Happy brushing!

From time to time, the media will pick up on the issue of fluoride supplements that are added to city water supplies. Our patients often wonder if fluoridation is something they should be concerned about. We encourage you to be informed about anything you put in your body and know that there are conflicting reports on the benefits of fluoride. Below are some Fluoride Facts that you should know.

What is fluoride?

Fluorine, from which fluoride is derived, is a naturally occurring element that is released into the environment through both water and air.

Why fluoride?

While some amounts of fluoride are naturally present in groundwater, for the past 50 years municipal water supplies have been supplemented because of the realization that fluoride was an effective way to prevent tooth decay and thus cavities. Fluoride works by stopping or even reversing the decay process by preventing the loss of important minerals found in tooth enamel. Fluoridation of community water supplies has been credited with reducing tooth decay by 50%-60% since World War II.

How much fluoride?

Fluoride is measured in parts per million (ppm) in drinking water. In 1974, Congress passed the Safe Drinking Water Act. This law requires the EPA to monitor drinking water and establish safe levels of supplements and contaminants, assuming consumption of drinking water over a lifetime. The EPA has set the maximum level for fluoride at 4.00 ppm based on the best science available. The EPA has also set a secondary standard on fluoride at 2.0 ppm. Secondary guidelines regulate cosmetic (skin or tooth discoloration) or aesthetic effects (odor, taste, color, etc.) The secondary standards are recommended by the EPA, but not enforced. States can choose to make the secondary set of standards enforceable within their state.

Local law sets the limit of water fluoridation at a minimum of 1.0 ppm not to exceed 1. 5ppm.

Rochester Public Utilities tests drinking water monthly. Each year Rochester Public Utilities releases an annual report on water quality. The entire report for 2010 (the most recent data available) can be found here.  Natural groundwater in the Rochester area contains about .23 ppm of fluoride. In the over 2600 water quality tests performed in 2010 across Rochester, fluoride levels were measured between 1.0 ppm to 1.44 ppm with an average of 1.25 ppm.

Is fluoride safe?

Children under the age of 6 can develop white spots on their teeth, called fluorosis, from the overconsumption of fluoride. (This does not mean topical treatment.) While drinking the tap water in Olmsted County should be safe, we recommend that children use fluoride-free toothpaste until they consistently spit into the sink while brushing. If you do notice white spots developing on your young child’s teeth, contact our office and we can help you make adjustments to diet or habit to reduce the effects of fluorosis.

Older children and adults in Rochester should feel confident consuming tap water based on the numbers above combined with using toothpaste fortified with fluoride.

How often?

In addition to drinking tap water and using fortified toothpaste, Dr. Toney recommends a topical fluoride treatment for most patients at least once per year. If, for any reason, you drink bottled water primarily, are on well water or choose beverages besides tap water primarily, please inform Deanna or Dr. Toney at your next appointment. Many of the concerns regarding fluoride pertain only to the ingestion of fluoride and topical applications are still beneficial to your dental health.

Not only is drinking tap water good for your overall health, doing so reduces the amount of water bottles needing to be recycled each year. Those are two great reasons to smile!

Sources:

www.adha.org

www.rpu.org

www.rochestermn.gov

Dental emergencies often occur when they are least expected. Sometimes they occur at a very inconvenient time such as holidays, evenings or weekends, when you are away from home, on vacation or when your dentist is out of the office. We want to provide you with some information on what to do should you find yourself, a family member or a friend in a dental emergency. Here is a list of what things to do and not to do for various dental emergencies:

Chipped, Broken or Aching Tooth:

DO:            

• Avoid chewing on affected tooth/teeth
• If not painful or pain is mild, call North Pointe Dental during regular office hours
• If severely painful or you are experiencing swelling, Call North Pointe Dental right away
• Take acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil) for any pain or discomfort

Do NOT:

• Eat hard or sticky foods
• Allow hot or cold foods or liquids to come in contact with the affected area if it causes further pain

Broken/Loose Crown or Temporary Crown:

DO:

• Keep the crown and any pieces that may have broken
• If the crown is off, attempt to re-place crown on tooth using some Vaseline or toothpaste. Do this only if it can be done safely and securely
• Avoid chewing in the affected area
• Call North Pointe Dental

Do NOT:

• Use super glue or any other home adhesives to repair or re-cement the crown. This can permanently ruin the crown and damage the tooth
• Eat hard or sticky foods

Broken Denture or Bridge

DO:

• Save any fragments or broken pieces
• Attempt to place denture or bridge in your mouth if it can be placed safely and securely. For the denture, try some denture adhesive such as Fixodent. For a bridge, use some Vaseline or toothpaste to help hold it on.
• Call North Pointe Dental

Do NOT:

• Attempt to fix your denture or bridge yourself with any super glue or other adhesives. This will likely result in ruining the prosthesis and requiring a new one.

Bleeding Gums:

DO:

• Rinse your mouth with warm salt water (about 1 teaspoon per 8 oz. of water)
• Brush and floss your teeth gently 2 times per day. Always use a soft-bristle toothbrush.
• Call North Pointe Dental during regular office hours to schedule an appointment

Do NOT:

• Prolong seeing Dr. Toney. Bleeding gums can be a sign of periodontal disease. Periodontal disease can also affect other areas of your general health condition. Treated early, however, many problems can be avoided.

Chipped, Broken or Loose Baby Tooth:

DO:

• If the child is in pain, give the child children’s acetaminophen or ibuprofen
• If swelling occurs in area of trauma, place an ice or cool pack on area
• If pain is mild/manageable, call North Pointe Dental during regular office hours
• If pain is severe or swelling does not dissipate with medication or ice, call North Pointe Dental right away

Do NOT:

• Give child sweet, sticky or hard foods
• Give child very hot or cold liquids or foods
• Panic! There is usually minimal or no damage done to the permanent tooth and Dr. Toney can usually improve the appearance of the baby tooth in the interim.

Remember:

Always remember that if you think a dental emergency is in any way life-threatening (from head trauma, swelling that is affecting the airway or severe infection), please call 911 or go to the emergency room right away.

During our regular office hours, you should always call North Pointe Dental for any situation you feel is a dental emergency. Outside of our regular office hours, there is an emergency contact number available for Dr. Toney on the answering machine.

Truly, we hope your 2012 Tax Day doesn’t cause too much discomfort. If it does, here is a round-up of coupons you can use in Rochester to anesthetize the pain:

Arby’s – Free value curly fry on April 17 only

Bruegger’s – Big Bagel Bundle (a Baker’s Dozen and 2 tubs of Cream Cheese) for $10.40 from April 13 to April 17 by liking their Facebook page. (You should print the coupon from their Facebook page, not here. Image is just to show the details.)

Seattle’s Best Coffee – The Great American Coffee Refund – Get a Free sample of Seattle’s Best Coffee until April 17 by “Liking” Seattle’s Best Coffee’s Facebook Page.

Papa Murphy’s  - $5 Tax Day Special

Get a large pepperoni pizza for $5 at Papa Murphy’s on Tax Day  when you present this coupon!  You can choose the original or thin crust and it’s valid for pepperoni only. Limit 2.

McDonald’s – Buy 1 Big Mac, Get one for a penny

Feel free to leave any additional local “steals or deals” in the comments section!

At North Pointe Dental we are celebrating families this spring.  The biggest compliment we can receive from you is when you tell a friend, family or co-worker about our office and your experience here. We need more families like yours to celebrate! Just to add a little fun to this celebration we are giving away a Wii console with Mario Kart bundle. Refer a family or new patient to our office from now to May 15 and you are eligible to win. This is not a drawing. The family that refers the most new patients will win!

Call for details!

Here are some ideas for a healthier Easter basket:

1. A new furry friend is always a popular idea! In our experience, real or stuffed pets are both well-received.

2. A new kite makes for hours of good fun with the entire family. Might we recommend Manor Park in Rochester for kite flying? There is plenty of green space and it is always a bit breezy on this hill.

3. Bubbles are popular with kids  of all ages. While availability in stores this time of year is good,  you can have fun making your own with this recipe:

Sure-Thing Bubbles
2 cups of liquid dishwashing detergent
4 cups of water
1/2 cup of light corn syrup

Pour all ingredients in to a jar, bowl or any container with a lid.
Mix gently.
Let sit for a few hours before using.

4. Do you have a gardener or future-gardener in your home? A themed basket of garden items would be a great way to go this year.

5. Balls! We love bouncy balls at North Pointe Dental, but this is also a great opportunity to restock the summer supply of footballs, nerfballs, baseballs, etc. Let’s face it, you are probably going to buy them anyway.

In past years we have taken Easter as an opportunity to restock the art cabinet as well. Crayons, notepads, paints, new (sharper!) scissors, pom-poms, googly eyes, fresh bottles of glue. How about putting together an art basket for that budding artist?

There you go! A cavity-free Easter basket for your favorite little bunnies. Of course, if you sneak in a peanut-butter filled chocolate egg or two, we promise not to tell your dentist!

At North Pointe Dental we understand that dental treatment and visits to the office can be a source of fear and anxiety. We will never underestimate how difficult a visit might be for you. We will provide you with excellent care and utilize all the tools at our disposal to keep you comfortable. We offer everything from a heated neck wrap and a cup of tea to in-office nitrous oxide therapy. Additionally, during your initial consultation you and Dr. Toney might decide that an oral sedation medication is the best option for you.

Don’t let a past dental experience keep you from receiving great oral health care. Time and time again, fearful patients leave our office telling us that their experience here reshaped what dentistry can be. If you have let anxiety stand between you and a great smile, call our office and schedule a free consultation to discuss your options. A beautiful, healthy smile shouldn’t be something to be afraid of!

Not Your Average Dental Practice

North Pointe Dental is a full-service dental practice located in Northwest Rochester. Dr. Jason Toney and his team offer a complete array of dental services for the family or individual in a relaxed, state-of-the art environment that you are sure to enjoy. Featuring a full line of restorative and cosmetic dental services for individuals and families, who we are greatly influences how we approach dentistry. Our mission is to provide the highest level of dental care while constantly striving to exceed our patients’ expectations in that quality care and service.

Practice Cornerstones

Our practice philosophy is based on 3 cornerstones: quality, convenience, and patient care. At North Pointe Dental our team works together to provide each person the highest quality of dental care, at a time that works for YOUR schedule, with a caring touch.

Quality

From family dentistry to cosmetic dentistry, our staff utilizes digital technology, state of the art infection control standards, and advanced clinical education to ensure that your visit is as seamless as possible. Whether you just need routine care or it has been 20 years since you have seen the inside of a dental office, we offer the experience and tools to help you achieve the smile you deserve.

Convenience

We know that our patients are busy. We work off hours so that you don’t have to! We offer appointments over lunch time and in the evening. We are conveniently located in Northwest Rochester north of the Hollywood Theater.

Patient Care

Your entire experience in our office is our first priority. From the time you call to schedule your appointment until long after your visit, we are at your service. Time and time again patients call our office to schedule an appointment telling us that the dental office is the last place they want to be. We have reshaped the experience of so many of these people! Our patients tell us that Dr. Toney and our hygienist, Deanna, have just the right touch.

As this blog continues, you can expect information designed to promote your dental health and awareness as well as relevant information regarding our community. Please feel free to comment – we always welcome your feedback.

We look forward to serving you! Call our office to schedule your appointment or use our online request form. Our team is waiting to provide you the dental care you deserve!