle little Star”

“Here’s my toothpaste,Here’s my brush

I won’t hurry, I won’t rush.

Working hard to keep teeth clean

Front and back and in between

When I brush for quite a while

I will have a happy smile.”

For each successful brushing session, use a sticker chart. When they fill up their chart, have a special surprise for them to celebrate. Perhaps a trip to the zoo, a play date with a good friend or maybe a new toy!

Remember, no matter how tough it is, or how long it takes to get a good routine down, you’re not alone and it will all be worth it in the end.

Spring marks the beginning of wedding season. Many brides and grooms say “I Do” between months of April-September, and we are here to make sure their smiles are ready for all of those important photographs! So, if you’re getting married or standing up in a wedding, consider scheduling your regular cleaning and exam before the big day. We can discuss your options at that time. Not due for a cleaning quite yet? That’s ok! Let the front desk staff know what you’re interested in and we can schedule a consultation to discuss options and pricing.

We offer 2 types of whitening for our patients. We have an in office, one time whitening. You spend a couple hours with us and leave with a bright, white smile that day! If you prefer to whiten on your own, we can fabricate custom trays for you to use with whitening gel at home. This process takes an average of 2 weeks of at home treatment. The trays are made specially for you and can be used for a touch ups in the future as well!

Custom veneers or crowns can be a great way to straighten teeth that have mild overlapping, or close small gaps in front teeth. They can even be a great option for deep stain that cannot be resolved with whitening. This can be a 1 or 2 step process that may take 2-3 weeks if the lab is making the veneers or crowns.

Love your smile but just need a touch up? We’ve got you covered! If you are an existing patient who is up to date on your cleaning and exam, we can provide the bride and groom with a complimentary wedding polish. This will remove minor surface stains and give you a shine for your wedding day.

Remember: Our doctors schedules fill up 1 1/2 months or more in advance and our later appointments are even more popular! If you’re thinking of scheduling something, don’t delay! We look forward to seeing you soon.

Thank you to all of you who participated in our 5th annual March Madness Tournament! Here are our top 4 winners:

First place with 850 points: Michael M.

Second place with 830 points: Ruchin P.

3rd place with 810 points: Conrad R.

4th place with 800 points: Scott B.

Many of our patients experience dry mouth to some extent, either short or long term. The most common cause of dry mouth is prescription medication. A patient taking drugs such as an anti-anxiety, anti-depressant or blood pressure medications are likely to experience dry mouth. Aside from being uncomfortable when you have a dry mouth, it may make speech more difficult and also puts you at an increased risk for tooth decay. Your dental hygienist and dentist may be able to diagnose if you experience dry mouth at your routine visits, but if you already know you are experiencing dry mouth, take a few simple steps to keep your risk of decay as low as possible.

Drink plenty of water and avoid liquid sugars like soda, juice and energy drinks. Think diet soda or black coffee is a safe alternative to these sugary drinks? Think again! Although these do not contain sugar, they are acidic and can be significant contributors to decay and dry mouth.

Chew xylitol gum or use xylitol mints in between meals. Xylitol is a sugar alternative that will help neutralize the pH in your mouth and increase your salivary flow.

Use a humidifier in your bedroom at night to help keep oral tissues moist.

Talk with your friendly staff at Elmbrook family dental for suggestions on other dry mouth aids. There are many products on the market, and they would be happy to help you find one that is best for you!

We are excited to announce that we are hosting our Fifth Annual March Madness tournament for our current patients! It has been a hit every year, so if you have not participated in the past, we encourage you to join us this year. Here are this years prizes:

1st place: $150 Bartolotta Gift Card

2nd place: 4 Tickets to a Brewers Game (game date to be determined)

3rd place: Custom Whitening Trays and a $25 Bravo Gift Card

4th place: $25 Gift Card to Bravo

Here’s how it works: Go to http://games.espn.go.com/tcmen/en/frontpage and create and account. Once you have logged in, click the “My Groups” link toward the top of the page. Type “Elmbrook Family Dental” into the search box. You can then enter the group password “TEETH” to join. Create your own bracket using your ACTUAL NAME (so we know who you are if you win!) and choose the teams you think will win. For more information, click the “How to play” link.

In order to play, your bracket must be complete by tip-off time of the first game on March 20th. You will not be able to choose your teams until the field is announced on March 16th.

The contest through ESPN is open to anyone, however you must be a current patient (seen within the last 12 months) in order to win prizes through Elmbrook Family Dental.

Good luck!!