5 ways to avoid plaque

At Dr. Mitchell Scheier's office, we know nobody likes getting plaque on their teeth. Here are five other ways you can avoid that dreaded enemy of the teeth, courtesy of WebMD.

Let’s start with brushing regularly. Brushing your teeth twice a day with a fluoride-containing toothpaste is vital to a healthy mouth. Make sure you softly brush all the surfaces of your teeth.

Next on the list is flossing daily: a simple daily flossing between teeth clears away plaque before it can cause damage and can also clean plaque at the gum line. Plaque is known to reach the spaces between teeth.

Also, evading a trip to visit Dr. Scheier is probably not a great idea. Let’s say you brush and floss daily. You’re still at risk for plaque. With time, the plaque hardens and turns into tartar. Consider visiting Dr. Scheier's office at least twice a year or as recommended, and you have a lower chance of getting cavities or losing your natural teeth.

You’ll also want to stop avoiding those fruits and veggies. Believe it or not, there are foods out there that play a key role in keeping plaque off our teeth. They include apples, carrots, cucumbers and other raw fruits and vegetables. You can still eat these types of fruits and veggies if you’re wearing braces, but be sure to cut them up into bite sized pieces to avoid breaking off brackets.

Finally, before you pick up that candy bar, remember to not give in to your sweet tooth. Consuming sugary drinks or eating candy or other junk food allows sugar to stick to our teeth. The bacteria, then, becomes plaque, which turns into acid and damages our teeth. Avoiding these five bad habits keeps your plaque in check and your mouth as healthy as can be. If you have any questions, give us a call or ask us on Facebook!

Happy Thanksgiving from Dr. Scheier's office!

Dr. Mitchell Scheier and team would like to wish you a safe and happy Thanksgiving. It's a big food holiday, so remember to brush and floss! If you have any stories or pictures to share with us, we'd encourage you to send them along or call our office and ask how.

Gobble Gobble!

November is National Diabetes Awareness Month!

At Dr. Mitchell Scheier's office, our team knows the way you care for your teeth at home doesn’t just affect your oral health – it can impact your overall health as well. In recent years, researchers have found clear links between the mouth and other parts of the body, and the evidence is especially impactful for people with diabetes.

November marks Diabetes Awareness Month, and a great time to learn about how keeping your mouth healthy is vital to your overall health, too. If you are one of the nearly 26 million Americans currently living with diabetes, there is some good news: you can protect your gums and teeth from the effects of diabetes by visiting our Havertown, PA dental office for regular check-ups and cleanings. Most people should have at least two dental appointments per year, but those folks living with diabetes may require additional visits to make sure their dental health remains in top shape. Many insurance plans provide expanded benefits for diabetic patients. Dr. Scheier and our experts can tell you how often you need to come in for your dental visits.

For more information on how we can help, please give us a call or ask us on Facebook!

Cold season is here, from Dr. Scheier

Cold and flu season is here yet again. The folks at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that a common cold usually includes sneezing, runny nose, sore throat and coughing. Symptoms can last for up to two weeks.

To promote a healthy and clean environment, Dr. Mitchell Scheier and our entire staff give a great deal of attention to sanitation and sterilization in our Havertown, PA office at all times, as well as following all requirements for sterilizing instruments and work surfaces. For the protection of other patients and our staff at Dr. Scheier's office, we always ask that patients reschedule their appointments if they have any type of cold or illness that can infect others.

And remember to constantly wash your hands and avoid contact with those who are ill! Stay healthy!

Halloween Candy Buy-Back!

It's November, and everyone is packing up their Halloween costumes and decorations...But, don't forget that Dr. Scheier's 4th Annual Halloween Candy Buy-Back is going on right now in our office!

Dr. Mitchell Scheier will pay trick-or-treaters, mothers, fathers, grandparents and/or guardians $1.00 per pound of their excess uneaten and unopened Halloween candy. Last year our office collected almost 1,000 pounds of candy, and we want to exceed that amount this year! If you drop off your candy, you will receive a goody bag to help keep your teeth clean and sugar-free. You may also enter our raffle for a chance to win a new iPod Nano!

All of the Halloween candy collected will be shipped to our troops overseas and right here at home, providing them a sweet treat as a thank you for their service. Feel free to leave a note, drawing, prayer, or poem with your Halloween candy to be shipped to our troops.

Candy drop off began on Monday, and it ends tomorrow, November 3rd! Thank you in advance for helping us support this wonderful cause!

4th Annual Halloween Candy Buy-Back!

Halloween and trick-or-treating are right around the corner and you know what that means...lots of CANDY! Our team at Dr. Mitchell Scheier's office is excited to announce our 4th Annual Halloween Candy Buy-Back! Stop by our office from November 1st until November 3rd to sell us your leftover Halloween candy. Dr. Scheier will pay you $1.00 per pound of uneaten and unopened candy that you bring to our office.

You can drop your candy off during our regular office hours. All of the candy that we receive will be shipped to our troops overseas. Help us do something sweet for our troops!

Five great snacks for kids

At Dr. Mitchell Scheier's office, we know getting kids and teens to eat healthy isn’t always an easy task, especially when they’re busy with school and other school- and social-related activities. At the school cafeteria, it's just too easy for kids to nosh on french fries, chicken nuggets and other fried foods and unhealthy snacks, so Dr. Scheier and our team thought we’d pass along five delicious and nutritious snacks we know your child will love.

1. Cheese – Cheese is one of the healthiest snacks for your child's teeth. In addition to providing large amounts of much-needed calcium, cheese also does its part to fight cavities. Cheese stimulates the body's salivary glands to clear the mouth of debris and protect them from acids that weaken them, according to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. This means cheese disrupts the development of cavities, especially when eaten as a snack or at the end of a meal. Calcium and phosphorous found in cheese reduce or prevent decreases in the plaque's ph level and work to re-mineralize the enamel of your child's teeth.

2. Blueberries These tiny nutritional powerhouses are loaded with Vitamin C, as well as folic acid, minerals, fiber and disease-fighting phytochemicals, which have shown to help prevent cancer and diabetes. Kids love them sprinkled with a bit of sugar, topped with whipped cream, added to muffins and pancakes.

3. Whole wheat bread or cereal With bread, kids get their iron, vitamins, magnesium, and zinc. With vitamins, calcium, and fiber, a bowl of enriched whole grain cereal with milk—and even fruit—is a power-packed snack or healthy start to the day.

4. Almonds They’re rich in disease-fighting phytochemicals and Vitamin E, and also have good amounts of fiber, iron, and calcium. Let your kids eat them raw. (Note: Whole nuts are a choking hazard for children under 3 years old.)

5. Yogurt Eating dairy is not just healthy for building strong bones, but is essential for maintaining a strong, healthy mouth. Low-fat yogurt is an excellent source of calcium, especially when whipped up in a parfait with berries and granola. Homemade fruity yogurt pop sure beats sugary store-bought frozen treats!

We encourage you to check out the other 15 healthy snacks your child can enjoy at any time of the day! For more information about which foods are best for keeping your teeth healthy, please post your question here on our blog, give us a call or ask us on Facebook!

Manual vs. Electric Toothbrushes: What’s the Difference?

Everybody is jumping on the electric toothbrush bandwagon in recent years, with many experts in the dental field claiming electric toothbrushes provide superior dental care. It’s true that electric toothbrushes are recommended for those who can’t do a good job brushing manually or who have arthritis or other conditions. But manual toothbrushes do have some advantages, according to an article we recently found including:

• Cost. While electric toothbrushes may be expensive for many people, manual toothbrushes are both inexpensive and accessible.

• Less pressure on your teeth & gums. While we can feel the amount of pressure we’re using as we grasp our manual toothbrush, we can’t feel the pressure nearly as well with an electric toothbrush. Placing too much pressure on our teeth can wear away at the tooth enamel, which causes pain, sensitivity, as well as an increased risk of tooth decay.

• Simple to pack. Manual toothbrushes are easy to carry around for those business or family trips. People are less likely to let their good dental care habits lapse on vacation with a toothbrush that they can easily bring along!

• Better for kids. Learning at a young age how to properly use a manual toothbrush helps children get a feel for how to properly take care of their oral hygiene.

Electric toothbrushes, on the other hand, are more effective in removing plaque and are considered a better alternative to maintaining gum health. Remember, whether you choose a manual or an electric toothbrush, Dr. Mitchell Scheier and our team encourage you to choose one with soft bristles and be sure to change the bristles on the electric brush when they become worn down. We also encourage you to replace your toothbrush every three months, when the bristles are no longer straight and firm or after you recover from a cold.

Give us a call at Dr. Scheier's office if you have any questions or ask us on Facebook!

Happy brushing!

What, exactly, is a root canal?

At Dr. Mitchell Scheier's office we know one thing no patient likes hearing when visiting our office is “root canal.” But what, exactly, is a root canal, and when might you need one? A root canal is a treatment Dr. Scheier uses to repair and save a tooth that is infected or badly decayed to the point where the nerve is involved. In the past, if a patient had a tooth with a diseased nerve, dentists in most cases would recommend an extraction. Today, however, with a procedure called root canal therapy, available at our office, you may save that tooth—and your beautiful smile—after all!

Here are some symptoms that indicate a decayed or infected tooth, courtesy of WebMD:

• Severe toothache pain upon chewing, biting or application of pressure
• One tooth consistently more sensitive to hot or cold than other teeth
• Pain that hurts without any stimulus, keeps you awake or wakes you up at night
• A tooth that feels loose
• Discoloration (a darkening) of the tooth
• Pain that persists weeks following a filling or replacement of a filling
• Chronic pain and/or pressure that may extend to the ear, eye or neck

If any of these symptoms apply to you, we recommend you schedule an appointment with our office.

The best way to avoid a root canal is to practice good oral hygiene at home, and that includes brushing at least twice a day and flossing to reduce plaque and bacteria. For more tips on how to avoid root canal therapy or for general questions about your dental treatment, we invite you to ask Dr. Scheier during your next visit at our convenient Havertown, PA office! We also invite you to ask us on Facebook!

Your oral health & overall health

Don’t put off your next visit to Dr. Mitchell Scheier's office any longer! Over the years, oral health issues have been increasingly linked to other health concerns, such as heart disease. Cardiovascular disease remains American’s number one killer, claiming more lives than any other cause of death, according to the American Heart Association. Believe it or not, an estimated 80 percent of American adults currently have some form of gum disease. Studies have shown a correlation between gum disease and heart disease, underscoring the importance of good oral health care, both at home and by visiting the dentist.

Studies are also beginning to suggest that patients, especially those with periodontal disease, are believed to have an elevated risk of heart attack and stroke. Since most patients are not regularly visiting a heart specialist, their regular visits to Dr. Scheier's office can help detect early warning signs of heart issues, prevent gum disease or at least catch it in its early stages.

Additionally, if it’s been more than six months since your last visit to our Havertown office, please give us a call!

What's the deal with coffee and tea?

At Dr. Mitchell Scheier's office, we know most folks enjoy a hot-brewed coffee or tea in the morning, followed by a cola (or more coffee) in the afternoon. But what many don’t know is that both coffee and tea are especially tough on your teeth, because tannic acid (the substance that makes the dark color) etches into the pits and grooves of tooth enamel, and can stain your pearly whites brown.

So, if you can't give up that morning cup o’joe, what can you do? Dr. Scheier and our team suggest rinsing with a glass of water after every cup. If you enjoy iced coffee or tea, drink your beverage with a straw so that tannins don’t make contact with your front upper and lower teeth. Even if you’re not a big coffee drinker, Dr. Scheier encourages you to swish and swallow some water at the end of each meal. Water, after all, helps neutralize acids left in your mouth after eating and also reduces cavity-causing bacteria.

Our team at the office also invite you to visit our convenient Havertown office for whitening options. We can help bleach your teeth with proven and professional products. To learn more about whitening options at our office, please visit our website, ask us on Facebook or give us a call!

How to ease dental fears in children

Dr. Mitchell Scheier knows that many children have fear when it comes to visiting the dentist. Our team at Dr. Scheier's office found a great article on how to help kids overcome fears of the dentist, courtesy of our friends at WebMD.

Dr. Mitchell Scheier's office excels at making children feel comfortable visiting the dentist. In fact, most of our patients look forward to their next visit!

Has your child visited us in the last six months? If not, it’s time to schedule an appointment!

What oral issues should I be aware of during pregnancy?

Maintaining your oral health is an important part of keeping your entire body well, and never more so than when you’re expecting. If you’re pregnant or considering pregnancy, schedule an appointment with us, and remember to raise the issue of your oral health at prenatal appointments with Dr. Mitchell Scheier.

If pregnant, Dr. Scheier wants you to be aware of the following issues:

• Tooth Decay
Excessive morning sickness can also contribute to tooth decay, as the acids in your stomach introduced to the mouth during vomiting wear away the protective enamel coating on your teeth.

• Gingivitis & Gum Disease
This is a major issue. The precursor to gum disease is gingivitis, a condition in which plaque buildup on teeth irritates the gums, making them red, swollen and sensitive. The high levels of hormones in the bloodstream brought on by pregnancy exaggerate your gums’ reaction to irritation from plaque.

• Loose Teeth
Another risk faced during pregnancy is loosening teeth. The large amounts of hormones in your bloodstream can have an unfavorable affect on the bones and ligaments that create the foundation of your teeth, weakening them to the point that teeth may loosen.

The ideal time to schedule an appointment at Dr. Mitchell Scheier Family and Cosmetic Dentistry before becoming pregnant. Dr. Scheier will perform a check-up to determine the state of your oral health and how pregnancy might affect you. We will discuss completing any necessary treatments prior to your pregnancy. Give us a call today!