Facts About Cavities

Cavities are no joke! You do not want to be caught off guard when a cavity gets worse and starts causing you problems. The key is catching them early, but how can you do this? Visiting your cosmetic dentist or getting cleaning done every six months can ensure you take care of any problems before they become something significant. 

So, what are some of the major causes of cavities? Well, you probably already know the top five: Drinking high-sugar drinks puts you at risk for cavities. Not brushing your teeth and smoking is another problem that increases the risk of cavities. Snacking a lot throughout the day with high-carb foods can create a problem you didn’t know about. And #5, not visiting your dentist regularly for that cleaning. 

But here are some causes of cavities you may need to consider regularly. For example, did you know chewing gum or using your teeth as tools can also cause a problem? Or flossing without floss can increase your risk of getting a cavity. But also be on the lookout for brushing too soon after eating. The acid from food can break down the enamel, so waiting 30 minutes after eating or drinking can reduce that risk. We know your dental health is essential! Contact Dr. Judy Strutz and her team today if you have questions or concerns. 

Cosmetic Dentistry

While cosmetic dental procedures improve your smile's appearance and beauty, the procedures do so much more for you. This might include increasing your self-esteem, improving your overall health, and ensuring that you have a healthy smile that lasts a lifetime. 

When you contact your cosmetic dentist, you will want to share your goals for your smile to ensure you have all the information and possible procedures to improve your dental health. You might be looking for something minor, like fixing a chipped tooth. However, other methods are more in-depth and may take more time and conversation. 

Some other procedures that you might talk to your cosmetic dentist about are a gap between your teeth, tooth discoloration, misshapen teeth, or you might have some teeth that are misaligned. No matter the goal or what you are looking for, it is good to start with a thorough consultation with your cosmetic dentist to decide together the next best steps. 

For more information, a consultation, or to set up an appointment, contact Dr. Strutz and her team today. 

Toothpaste

 

Do you ever go to the store and wonder what the difference is between all that toothpaste? Do you wonder which one you should buy? Or which one is going to get your teeth the cleanest? While everyone knows that toothpaste is essential in keeping your teeth healthy, it can be a nightmare when trying to pick one out. Here are five things you can look for the next time you are shopping. 

1. You want to look for toothpaste that has the ADA seal. This will help ensure that you have a toothpaste that will do what it says that it's going to do. 
2. You want toothpaste with fluoride. Fluoride penetrates the hard surface of the teeth, enamel and leads to less tooth decay. 
3. If you have teeth sensitivity, you want to stay away from toothpaste that whitens teeth. Instead, you might want to try a toothpaste that is explicitly for tooth sensitivity. 
4. Taste. This is important. You want a toothpaste that leaves your breath feeling fresh and clean but is a flavor that you can stand.

Toothpaste is essential in keeping your smile healthy in - between visits to the dentist. For more information on dental care or schedule your cosmetic dental appointment, contact Dr. Judy Strutz and her team. 

Knowledge Isn't Enough; Time To Put It Into Practice.

 

You have probably been hearing for years that you need to take care of your smile. Some days you wake up, and you brush for two minutes. You probably even do those nice slow circles that your cosmetic dentist has been telling you to do for years. And you go to bed, making sure to brush for two minutes, gently supporting your gums in the cleanliness process of brushing again. 

 

Then life happens, you forget, you get busy, one day you wake up to maybe find that your fantastic brushing habit has now become a once-a-day habit that is rushed. And perhaps even your gums are feeling it. They might start to bleed, or you may have noticed some recession from brushing too hard. Whatever the case may be, it is time to get back to the excellent brushing habits we know you can do. 

 

So, how do you put it into practice. The science of knowledge is just that. Knowledge, without training or action it isn't beneficial when it comes to brushing your teeth. Here a few tips to get you and your smile back in the game. 

1. Put a sticky note by your bed or on your mirror or gym clothes to remind yourself to brush. Where ever you look first thing in the morning is where you want to put it. 
2. Get a new toothbrush and toothpaste you love. Getting something new can help connect us to the importance of why we need to do it and contact us re-excited about it. 
3. Dance, read, or play music, or meditate for two minutes. Do something fun while you are brushing your teeth. A little jig in the morning never hurt anyone. 

 

Your smile matters; if you have photos of your smile that you love and want to share, please reach out to us on Facebook. Or any of our other social media sites. You can read our other blogs for this series by clicking on the links below. #drjudystarutz

Did You Know?

The health of your mouth is essential to your overall health? Research has found that time and time again if you are impacted by dental decay, periodontal disease, and other dental problems that your overall health decreases. If you have a broken tooth or one that is cracked you might not be able to enjoy the nutrient-rich materials you need to consume in order to keep your body healthy. 

Periodontal disease is an infection in your mouth. When you do not take care of this periodontal disease in a reasonable amount of time it just continues to ravage your body because your body is on overdrive. THere is no way to combat infection unless you take care of it based on recommendations with your dentist. 

While you may think that your smile doesn't matter, it does! And in a big way. While you can't always control how your teeth are going to be impacted by various decisions in. your life, scheduling regular appointments with your cosmetic dentist ensures you have a healthy smile for a lifetime. 

For more information on keeping your smile healthy, contact Dr. Judy Strutz and her team. 

Cosmetic Procedures Are For You!

 

Cosmetic dental procedures are for everyone. While it used to be that cosmetic dentist procedures were expensive or only seen for the wealthy, now you are lucky because cosmetic dentistry is for everyone.
Do you have problems with broken or cracked teeth? Or are you impacted by deeply stained teeth, or do you not like the way your smile looks? We can help. Now is the time for you to visit our office for us to sit down and talk to you about how we can improve your overall smile.

So, what are your options? It will depend on what you need. Every time you sit down with Dr. Judy Strutz and her team, our goal is to find a dental procedure that meets your needs. We want you to walk out of our office with a smile you love.

Dentistry has come along way. We are working to ensure you have the best dentistry option you can to meet your dental needs. The great thing about dentistry today is that we have options when it comes to meeting your needs.

For more information, contact Dr. Judy Strutz and her team.

Don't Take The Easy Way Out

Your smile matters. Did you know that people, when they go to interview for jobs, are sometimes judged by the health of their smile? When you are in the field of customer service, and you have to smile and share your smile with others, it is critical you have a healthy smile. 

Bad-breath, decay, or missing teeth can not only impact your body, your self-esteem but your career prospects as well. Taking the time to visit your cosmetic dentist and map out what you need to have happened for your smile will ensure you have a healthy smile that will last a lifetime. 

A cosmetic dental visit can allow you an opportunity to sit down and really map out what is happening with your smile and what you want to have the end result be. While you may go in for a cleaning, and hope for the best, time spent talking about, analyzing, and really learning about what is happening with your smile is the key. You deserve to have a healthy smile that lasts a lifetime, and we can help you get there. 

For more information on your smile, or to schedule a consultation contact, Dr. Judy Strutz and her team.

Don't Wait!

You do not want to wait until you have a problem with your smile before getting help. Scheduling visits with your cosmetic dentist to ensure the health of your smile is on track can happen during this time. While we are in unprecedented times, and some things have changed, what has not changed is the importance of brushing, flossing, and taking care of your smile.
While visiting the dentist should occur every six months, depending on what is going on with your smile you may need to visit more. That is okay. Your cosmetic dentist will sit down with you and discuss your options.
When you have pain, a broken tooth or your gums are swollen, that is too late. By then, you already have a problem going on that can cause more time and more money to fix. Going in for routine cleanings can decrease the risk of a larger problem developing over time. Be sure to call our office and schedule an appointment today so we can be sure your smile is ready for whatever summer throws at you. 
For more information on help with your smile, contact Dr. Judy Strutz and her team.

Our Opening

We are so hopeful that soon we will be able to see you in our office. Please know this has been a very difficult time for us because we love being with you! Our patients are so important to us, and having you as part of our day means everything. So, what will it be like when you come back?

We will continue to provide the best care we can to you. We are here to here your concerns about your smile. We want to ensure whatever, you need to have the healthiest smile is in the works.

We will continue to clean our office. We know your health and safety is essential. We want to assure you our staff is ensuring we sanitize and clean our office in the manner in which you have become accustomed to.

We will continue to listen to you, our patients. If you are sick and need to re-schedule, that is not a problem. If you are concerned about a problem with your smile that has recently popped up because of not being able to visit our office, we are here for you.

You are always our top priority. Please know that when you come into our office, that we want you to have an amazing experience.

For questions, appointments, or other information about the re-opening of our office please contact us.  Contact Dr. Judy Strutz and her team today.

Are You Brushing Your Teeth Too Rigorous?

              

              

Are you brushing your teeth regularly? We sure hope so. However, if you are brushing vigorously or brushing for longer than 2 minutes you might be doing more harm than good. That may seem impossible but brushing too hard or brushing for longer than 2 minutes can cause your gums to recede.  While we certainly do not want you to stop brushing and taking care of your smile, it is critically important you are careful with your teeth and gums. Receding gums can then lead to bacteria building up and enamel can begin to wear away. Being careful about your teeth and protecting them is critical. 

If you continue to brush too hard it can also cause cavities, a need for a root canal or even more expensive dental procedures. Taking care of your smile is your top priority and we want to be sure you have the tools to protect your smile. Always use a soft-bristled toothbrush, gently brush for 2 minutes and in gentle circles. These easy steps can ensure you have the smile you deserve for a lifetime. 

For more information on how to keep your smile beautiful or information on fixing your smile, contact Dr. Judy Strutz.

Are You Comparing?

Do you compare your smile to others? Do you wonder why you don’t have the results you want with your smile and yet others are able to flash their smile around town without hesitation? We live in a world where things are possible, however, you have to be willing to take a leap of faith.

And if you are spending time wondering how to get the smile of your dreams, now is the time to act. No more reason to compare yourself to anyone because your smile is as unique as you are, and with a little help from your cosmetic dentist you can have the smile you deserve.

While it may take time to achieve your results depending on your smile needs, a little bit of time spent with your cosmetic dentist will have you on the right track in no time.

When comparing your smile to others have you always believed that you would never achieve the same results as that someone else? That’s not true because with today’s amazing technology and advancements in dental procedures achieving great results is possible.

For more information or to schedule your consultation, contact Dr. Judy Strutz and her team. Start living your comparison-free life today!

Stress Free Dental Visit

Experience deep relaxation through a stress-free dental experience. While you may struggle to commit to visiting your cosmetic dentist because of anxiety, your smile, and your self-confidence is worth the visit. Complete these 4 deep relaxing techniques prior to visiting the dentist to help with dental anxiety.

1. Take deep breaths. If you struggle to have positive thoughts when visiting the dentist focus on your breath. By focusing on your breath, can help ease tension from the shoulders while decreasing the stress in the body. Say in for 5 and out for 5. This helps to keep your mind focused on getting to a place of calm.
2. Ask questions. Many people struggle to ask questions about procedures for fear of sounding silly. However, the more questions you ask around the cosmetic dental procedures you are having done the more it can help to ease the stress around your procedure.
3. Say a positive mantra. The negative that comes to mind becomes the negative message that your body responds to. If you are telling yourself that the dental visit is going to be stressful or is going to be painful. That will be what happens. By saying a positive mantra such as this is going to improve my self-esteem or I am going to experience an amazing dental experience. You will find this change in your mind can shift from a negative space to a positive one.

For more information about stress or anxiety and techniques to help you, contact Dr. Judy Strutz and her team today.

The New Year Is Here!

Have you had a New Year resolution every year, and for one reason or another, it falls to the waste side? This year, give yourself the gift of a New Years' resolution you can complete. Contact Dr. Judy Strutz and her team for a smile makeover. There are many options nowadays to improve your smile. Patients may come in with a feeling of hopelessness, that their smile is always going to look a certain way. However, modern technology has opened up a host of options for people when it comes to their smiles.

For example, Veneers might be a great option for you. These are are a cap that covers the structure of an existing tooth. Sometimes if you have a chipped or broken tooth, veneers might be an option for you. The great thing about veneers is that they cover your existing teeth so you do not have to be subjected to removing teeth to replace a tooth that is cracked or chipped.

Permanent denture. Gone are the days where you have to have a denture that doesn’t fit correctly, falls out or has to be glued to your gums. A more permanent solution is available and offers you the full capacity of what a natural smile would allow you to do. Eat the foods you love, smile, and enjoy a life free from worry that your teeth will fall out at an inopportune time. Everyone deserves a healthy smile that they love and now that option can be yours.

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

4 Things You Should Know About your Temporary Crown

During the process of getting a crown it can be difficult to deal with the temporary crown. Taking care of your temporary crown is critical to ensure that you can have the best end result. A temporary crown is used while your dental team is getting the permanent crown ready or waiting for the lab to get it ready. Here are 4 things you should know about your temporary crown.

1.     Avoid certain foods. You should avoid chewing anything that is hard to chew, sticky, or foods that can get stuck between your teeth.

2.     Brush and floss as normal but be careful around the temporary crown. You may experience bleeding in the area where the crown is, or discomfort. If you experience bleeding you can rinse with warm water.

3.     If your temporary crown falls off please contact your dentist immediately. It will need to be replaced or reset in order to not mess up the dental work that is planned.

4.     Do not use other items to secure your crown. Only approved dental sealants should be used in order to ensure that your crown stays on and that you are not ingesting things that you should not.

It can feel weird to have a temporary crown in your mouth. You want to avoid playing with it, or messing with it. If you have any problems or your bite feels off, scheduling an appointment with the dentist can resolve the issue For more information on temporary crowns, contact Dr. Judy Strutz and her team.

Dental Emergency’s

When you have a dental emergency it can feel like time has slowed down and you are never going to have the smile you want, but rest assured that with the help of Dr. Judy Strutz and her cosmetic dental team there are plenty of options you can take advantage of that will help you to fix your smile.

Dentistry has changed a lot in the last 20 years and some of the procedures that were not available prior are easy - 1, 2, 3 procedures that can improve the look and feel of your smile. For example, if you end up losing a tooth or having a tooth knocked out, you can attempt to replant the tooth until you can get to your dental office. If not, ensuring that you get to the cosmetic dentist can give you options to replace the missing tooth to avoid further problems.

A broken tooth can be tempting to just pull from the socket and be done with, however, taking the time to meet with a cosmetic dentist may provide you with a better option, such as placing a bridge or a permanent implant.

For more information on cosmetic dental procedures that can enhance your smile, contact 

Dr. Judy Strutz and her team.

Plan Ahead

Your oral health care is critical to the success of your smile in later years. It is important to keep your smile healthy by implementing preventative care. Making sure you regularly brush and floss. You should also be sure you visit the dentist on a regular basis, but that may not be enough. Planning ahead and visiting your cosmetic dentist can help keep your smile in check for a lifetime. 

Your cosmetic dentist can help you come up with a smile plan in order to ensure that your smile is in great shape and there isn’t decay or other dental problems that may cause you problems in the future. Dr. JudyStrutz and her team are here to help you find dental solutions, especially if you have cracked or broken teeth or other dental problems that are lurking below your gums.

You may be overlooking dental problems that are staring you in the face and if you do not take care of them, they can lead to bigger dental problems in the future. “According to a survey commissioned by the Academy of General Dentistry, 63% of baby boomers (ages 45-64) have an oral symptom considered to be a key indicator of a more serious health condition.”

For more information about how to improve your smile contact Dr. Judy Strutz and her team today!

Have You Been Thinking About A Smile Makeover?

When you walk by a mirror or get ready to go without friends do you worry about your smile? Are you constantly trying to hide your smile behind your lips or not be in the front in photos because you don’t like the way you teeth have stains? You do not have to live with this problem. You can get a smile makeover. Sometimes, just knowing you have options can be what you need in order to have the smile you love. Dental procedures by Dr. Strutz and her team can ensure you love showing off your smile for a lifetime.

Your oral health is critical to your success and we want to ensure that you have a smile you are proud of. Not only should you have a smile that is beautiful, but also you deserve a smile that also functions.  In addition to correcting other problems we also can take a look at other maxillofacial problems that may be impacting you such as problems with your jaw or with the function of your teeth due to dental trauma. No person should go without a smile that allows him or her to live a healthy life.

For more information, contact Dr. Judy Strutz and her team today!

Chewing Ice?

Do you have a craving to chew on ice that seems to take over before you can control it? While chewing ice may seem like no problem for your teeth it can actually cause damage and problems to the enamel of your teeth that is costly to fix.

Chewing and craving ice is a sign of “pica,” a disorder where individuals crave non-food items. While most people don’t think that chewing ice is a problem, it can lead to other situations and is believed to be the cause of an iron deficiency.  There is no nutritional value in chewing ice.  The type of pica that is involved in chewing ice is called, “pagophagia.”

While ice chewing may be a sign of a bigger problem, not all cases where people chew on ice is an iron deficiency. If you have questions about this, it is critical to talk to someone about this or to see a medical professional in order to determine if you need something to help with anemia. You may also feel symptoms of fatigue, chest pain, dizziness, cold hands or feet or poor appetite.

In order to stop chewing on ice it may be necessary to replace the habit with something that is healthier. For more information on ice chewing and the problems that it might cause contact Dr. Judy Strutz and her team.

Do You Worry About Your Smile?

Do you worry that your smile is just not good enough? Do you look in the mirror and your teeth are crooked? Or do you think that your smile looks off and so you hide your smile behind your lips instead of sharing it with the world? It can be difficult when you do not have the smile you wish to have. Or when there are opportunities that you have been rejected from because you have missing teeth and the unfortunate reality is that people today are judged because of their smile.

Employers rate a smile as being one of the top 10 things they consider when hiring someone. But there is help available. Now more than ever it is the time for you to ask for help in making your smile beautiful. Dentistry today is different then dentistry five years ago.  The technology available for you to have a winning smile that takes you into the next opportunity is readily available. We love helping patients get the smile they deserve.

Prosthodontics allows for an improved smile that can take you into your future career. If you have questions, concerns or feel your smile could use a makeover, call Dr. Judy Strutz and schedule your appointment today.

Are Your Sensitive Teeth Getting In Your Way?

Sensitivity in teeth can be a real problem when you sit down and are trying to enjoy your bowl of ice cream or when you just want to enjoy that cup of hot tea. Are your sensitive teeth getting you down and causing you problems when you are out with friends? Here are 4 things you can do in order to decrease sensitivity.

1.     Don’t brush too hard. You may be brushing off enamel that is critical to protect the teeth. The enamel is the outer covering of your tooth and the thinner it becomes the more sensitive your teeth will be. When the tooth enamel is worn down, it causes nerve endings to be exposed that cause more problems.

2.     Avoid acidic foods. This also causes wearing on the tooth enamel and increases your risk of sensitivity.

3.     Avoid grinding your teeth. If you find that you are grinding your teeth, get a fitted mouth guard that can support your teeth so you are not grinding tooth on tooth impacting the tooth enamel.

4.     Take a break or avoid bleaching your teeth. While everyone wants a healthy, white smile, bleaching takes off a layer of enamel in order to remove the stains and show off the healthy white part. This can increase sensitivity over time. However, there may be other solutions that you can use in order to get the smile you are looking for.

For more options on improving the health and sensitivity of your smile, contact Dr. Judy Strutz and her team.