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!

Ask Dr. Scheier: What's so bad about nail biting?

We’ve all heard that biting your nails is an awful habit, but you many wonder- really- what’s so bad about it? Recently, Dr. Mitchell Scheier found an interesting article that discusses how biting your nails affect your teeth and oral health.

Nail biting, also known as Onychophagia, is a common habit among various age groups, including primarily children, teens and young adults. Nail biting is generally triggered by stress and most often decreases with age. That being said, nail biting is unsanitary, unattractive, as well as unhealthy for your teeth!

Here’s why:
• It’s unsanitary. Your nails are dirty, almost twice as dirty as your fingers! Hence, biting your nails is just asking for germs and bacteria.
• No good things come to your teeth. Nail biting causes your teeth to constantly be chewing, which is not good for them. This excessive motion wears your teeth down faster than a non-nail biter’s and puts a large amount of stress on your front teeth- contributing to teeth misalignment.
• Braces don’t love it either. Braces already put pressure on teeth, nail biting ads unnecessary pressure, further stressing your teeth and weakening their roots.
• It can be costly. Nail biting can result in up to $4,000 in additional dental bills over one lifetime, according to the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD). Yikes!

What can you do about it?
Now that you know how harmful nail biting can be, it’s time to take action to break your nail biting habit. Try to be conscious of your fingernails and to keep them looking good- this will help you resist the temptation. Ask Dr. Scheier or visit the article for tips on how to break a nail biting habit.

Good luck!

Dr. Mitchelle Scheier and staff