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As health officials seek to contain the coronavirus outbreak, unprecedented safety measures have been issued for our protection. We want to reassure you that Oak Brook Smiles is also taking extraordinary measures to protect your health and well-being.

The number one killer of a first impression would have to be bad breath. Bad breath, or halitosis, has also been a leading cause of death. No, I’m kidding. Having bad breath is never a good thing, especially if your a dentist. Bad breath can interfere with your social life, business life and also affect your character as well by making you self-conscious and embarrassed. Bad breath is caused by a variety of factors including: medications, smoking, alcohol, sickness, skipping breakfast, not brushing or sleeping (morning breath). To achieve fresh breath you should: Brush and floss more frequently to eliminate plaque buildup and leftover debris Scrape your tongue to remove bacteria and food debris Avoid smoking Avoid strong smelling foods (onions and garlic) Rinse your mouth with an antibacterial mouthwash to reduce plaque buildup Moisten your mouth to prevent dry mouth and tooth decay Keep your gums healthy to eliminate bacteria in the pockets of teeth If your bad breath continues after you’ve tried all odor elimination methods, schedule a visit with your doctor so they can treat and prevent the problem.

Do you ever wonder why these past few days your teeth appear a bit longer than normal? Maybe you are experiencing receding gums. When your gums starts to recede, the lower part of your teeth (roots) are exposed making your teeth appear longer. Receding gums are usually a sign of gum disease. This condition happens gradually and is accompanied with tooth sensitivity. Your gums recede because of the following factors: gum diseases, poor oral care, vigorous tooth brushing, teeth grinding, smoking, diseases like diabetes, heredity, and hormonal fluctuations in women. When you suspect for gum recession, it is best that you consult with your dentist or better yet with your periodontist. He/she has the right training in dealing with gum issues. If recession is left untreated, the supporting soft tissues and bone structures around the teeth can be harmed and may lead to tooth loss. Mild receding gums could be treated with tooth scaling and root planing. However, in severe cases, soft tissue grafting or bone grafting procedure is done. Soft tissue grafting is needed to treat receding gums. Its main goal is to cover the exposed lower part of the teeth or thicken the gum tissues in order to stop the existing gum recession. Your dentist will identify what type of soft tissue grafting procedure is best for you. The three types of grafting are: Free gingival graft – This procedure is done to thicken existing gum tissue. The graft is taken from the roof of the mouth (palate) and is sutured to the site where the tissue grafting is needed. Connective tissue graft – This procedure is done to cover larger areas of root exposure. Subepithelial tissues are removed from your palate and are sewn to the grafting site. Pedicle graft – The graft is taken from the soft tissues between the affected site and the adjacent gum. A pedicle (flap of the tissue) is partially cut away and moved to cover the exposed root and stitched into place. Patients who have undergone soft tissue grafting experience increased comfort because the exposed root which causes tooth sensitivity is already covered after the procedure. Their smile has improved and their teeth appeared more symmetrical. And lastly, they have healthier gums. Bone grafting is performed to recreate the bone loss from untreated gum diseases. The procedure uses fragments of bone to replace the bone destroyed by gum diseases. These bones are harvested from the patient, himself, from a cadaver or from the bone of a cow. Bone grafting is done to stabilize and recreate the jaw foundation for restorative surgery. It is also done to inhibit and prevent bone recession due to dental extraction, gum diseases and other invasive dental procedures. It is very important that you take care of your gums to prevent gum recession. Have your dental check-up at least twice a year in order to detect early signs of receding gums. Prompt treatment should be done to prevent further soft tissue recession which may lead to bone loss.

Self-esteem is essential in maximizing children’s potential in academic achievement, social success, and personal happiness. We all want to protect our children, keep them from harm’s way and guard them from danger. Basically it is the child’s own inner beliefs and self-esteem that is the only thing that can act like an armor and create a shield to protect them from the challenges the world has to throw at them. For a child to reach their full potential, self-esteem is the most crucial tool. It is encouraged that children use their attributes from within to enable them to live with independence and self-worth. They can try to visualize what they want to be in future and how to achieve it. Focusing on desirable outcomes will give positive connections to their inner purpose. For those who are saddened with a low self-esteem, it may mean that your child hasn’t fully discovered that he/she has a special value all her own. To motivate them, parents are encouraged to show we all have that special value, which we can use to help us live the lives we really want and to be happy. As a parent, show your children that you have confidence in their abilities and that they’ll also discover if they really try. The improvement of personal motivation, their positivity for their own capabilities, their respect for their own special values and the optimisms for their own self-worth are truly important for their growth. There are children with low self-esteem who are afraid to try new things and may frequently speak negatively about themselves. They may become over critical, lack confidence and miss out on the fun and learning that other children benefit from. Experts say that the use of a child’s imagination helps children to develop their unique personality, beliefs, and strengths. Children should be encouraged into doing activities that can help them work through their problems and explore their feelings. Early childhood is crucial for developments; emotionally, physically and intellectually. Learning new skills and gaining belief in their potentials are great ways to improve self-esteem in children. By interacting with other kids at sports clubs, reading a book or joining a book club, they would learn how to praise themselves and use their imaginations to motivate all welcomed possibilities. To overcome self esteem issues and lack of confidence we need to Identify and redirect the child’s inaccurate beliefs. Self-esteem is all about the way you judge yourself. Always encourage your children to value themselves and to use their potential, to live personally successful lives and contribute to the success of others. Along with promoting children’s individual self-discovery and self-esteem, teach your children the importance of discovering others self-worth and becoming respectfully aware of others. To not only understand their own specialties but to seek and understand the positives and strengths in everyone.

Today’s modern dental office is more like a spa than like the cold, imposing dental offices you may have visited when you were younger. Top dentists today understand how common dental anxiety is and try to go out of their way to help them feel calm and to provide services like sedation and nitrous oxide for patients who fear dental treatments. A new option is the use of ozone in some dental procedures. One of the best things about ozone dentistry is that in some cases it can prevent the use of the dental drill to address problems. What is Ozone? Ozone is sometimes referred to as “trioxygen.” It consists of three oxygen atoms and is less stable than ordinary oxygen, which normally consists of two oxygen atoms. Ozone breaks down into normal oxygen within about a half an hour. It is formed from regular oxygen by the use of ultraviolet light and electrical discharge. Ozone is present in very low concentrations in the earth’s atmosphere, but dentists who practice ozone dentistry have machines that create ozone on demand. Ozone is known as an “oxidizer” and is used in numerous industries for cleaning and sterilizing procedures. Ozone Properties and Modern Dentistry Because ozone is a powerful oxidizer, it can be used to oxidize things like the bacteria that cause dental cavities. Ozone also destroys the acids that are produced by the bacteria that wear away tooth enamel. When ozone is used to treat a cavity, the patient’s own saliva is able to enter areas where mineral loss is present and work to harden these areas. When slightly damaged areas of a tooth are re-hardened this way, the tooth becomes more resistant to future decay. Painless Dental Treatments Ozone dentistry practices can do without the use of a drill when cavities are caught in their earliest stages. This means no injection of Novocain. When tooth decay is more extensive, ozone can be used to sterilize areas of decay with minimal use of a drill or air abrasion of the affected area. The dental practices that use ozone use FDA-approved machines to create ozone and ozonated water. The ozonated water can be used as a mouth rinse for optimal sterilization. Ozone dentistry for the treatment of cavities is very quick, too. The treatment itself only takes about a minute, which is far less than the time spent in the chair for getting a cavity filled. Ozone and Modern Dentistry Ozone dentistry is the future of the dental office. It is quick, painless, and produces superior results and in usually does not involve the use of a drill. People who fear visiting the dentist find this process to be nearly stress-free. Standard dental cleanings and at-home dental care are still as important as always, but the use of ozone in dentistry has added yet another tool that dentists can use to deal with dental problems effectively.