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For the entire month of February, the focus is on our children’s smiles as we celebrate National Children’s Dental Health Month. Help our community’s children develop strong oral hygiene habits and take pride in a beautiful smile. Tooth decay is the most chronic disease affecting children and the disease is not treated with immunizations or by physicians. Proper nutrition, oral home care and routine dental examinations are the best defense against harmful bacteria and decay.

Dr. Papendick is working to teach children the basics of oral health, the dangers of sweets and sugars and the benefits of regular dental check-ups and cleanings. Developing strong dental habits at a young age, like brushing their teeth at least twice a day and flossing once a day, can ensure a beautiful, healthful smile that will last a lifetime.

Join Waukegan Family Dental, the American Dental Association, and dental professionals across the country by educating, informing, and making our children aware of the importance of great dental health.

For more information, Call 847-336-7800 or visit our special offers section at waukeganfamilydental.com.

            Teeth whitening or bleaching is a relatively inexpensive, painless and safe cosmetic procedure that allows a person to improve their smile.  If one of your New Year resolutions was to improve your smile then I hope the following information will help get you on the road to accomplishing it.

            There are numerous tooth-whitening procedures including tray bleaching, in office applications, whitening strips, paint on materials, and whitening toothpastes.  Numerous studies have examined these different methods and shown them to have varying degrees of success.  Professional applications provided by a dental professional are the most effective and have been shown to be safe and successful.

            The most common side effect is tooth sensitivity. For most people however it is not a significant problem and the sensitivity often diminishes without any major discomfort.  If you experience increasing sensitivity however you should contact your dentist about using a desensitizing agent. We utilize opalescence products from Ultradent, which contain potassium nitrate and fluoride.  These two compounds help prevent and reduce this sensitivity.

            Hydrogen peroxide and carbamide peroxide are two different products that are used in teeth bleaching. Hydrogen peroxide is a stronger bleaching agent than carbamide peroxide.  Carbamide peroxide breaks down to about one third hydrogen peroxide, so a 18% carbamide peroxide bleaching agent will have the same effect as a 6% hydrogen peroxide bleaching agent. Another major difference is that the shelf life of carbamide peroxide bleaching agents is much longer than hydrogen peroxide agents.

            I hope this information was helpful and should you have any questions please feel free to comment here, ask us on facebook or call us. Be sure to check out our blog from two weeks ago to see an in office bleaching procedure.

            Having dental insurance is great. However having insurance doesn’t always guarantee full coverage.  Here is a list of questions you should ask your insurance company to become familiar with your individual plan. 

1^st:  Do I have a deductible and if so how much is it?

          What you are paying your employer for your coverage often reflects what your out of pocket costs will be. Deductibles will be collected on your first visit of each year.  However some procedures such as cleanings, x-rays, fluorides and exams do not require you to pay a deductible. Ask your insurance provider if preventative services will be deductible free.

2^nd: What types of cleanings are covered?

          Many patients think insurance companies will cover 2 cleanings every 6 months.  If you are diagnosed with healthy gums that is exactly what you’ll need.  Nevertheless 75% of the American population has been diagnosed with Periodontal Disease. Periodontal disease requires a different type of cleaning called Scaling and Root Planning, which many people refer to as a “deep cleaning”. After your Scaling and Root Planning patients will usually be placed on a 3month recall called Periodontal Maintenance.  Ask your insurance company how many times cleanings per year are covered and whether periodontal maintenance visits are covered.  It’s important to remember that if your insurance only covers 2 a year that you will be required to pay for the additional visits.  Remember that these visits, if necessary, are important for your health whether the insurance covers them or not.

3^rd:  Is there a waiting period for major work?

          Many insurance companies usually have a waiting period of 12 months or more before they will over certain procedures. Your insurance company can provide you with a list of ADA codes for the procedures that require a waiting period.

4^th: What is my plan maximum and what are the percentages I have to pay?

          Ask your insurance company what your maximum for the year is. Most insurance companies provide you with a maximum of $1,000-$2,000 annually. This maximum is what the insurance company will pay for services the patient has done in a calendar year. Another question that a patient should ask is what percentages of any procedures they will have to pay after the insurance pays. This will provide the patient with a more accurate total of their out of pocket expense.

Taking the time to ask these 4 questions will help you understand your dental insurance benefits and the procedures your company will cover to help you keep a beautiful and healthy smile.

                                                                                               It’s the New Year and time to act on your new years resolutions.  If improving your smile was one of yours then you have many choices to improve it. Orthodontics, veneers, cosmetic bonding and bleaching are all treatment methods that can be utilized to give you the smile you have always wanted.

            Veneers and bonding are effective methods but usually involve removing tooth structure and will require retreatment after they wear out.  Orthodontics can change your smile also and until recently often required years of treatment to achieve that new smile.  Now you can have the smile in about six months with the Six Month Smiles Ortho System.

            Six month smiles (6MS) is different from traditional orthodontics and invisalign as it is quicker, easier and doesn’t change your bite.  It only changes your smile.  The 6MS system utilizes tooth colored wires and is barely noticeable at conversational distances.  Most people with crooked or spaced teeth are candidates for this treatment.  After treatment is completed a hidden wire is placed behind your teeth to maintain your new smile.  To complete your smile they can be bleached to give you the dazzling new smile you resolved to get this year.  Give us a call at 847-336-7800 to set up a FREE consultation today.

         Crowns are used on severely broken down teeth and cover the entire tooth.  The crown is cemented over your remaining tooth and is placed to restore a tooth’s shape, strength, and appearance.  Many people also call them caps.  They are fabricated out of many different materials.  These materials include metal, resin, and porcelain.  Metals used in crowns include gold, precious alloys such as palladium and platinum, or base metal alloys (nickel and chromium).  Metal crowns withstand biting and chewing forces well and probably last the longest.  Their metallic color is their main drawback and some people are allergic to base metals.  Metal crowns are a good choice for out of sight molars.  Porcelain fused to metal crowns can be color matched to your teeth.  The porcelain can fracture, however this is uncommon.  Another drawback to these crowns is that the underlying metal can show through as a dark line at the gum.  All resin crowns are usually less expensive than the other crown types, but they wear down faster and are more prone to fracture than porcelain crowns.  All porcelain (or ceramic) crowns provide the best natural color match of all the crown types and they also maybe more suitable for people with metal allergies.  These types of crowns are often an excellent choice for front teeth

            A crown or cap maybe necessary for a number of reasons including: 1.) To repair a tooth that has been severely weekend by decay. 2.) To prevent a tooth from breaking that has a crack in it.  3.) To restore a tooth that has broken.  4.) To repair a tooth that has been severely worn down. 5.) To cover a malformed or discolored tooth. 6.) As an anchor for a fixed dental bridge. 7.) To restore an implant.

            Whatever your situation is your dentist can help you chose the proper type crown to repair your tooth.

before and after

          Most people understand that proper tooth brushing and flossing will keep their gums healthy.  Unfortunately many believe they are brushing correctly. But in reality they aren’t.  To help everyone keep his or her pearly whites healthy we are going to review tooth brushing in this blog. 

            Dentists recommend the modified Bass technique.  Does this mean you need to get a supply of fish hooks to care for your teeth? Actually it is named after a dentist and is a brushing method that will effectively clean your teeth.  Place the bristle of the brush at a forty-five degree angle to the gum line and move your hand slightly.  You want to make very small circular motions.  Another description would be to “vibrate’ the brush.  Be sure to always brush away from the gum line. Start in one spot and work your way through the whole mouth.  Don’t miss any surfaces.  Start for example on the upper right on the inner surfaces and work all the way back to the left again.  Finally brush the biting surfaces of all the upper teeth.  After finishing the uppers repeat the cycle on your lower teeth.  This whole cycle should take 2 full minutes to effectively remove all the plaque and debris.  This may not seem very long, but most people don’t brush long enough so be sure to use a timer.      

            Another tip would be to use a gentle grip and soft bristle brush.  You don’t need to hold the brush like a club or use a hard bristle brush to get your teeth cleaned.  The hard bristles and excessive pressure will damage the gum tissue and doesn’t clean the teeth any better than light pressure with a soft bristle brush will.  I hope these tips will help and if you have questions please contact us or ask your dentist or hygienist.

           Anytime you visit the dentist, physician or other health care professional they will inquire about your health history.  If this is a first time visit to the doctor you will be asked to fill out a health history form.  If you have been to the same office recently it may only be a short verbal or written update that is requested.  Whatever your particular situation it is important to provide accurate and up to date information.  Inaccurate information can lead to life threatening consequences or at minimum an uncomfortable allergic reaction.

           Unfortunately with the busy lives we lead we quite often forget important information such as medication, allergy or health condition.  This is even more likely to occur when filling out forms for an elderly parent or child.  To prevent this situation from happening to you keep a detailed list of all family members medication, allergies, doctor’s names with phone numbers, and any health issues.  The list can be kept on your home computer where it can be easily updated.  Print a copy of the list and carry it in your purse or wallet so when you are at the doctor’s office the information is readily available.  Your doctor’s staff and the doctor will greatly appreciate this and it provides you with the comfort of knowing you have provided accurate and up to date information to them.