Foods that can whiten or stain your teeth

Wondering what to expect when coming back to the dentist? The Illinois State Dental Society, along with the Illinois Department of Public Health, have recommended that oral health providers resume routine oral and dental care. In fact, resuming your preventative oral care appointments will improve your overall health and immunity, so now is the time to book those appointments. We made the following updates to our process for your total health and safety: · We will communicate with you before your appointment to ask a few COVID screening questions. You’ll be asked those same questions again when you are in the office. · As soon as you enter the office, you’ll be asked to use our hand sanitizer. You will also find some in the reception area and throughout the office for you to use as needed. · To protect our patients, all magazines and toys have been removed. · We’re scheduling appointments to allow for effective social distancing between patients while reducing patient wait time. When you arrive: · Call the office when you arrive in the parking lot. We will send you a text when we are ready for your appointment. · We require a mask to be worn at all times except during your scheduled procedure. We look forward to seeing you again and are happy to answer any questions you may have about the steps we are taking to keep you, and every patient, safe in our practice. To make an appointment, please call our office at 847-816-0463.

During these difficult times with this pandemic going around and being in a quarantine, it has become more difficult to do certain things because many different businesses are closed, we are going to offer some advice on how to keep your mouth healthy while at home. While you are forced to be at home, you should remember not to neglect your hygiene and especially not your mouth. With this virus going around, people might forget the importance of proper hygiene and then they can get infections or get sick, teeth can fall out or start to yellow which are all things we do not want. Everyday, you should try and brush your teeth at least three times a day. It would be best to brush teeth when you wake up, after dinner and before going to sleep. When you brush your teeth, you should not rush the process and it should take about 90 seconds each time. Make sure you are not brushing your teeth too hard or your gums will bleed and make sure you have proper toothpaste. Then make sure you are also flossing and do not have food stuck in your teeth. Another way to help your mouth stay healthy is by using mouth wash everyday. That will help fight and sanitize any bad breath germs you have in your mouth and keep your mouth fresh and clean. Another thing to note is that the foods you eat and drink can effect your hygiene. Drinking too much soda or alcohol or coffee or too many salty foods can be bad for your mouth and teeth and can stain them. I know it is easy to drink a Coke for breakfast in the morning now that so many are working from home, but that is going to damage your mouth in the long run and too much caffeine can even cause you to lose your teeth and that would make your life very difficult and miserable. You should try and drink as much water as you can as water is the best thing for you. In summary, continue brushing your teeth a few times each day, make sure to floss your teeth and use mouth wash and try not to drink too much caffeine and that will help your mouth stay healthy and hygienic.

In order to help your children have the best dental health, the best thing you can do is get them early treatment to prevent them from developing a serious dental issue as they get older. Prevention is a lot easier than treating a serious dental problem, which is why your child should be visiting the dentist from the time that their teeth first start to appear. It can be overwhelming to some parents to think about taking their child to the dentist, which is why you should spend time making sure that you are choosing a dental office that does pediatric dentistry and that is warm and inviting for young children. The experience that your child has at their first dental visit can set the tone for how they will feel about the dentist for the rest of their lives, so it is so important that the experience is positive for them. If your child is experiencing any anxiety, you may want to bring them to visit the office ahead of time, in a no-pressure type situation, or you can bring them with you to one of your cleanings prior to their appointment. You can help your child to start developing their good dental habits when they are very young, and this will set them up with a solid foundation. If you are someone who chooses to wait until your child is a little older before your first dental visit, you want to make sure that you have at least set a strong teeth-brushing routine for your children. Many children either brush their teeth too hard, not long enough or they do not brush each tooth, so it is important for you to be an active participant in teeth brushing until they understand how to do it by themselves. You can get a timer for your child so they know how long to brush their teeth for, or there are toothbrushes you can buy that stay lit up for how long they should be brushing. Another way you can help is to help your children avoid bad habits. Thumb sucking can be harmful to teeth and children who bring a bottle of milk to bed with them can also suffer from dental problems. Milk is high in sugar and when children are drinking until they fall asleep, that sugar just sits in their mouth all night. If your child wants milk before bed, just be sure to brush their teeth before they actually go down for the night. You also want to limit suckers, juice or any other food or drink that is high in sugar. When your child does indulge in something that is high in sugar, have them brush their teeth afterwards, or at least rinse their mouth out with some water. Regular dental visits are another great way to help your child. When you have routine visits, it helps the dentist to detect and resolve problems before they become too serious. Early detection and preventative measures will help your child have the best chance of having a beautiful and healthy smile.

Picture this - you have a dentist appointment coming up. You know the hygienist asks if you floss regularly, so you floss the few days leading up to the appointment. Sound familiar? If so, you're in good company! Over half of Americans don’t floss regularly and 20% don’t floss at all, so if this sounds like you, you're not alone. But flossing is more than an extra step in your oral health - we understand that it feels like a bothersome task in your already busy day, but consistent flossing does wonders for your health. 5 reasons to floss every day 1. It removes plaque : Did you know your teeth have five surfaces to them? When you skip flossing, you're automatically missing cleaning two of your teeth's surfaces. With flossing, you're working to remove the plaque (sticky bacteria), which can build up and cause decay, cavities, swollen gums, or gum disease. 2. Gingivitis prevention: Gingivitis, the early stage of gum disease, first shows with swollen, bleeding gums. However, when your gums are healthy, they won't bleed, and if they are, this is a great indication that you need to floss more. 3. Total body health: Flossing is about more than your oral health - it impacts your whole body. In fact, good oral health reduces your risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, arthritis, and respiratory disease. When you floss and remove the plaque, you're promoting a healthier body. 4. Gain confidence: A healthier mouth and flossing especially contributes to whiter teeth and better breath, so you can have a more confident smile. 5. Low-cost & effective: There are plenty of high cost tools for your oral health, but floss is not one of them. Floss is the cheapest, easy way to promote a healthy mouth and keep gum disease at bay. I can't floss - my gums bleed If you feel like you can't floss because you have swollen, bleeding gums, think again. Our body naturally sends fluid to irritants in our body as part of the healing process. You may have swelling or bleeding after flossing because its our body's inflammation response. In fact, this response is actually your body attempting to irrigate whatever bacteria or food is in your gums through inflammation and bleeding. The more you floss, the less you'll bleed, and the healthier your gums will be. Commit to your health Make the commitment to yourself - you deserve it! Flossing takes just a few extra minutes a day yet can make an incredible impact on your health. Consistency is key - in just a few days, your gums can develop gingivitis; when left unchecked, gingivitis can turn into periodontal disease, which can cause bone loss to the bone that holds your teeth.

We are in the midst of winter and the weather has become extremely cold. We all know the dry cold air can have an impact on our skin and cause redness and dryness, but the extreme cold can also be hard on your mouth. In order to keep your mouth healthy and comfortable this winter, here are a few things that you can do to combat winter mouth problems. Hydration : In the winter, people do not tend to stay as hydrated as they are during the summer. Without being outside and feeling hot, people do not realize that they need to be drinking water. When you get dehydrated, it causes a variety of issues for your mouth, starting with dry mouth. When you have a dry mouth, it can lead to tooth decay, bad breath and gum disease. Dry mouth : When your mouth is dry, you are also not producing as much saliva, and saliva is necessary to wash away food debris and keep your teeth and gums healthy. Make sure you are conscious of your water intake and you should consider limiting your caffeine, since caffeine can cause dehydration. Chewing sugarless gum is another way that you can keep moisture in your mouth and avoid complications from having a dry mouth. Tooth sensitivity is another common problem during winter since your mouth is used to being at your body temperature. Tooth sensitivity comes into play when you are outside in the frigid cold and you open your mouth, letting that really cold air into your mouth. This can cause a painful sensation with your teeth and if you continue to allow this to happen repeatedly, it can result in your teeth expanding and contracting, which causes damage to your teeth. Cold weather: When you are going to be outside, you can either put a scarf over your mouth to protect it from the cold, or at least try to breathe through your nose so the cold is bypassing your teeth. If you are suffering from tooth sensitivity, you might want to drink hot or cold liquids through a straw, so it lessens the contact the liquids have with your teeth. You may also want to use a toothpaste that is made for tooth sensitivity. Chapped lips are another common ailment during winter. Chapped lips can become very painful, so you want to make sure you address the problem. You will want to purchase a high-quality lip balm and increasing your water intake will also help. Cold sores also tend to appear during the winter, and they are usually the result of the cold weather and also can be the result of having a weakened immune system. There are many viruses that are going around this winter and it is easy to have a weakened immune system. To prevent a cold sore breakout, you want to make sure you are keeping your hands very clean and you also want to avoid touching your mouth. If you feel the onset of a cold sore, you want to immediately put a topical treatment on it to stop the infection. It is always important to take care of your dental health and during winter, there are some additional things that you need to consider in order to keep your mouth healthy. By following these tips, you can have peace of mind in knowing you are taking preventative measures.

The holidays are upon us and there are so many fun family activities and events that are planned during this month. There are family holiday parties, work holiday parties and holiday parties with friends. The only downside to this is that some people do not take into consideration the extra sugary foods and drinks that they are consuming and their dental health suffers as a result. Here are some tips on how to keep your mouth healthy during the holidays. Stock up on toothbrushes: There are a lot of nasty viruses going around and the first tip is to make sure you stock up on extra toothbrushes. If you are on an antibiotic, you will want to change your toothbrush once you are 24 hours into your medicine and are no longer contagious. You do not want to recycle the virus back into your mouth. If you are suffering from a cold, you will also want to change your toothbrush once you are feeling better again. Be mindful of alcohol: The holidays are about being merry and joyful, but it is important that you consider your alcohol intake. Alcohol is high in sugar and at holiday parties, there are often winter-themed drinks that are extremely high in sugar, such as spiked eggnog. If you are going to partake in an alcoholic beverage, just be sure to either brush your teeth shortly after, or at least wash your mouth out with some water. Oral health on-the-go: Another tip is to carry a travel toothbrush and floss with you when you go to a holiday party. There are lots of foods that can easily get caught in your teeth, such as nuts or popcorn, and if you are prepared for this, you will not have to wait until you get home from the party to take care of it. The sooner that you get lodged food out of your teeth, the less likely it is that you will suffer from any dental problems. Another problem with eating nuts is that some are incredibly hard and it could cause you to crack or chip a tooth. If there is a bowl of mixed nuts, it is very easy for a shell to get mixed in as well, so take caution when you are eating them. The last thing you need during the holiday season is to have emergency dental work. Sticky foods: You will also want to avoid or at least limit the amount of sticky foods that you eat. There are often caramels, toffee, raisins, cranberries or other dry fruits offered at holiday gatherings. Although some of these items are not necessarily bad for you, they can be harmful to your teeth. If possible, choose foods that are not as sticky and that are more easily washed away. Sugarless gum is your friend: You might also want to keep some sugarless gum on hand that you can chew after eating or drinking at holiday parties. This will help to remove particles from your teeth and might also help you to stop yourself from overindulging. The holidays are here…enjoy them! Just do not forget to neglect your oral health.

The holidays are approaching very quickly and with the holidays comes a lot of holiday events and parties. With all of the shopping and decorating, it can be difficult to catch up on everything that you have put off. Before life gets too busy this winter, you should schedule your routine dental appointment. Going to your dentist in winter is beneficial for the following reasons: Scheduling : You have a much better chance of getting an appointment when you want one. We all know how incredibly busy dentists, are and most often when you call and have a time or date that you would like to come in, there isn’t an opening. Many people schedule their appointments at the end of summer or in early fall, with the back-to-school rush, so scheduling in winter might offer you a better chance of getting an appointment when you would like one. Spring is another time that dentists become busy, with elementary school kids, middle school kids, high school kids and college kids having their spring break and parents scheduling their appointments during that time. Winter is that perfect in between time! Top of mind : Once the weather starts to warm up and springtime approaches, people’s calendars start to fill up quickly and scheduling a visit to the dentist often gets pushed to the back of our minds. It is good to get your routine appointment scheduled during winter, so you do not forget to stay on top of your oral health. Keep healthy : It is a way to stay on top of your health and break up the dreariness that can accompany winter. Even though there are so many wonderful things to look forward to in the wintertime, there are often lots of dreary, cold days that can make someone feel a little more down than usual. Having less daylight can affect people, and there has been a study from West Virginia University that links tooth loss with depression. So, if you stay on top of your oral health and visit your dentist, you may have found a unique way to combat the winter blues. Illness & oral health : Winter illnesses can cause all different kinds of problems for your dental health. We all know how miserable it is to get a cold or the flu, and often the last thing you are thinking about when you’re sick, is your dental health. Unfortunately, many over-the-counter remedies for illnesses are very high in sucrose and high fructose corn syrup, both of which can be very harmful on your teeth. Other remedies have citric acid, or low pH levels that are partnered with high acidity or alcohol, and these can start to wear down the enamel on your teeth. Parents also need to be careful with giving children medicine right before they go to bed. Children’s medicine is often very high in sugar, so it is important to make sure that your child brushes their teeth before actually falling asleep. If you are due for a routine cleaning and do not want to have to wait a long time and you want to schedule it while you have some days off of work for the holidays, give your dentist a call to get your appointment in the books.

Cooler temperatures are just around the corner, which means fall is almost here! There are so many wonderful things about fall, from the fun activities such as apple picking and visiting pumpkin farms, to enjoying the colors of the leaves changing. Another great thing to add to your list is enjoying some of the delicious foods that relate to the fall that are actually good for your dental health. Below are the best fall foods for you to enjoy this season. Pumpkin Pumpkin is one of the symbols of fall and you may have already noticed the ads for pumpkin spice lattes. Pumpkin has become a popular ingredient for both cooking and baking and the good news is that in addition to being delicious, pumpkin is also full of vitamins and minerals. Pumpkin contains zinc, and people who are deficient in zinc tend to have bleeding gums, poor dental health and bones that are not very strong. Pumpkin also has 100% of the vitamin A your body needs, 20% of your vitamin C and is also high in magnesium, which works with calcium to keep the enamel in your teeth hard. Another great health benefit is that it is high in beta-carotene, which has been shown to be vital in fighting a few different types of cancer. Keep in mind that although pumpkin is a wonderful nutrient-rich food, you want to stay away from the sugary drinks and desserts, since those will not be good for your dental health. Instead, choose other types of pumpkin foods, such as soups, breads or homemade smoothies. Apples It is no surprise that there are many wonderful health benefits with apples and nothing says fall like the smell of apple cider or visiting an apple orchard. There are a few different ways in which apples benefit your dental health. The first is that apples have a crunchy texture and when you chew a crunchier type of food, it stimulates the production of saliva in your mouth, which washes away bacteria and keeps your mouth clean. Secondly, the texture of apples also acts as a natural scrubber for your mouth. Apples do a great job at getting food particles out of your teeth and preventing plaque from building up. Although apples do contain a high amount of natural sugar, apples are also high in fiber and water, so this provides a balance. Just like with pumpkin, you do also want to make sure that you are choosing wisely when consuming foods or drinks that are made with apples, since many will involve adding in extra sugar. Raw apples are a delicious treat and there are also other dessert recipes that are lower in sugar and are better for your teeth. If you are going to indulge in some delicious apple cider or apple pie, just make sure that you brush your teeth afterward to ensure that the sugar is removed from your mouth. Cranberries Cranberries contain polyphenols and this is what acts as a repellent for bacteria in your mouth. There are properties of cranberries that also actually promote the good bacteria in your mouth. Since cranberries tend to be tart, there are many recipes that add in a lot of sugar to counteract that tartness. When indulging in a food or drink made with cranberries, you will want to use unprocessed cranberries or make sure you drink juice that is 100% juice and does not have any added sugars. Pumpkin seeds Carving a jack-o-lantern is often a favorite fall pastime and one of the best things about carving a pumpkin is taking out those delicious pumpkin seeds to roast in the oven. Pumpkin seeds are very high in nutrients, including fiber, protein, phosphorus, iron and calcium. Since tooth enamel is made up of phosphorus and calcium, this is a wonderful food to eat, since it will help your enamel to stay strong. Now that you know about some of the fall foods that will benefit your oral health, go on out and find a fun fall fest and taste some of these delicious treats!

Summer is winding down and with Labor Day approaching, most kids will be starting their new school year in the weeks to come. Between clothes shopping, school supply shopping, getting your school physical, there is always so much to do to get ready for school. It can get overwhelming when you think of everything that needs to be done, so you will need to prioritize what gets done. One of your priorities should be to schedule dental checkups for your children. Routines are very good for children and often help them to adjust better when there is a change, such as the start of a new school year. When you schedule your back-to-school dental check-up, it will let your children know that the new year is starting. Sticking to this schedule is a good reminder for both you and your children, that it is time to visit the dentist and start the school year off with a clean slate of dental health. Dental work is one of the main reasons that children have to miss school. Whether it is to get work done for a dental health problem or if they are recovering from having some major dental work done, dental work often keeps children out of school as much as getting an illness does. By staying on top of your check-ups, you can prevent your child from having to miss very important time learning in their classroom. When caught early, many dental problems can be fixed easily. If there is too much time between appointments, that is when there is a higher chance of having a more significant problem. Some adults may be told by their dentist that they only need to come in once a year, but children should be going to the dentist twice a year. Children often need a lot of assistance with learning the appropriate brushing and flossing techniques and most of the time, children do not spend as much time brushing their teeth as they should. Or they simply are not as thorough as they should be. This is why their teeth need to be checked more frequently. Cavities are a very common problem for children, but if they are regularly visiting their dentist for a cleaning and check-up, dentists can often identify if the child is not brushing their teeth thoroughly, and can show the child the appropriate way and educate the parents on how they can help at home. End of summer and early spring are great times to schedule your back-to-school dental checkups. By having that consistency, you are making sure that you are staying on top of your children’s dental health and are making it easy on yourself by knowing exactly which time of the year you need to schedule their appointments. Call your dentist today and get that back-to-school appointment scheduled.