Sleep Apnea Got You Down?

It is the time of year when the holidays are right around the corner and you may be dreading them before they even begin. This can mean long stressful family outings, time spent cooking and routine changes. But do not let sleep apnea impact you negatively this holiday season.

When you have sleep apnea you can’t rest for a full 8 hours, and end up waking feeling unrested and tired. You may be unable to pay attention to details, feel grumpy and angry over little things. Your body, when you have sleep apnea, does not get to enjoy the rem sleep it so badly needs.

But a dental sleep apnea device by Dr. Judy can change your life. After a quick consultation, she’ll work with you to have a dental mouth guard that is fitted to you. It will help open up your airway so you do not spend one more night gasping for breath.

Does it seem too easy to be true? Well it is not. Modern technology allows Dr.Strutz to create the perfect device to fit in your mouth and give you back your sleep.

For more information on sleep apnea and dental devices for sleep apnea, contact Dr. Judy Strutz and her team today.

Do Not Let Time Slip By

You think you have years to change the smile you have destroyed. You may even think it doesn’t really matter that your teeth are stained, cracked or missing. But it does. Dr. Judy Strutz and her team work with you to help restore your smile to a beautiful and healthy one. Dr. Strutz works with patients whose smile has been impacted by trauma, cancer or even the day to day wear and tear.

Once your consultation has been completed and x-rays have been taken, it will be time to get to work on deciding what needs to be done. At times we put our selves last. You think, ‘I’ll get my smile fixed over Christmas, or on summer break.’ Or you tell yourself you cannot afford to do it right now. One more year passing you by may be the difference between the job promotion you have been working for or staying in your current position. Restorative procedures may have seemed expensive in the past, but with modern technology, procedures that took days can be done quickly and efficiently saving you time and money.

Depending on what you need, it can sometimes be done in one day or a few short visits. For more information on restorative procedures contact Dr. Judy Strutz and her team.

4 Things Your Smile May Be Trying To Tell You

Have you looked in the mirror lately to notice your smile is looking less than healthy? Do you brush and floss only to still have bad breath? Or does your tongue feel thick and coated with a thick film? Your smile may be telling you it is time to change your habits, do not ignore it. Here are 7 signs and symptoms that may be your mouth telling you it is time to visit your prosthodontist.

1. Bad breath. This is not always caused by the food you eat. It can be due to decay or bacteria.
2. Stained teeth. Coffee stains may be normal but thick, yellow stains on your teeth can be plaque and can lead to periodontal disease.
3. Bleeding gums when you brush. This is never normal. It may be early signs of gingivitis or periodontal disease.
4. Puffy or red gums. This can be a sign of infection. Early treatment can reduce your chances of bone loss and eventual tooth loss.
5. Cracked or broken teeth. Cracked or broken teeth can lead to jaw pain due to misalignment. When you are chewing and there is a broken or cracked tooth you may be compensating by eating on the other side. This can lead to overuse of your jaw on that side.
6. Jaw pain is a sign something is not in alignment. It may be because of the way your teeth are fitting together.
7. Taking a lot of medication? Those who are taking a number of different prescription drugs are at greater risk for dry mouth and the trouble that can cause. Another good reason to be seen on a regular basis.

For more information on restoring your smile, contact Dr. Judy Strutz and her team today.

Do You Know Why Your Baby is Crying

Have you tried everything to calm your baby? Walked her, fed her and taken her for long car drives? Some parents are able to tell what is going on with their infant just by listening to the sound of their cry. But when you have tried everything and it doesn’t seem to be working it may be time to evaluate your baby’s frenulum.

You may have heard of this term but didn’t know what it was. The frenulum is the thick skin that attaches your gums to the lips or attaches the tongue to the bottom of the mouth. When this piece of skin is thicker than normal it can impact your baby in multiple ways. This can be difficult to diagnose and some doctors who notice it may tell you to wait. But breastfeeding can be negatively impacted, which can lead to frustration with your baby. They may not be able to latch on properly causing you to feel sore and them to be hungry all the time.

Dr.Judy Strutz and her team can perform laser surgery to release the frenulum. This can be done on a baby that is just a few days old and may make all the difference in the world to both of you.

For more information on frenulum issues contact Dr. Strutz and her team today.

Fall Is Right Around The Corner

With the cooler weather right around the corner, fall hot chocolate and baking may be in your future. While you may be excited and ready for the fall, is your smile? It can be difficult to keep up with your healthy dental habits during the holidays with the influx of sugar and sweet treats that are around. With these 5 tips you can stay ahead of the decay and decrease your risk of needing restorative procedures.

1.     Brush and floss every day at the same time. The more consistent you can be, the better off you are.

2.     Brush after consuming sweet treats.

3.     Carry a travel toothbrush, toothpaste and floss to brush and floss after that high carbohydrate meal.

4.     Drink water. Having a dry mouth not only increases the risk of bacteria in your mouth and the longer you are dehydrated the greater the risk for decay.

5.     Consume fruits and vegetables instead of treats high in carbohydrates, this will help ensure food is removed from the surface of the teeth.

Enjoy the fall weather, pumpkin drinks and the colors of the leaves with a healthy smile that lasts a lifetime. For more information, contact Dr. Judy Strutz and keep your smile healthy.

Does Your Baby Have A Maxillary Frenum?

You make think your baby is just a fussy baby. Family may have diagnosed them with colic, but it may be a thicker than normal frenum that is causing your baby to be unhappy. Take this short quiz and if you answer yes to 4 out of 5 questions, schedule an appointment with Dr. Strutz and her team.

1.     Does your baby struggle to latch on when feeding?

2.     Does your baby eat for only a few minutes and then cries in hunger only a short amount of time later?

3.     Is your baby excessively gassy?

4.     Are your nipples painfully sore?

5.     Does it feel like your baby is not able to latch on correctly?

A maxillary frenum can be difficult for you and your baby if they go undiagnosed. Do not spend one more day fighting your breastfeeding experience. Before you become frustrated and your baby misses out on the nutrition they need, contact Dr.Strutz and her team for more information on a maxillary frenum. 

5 Common Questions About All-On-4

You may have heard the words All-on-4 thrown around and been confused. Is that a new golf swing? Or a new social media site? Nope, all-on-4 refers to a new and fantastic way to get your smile back. It is an implant supported smile where most of the procedure is done and completed in one day. This way, you can walk into the office with no teeth and walk out with a beautiful and restored smile. Here are the answers to 5 of your most common questions.

1.     Do All-On-4 implant dentures come out at night? No, they stay in just like your regular teeth. Once your implant denture is placed you will brush regularly.

2.     Can you taste food? Traditional upper dentures cover the palate of the mouth. This can decrease your ability to enjoy foods you once loved. All-on-4 implant dentures do not cover the palate of the mouth. This allows the taste buds on the roof to be exposed and help you enjoy the rich flavor of food.

3.     Do All-on-4 Implants fall out? No, unlike traditional dentures, the denture is attached to an implant or screw in your jaw bone making it a permanent solution to missing teeth.

4.     Are they expensive? The cost of the procedure will depend on your individual circumstances. But it is a cost-efficient way to replace all of your missing teeth.

For more information, or for your consultation contact Dr. Strutz and her team today.

Is Your Life Passing You By?

Do you spend countless hours at night tossing and turning? Trying to get comfortable only to be woken up by your sleep apnea? Or do you wake up feeling tired, even though you slept 8 or 9 hours? Sleep apnea is not something that is just in your head, it is a real thing that can be impacting your life negatively. You may feel that everyone is passing you by and you are sitting on the train still confused. Sleep apnea can cause you to feel that you cannot keep up, cause you to be depressed or unable to complete tasks you used to do easily.

No more! Today is the day you can take your life back and re-join the world. A simple visit to Dr. Strutz and her team can have you fitted for a dental appliance contoured and fit for your mouth specifically. No bulky machine that requires you to plug it in at night. One simple dental appliance that can open up your jaw and prevent you from being impacted by the negatives of sleep apnea.

For more information on dental appliances for sleep apnea contact Dr. Strutz and her team today, and live a better life tomorrow.

Restore Your Smile Today!

You deserve to have a beautiful smile that you love to show off. If you are self-conscious of your smile, now is the time to fix your smile and share it with the world. Some people may not want to fix broken, cracked or missing teeth because they feel they have no choice but to have dentures. If you are told the word dentures and it makes you cringe, cringe no more. All-on-4 dentures are the dentures of the future. They provide you with a stable, denture that does not cover the palate of your mouth.

Traditional dentures use suction in order to stay in place, therefore they must cover the palate of the mouth, but All-on-4 dentures are fixed in place using dental implants, so the palate can remain uncovered and stay in place even when consuming certain foods. Traditional dentures also meant you were required you to take them out at night and clean them. Now you do not have to do that, All-on-4 dentures require you to brush as if they were your regular teeth.

Don’t run in the other direction when you hear denture, because All-on-4 dentures can be completed in a short amount of time, most of it being completed in one day. This allows you to have a durable smile and begin showing it to the world quickly.

For more information on how to restore your smile, contact Dr. Judy Strutz and her team today!

4 Benefits Of All-On-4

All-on-4 dentures may be a term you have heard but didn’t invest more time in. So, what is the hype? Why is All-on-4 the newest and latest benefit to your smile? All-on-4 helps to restore your smile to a natural and beautiful one. Here are 4 reasons why Dr. Judy Strutz and her team recommend all on 4.

1.     Restore your smile and give you an appearance 20 years back. Individuals who have missing teeth begin to look older than they are. As your teeth shift into the position of the missing teeth, your lips and mouth begin to sag in, causing you to appear older. Having an All-on-4 denture placed helps to preserve the jawbone.

2.     Get immediate results. Once your denture is placed you can go back to enjoying food you love. All-on-4 dentures look and feel more like natural teeth then regular dentures.

3.     They are easy to care for. This denture does not come out at night or other times. This allows for you to brush as if they are your natural teeth.

4.     All-on-4 dentures helps to improve your health, by decreasing your risk of periodontal disease and other health problems related to missing or decayed teeth.

For more information on how All-on-4 can save your smile, schedule your consultation with Dr. Strutz and her team.