Fun fact Friday!!

Everyone loves fun facts. Fun, fun, fun. Our staff at Mitchell D. Scheier and Associates thought we'd throw some fun facts your way on this Friday afternoon. Enjoy!

• Your set of teeth is as unique as your fingerprint. No two people have the same set of teeth. It is as unique as your fingerprint and even identical twins are different.

• Most tooth loss in people under 35 years of age is caused by athletic trauma, fights, or accidents. The cause of most tooth loss in people over 35 is periodontal disease. Remember to brush and floss!

• Approximately 200,000 athletes per year save face by covering their pearly whites with mouth guards during sporting events.

• The average human produces 25,000 quarts of saliva (spit) in a lifetime. That's enough saliva to fill two swimming pools!

• The average woman smiles about 62 times a day. Men smile only 8 times. Kids laugh around 400 times a day. Grown-ups, however, laugh just 15.

• If you're right handed, you will chew your food on your right side. If you're a leftie, you will tend to chew your food on your left side.

Dr. Scheier, helping calm children's fears and anxieties

Our staff at Mitchell D. Scheier and Associates knows that many children fear visiting the dentist. Recently, we ran across a great article on helping kids overcome fears of the dentist, courtesy of our friends at WebMD.

Dr. Scheier and our team excel at making children feel comfortable visiting the dentist. In fact, most of our young patients look forward to their next visit!

Has your child visited Mitchell D. Scheier and Associates in the last six months? If not, it’s time to schedule an appointment by calling 610-572-1546! We look forward to seeing you and have a great weekend!

Smile now, smile later, smile often! From Dr. Scheier

Great news to report on this Good Friday! People with big, happy smiles may actually out-live those who don’t! That, according to a recent study conducted at Wayne State University.

Dr. Scheier and team knew that positive emotion has been linked to both physical and mental health, but researchers at the university did something interesting for their study: they used information from the Baseball Register to look at smiles of 230 players who began their baseball careers prior to 1950 and studied their smile intensity (wide smile, no smile or partial smile).

The researchers then took into account other factors associated with life longevity, such as body mass index, career length and, yes, even college attendance. They found that players who weren't smiling in the photos died at the average age of 72.9 years. Players with partial smiles lived to be 75. The ballplayers with big, wide smiles, however, lived on average to be 79.9 years old!

Our take-away from the new study? Smile now, smile often and you might just live longer! Have you perfected your smile by visiting Mitchell D. Scheier and Associates lately? If not, give us a call and have a great weekend!

The importance of oral cancer screenings, from Dr. Scheier

In our continuing efforts to provide the most advanced technology and highest quality care available to our patients, Mitchell D. Scheier and Associates screens our patients for oral cancer. The fact is, every hour of every day in the U.S., someone dies of oral cancer, which is the sixth-most common diagnosed form of the disease. The five-year survival rate is only 50 percent, and oral cancer is one of the few cancers whose survival rate has not improved.

Early detection of pre-cancerous tissue can minimize or eliminate the potentially disfiguring effects of oral cancer and possibly save your life. Ask Dr. Scheier about a screening at your next appointment!

Gum disease and YOU, from Dr. Mitchell Scheier

It’s easy to tell when you have a cavity; but unfortunately, gum disease can exist in your mouth without you even knowing, Dr. Scheier says. In fact, you can have the beginning stages of gum disease without noticing any pain or discomfort. Since gum disease can be undetectable, it’s important to watch for warning signs in order to prevent the disease from worsening!

Signs to watch for:

• Gums that appear red or swollen
• Gums that feel tender
• Gums that bleed easily (during brushing or flossing)
• Gums that recede or pull away from the teeth
• Persistent bad breath
• Loose teeth
• Any change in the way teeth come together in the biting position
• Any change in the way partial dentures fit

If you or someone in your family is showing these signs, schedule an appointment right away by calling Mitchell D. Scheier and Associates. Dr. Scheier can diagnose the problem and begin treatment to save your teeth and give you back a healthy mouth!

This March, what are you up to? From Mitchell D. Scheier and Associates

Tough to believe, but it’s almost springtime. The daffodils and buttercups are on their way, the sun is warming up and the smell of freshly-cut grass is wafting from baseball fields nearby. Today, Dr. Scheier and team thought this would be a good time to ask: What are your plans for March?

Are you ready for spring? Are you participating in school sports this year? Do you have exciting plans? We’d love to know them all!

You may share your stories or plans with our team here, on our Facebook fan page or by giving us a call!

P.S. While you’re on our Facebook page, become a fan!

Dr. Mitchell D. Scheier & Associates, supporting National Nutrition Month

March has arrived, and that can only mean one thing: it’s National Nutrition Monthh. Every March, Dr. Mitchell Scheier and thousands of dentists and hygienists celebrate National Nutrition Month. This March, Dr. Scheier and our team want you to think diabetes, obesity and periodontal disease, and how healthful eating and physical activity may improve periodontal health.

At Mitchell D. Scheier and Associates, we know small changes really can make a big difference, and the American Dietetic Association (ADA) has some advice on ways to start improving your diet this March:

• Focus on fruits and vegetables: Add a serving each day to one meal and increase it every few weeks. Adding more of these foods into your diet is important whether you buy frozen, fresh or organic.

• Think fresh, think local: From farmer’s markets to community-supported agriculture, you have many options to find new, fresh foods in our neck of the woods.

• Make every calorie count: When you are choosing between options, focus instead on the one with more of the vitamins and nutrients that you need. Sometimes, foods with fewer calories aren’t always the healthiest options.

• It’s tempting, but…: If you have a sweet tooth, have fruit and yogurt for dessert. If you crave a snack in the afternoon, enjoy some trail mix or nuts.

• Expand your horizons: Try a fish you’ve never eaten before or find a new vegetable recipe. By testing yourself, you might find new health favorites to add to your regular grocery list.

If you have additional questions about periodontal disease or keeping yourself and your mouth healthy, please give us a call!