Did you know dental health is the gateway to a healthy body?

Scientists do not know why but gum disease seems to increase the risk of dementia. So you want to keep your smile healthy and decrease the risk.

A healthy smile can be the difference between feeling great and struggling. Dental pain, cavities, or other dental problems can decrease your ability to get a great night's sleep. Less than 8 hours of sleep can drastically impact your mental capacity, focus, and attention to detail.

Caring for your smile and body can help keep infection at bay. When you have periodontal disease or other bacteria, it can enter and cause endocarditis - inflammation of the heart.

Keep your body healthy, drink water, eat healthily, and don't forget to schedule a visit with your cosmetic dentist if you have concerns about your smile. Contact Dr. Judy Strutz for an appointment today.

Causes of Tooth Loss and Options for Preventing It

 

Are you worried about losing your teeth? It can be problematic in lots of ways. Not only can it decrease your self-esteem and desire to smile, but it can also negatively impact your health. 

Here are 5 causes of tooth loss and ways to prevent it:

1. Not visiting your dentist regularly. You want to schedule those 6-month dental visits to ensure that you do not have problems impacting your smile and that any issues are caught on time. 
2. Flossing. Your gums need you to floss to ensure they are the healthiest they can be. 
3. Brushing at least 2x a day. Food that sits on your gums increases the risk of losing a tooth or having another major dental problem. Brushing when you consume high-carbohydrate meals and brushing 2x a day can help keep your smile healthy. 
4. Drink water. We know you hear it all the time. However, water is the best way to rinse food from your teeth between brushing sessions. 
5. Take care of problems quickly. If you are feeling pain or if your gums are bleeding, contact your cosmetic dentists to talk through options. 

The health of your smile is so important. Don't let problems creep up on you. Contact Dr. Judy Strutz and her team today!

Chemo and Your Smile

Any cancer is life-altering, and being sure we are providing the most support we can for our patients, Dr. Judy Strutz 2010 began taking classes at UCL to learn more about Maxillo-Facial Prosthodontics. She wants to be sure that she helps her patients live their best lives. One of the ways that she does that is by providing a thorough cancer exam. The sooner oral cancer is found and treated, the more available treatment options. 

While evaluating the patient's mouth since her classes, she has been able to advance her skills and ensure that she is giving "hope to the hopeless." Dr. Judy Strutz and her team work to fully understand the unique situation a patient being treated for cancer or oral cancer is in. This way, they can provide the best treatment options and support. 

If you are worried that you might have oral cancer or to schedule a screening today, contact Dr. Judy Strutz and her team.

Summer Is Almost Over

While summer is approaching, don't forget to schedule your six-month cleaning and dental check-up. Unfortunately, we often can let these essential items go to waste when life gets busy. However, they are critical not only to the health of your smile but the health of your entire body. 

A quick check-up and cleaning can identify any significant problems that might be happening with your smile before they become a major problem. For example, did you know that "your smile is our success?" We want to be sure that you have the smile you love because that makes us smile. A quick cleaning and check-up with Dr. Judy Strutz and her team can keep you on track! 

Contact us today to schedule your appointment!

How To Floss The Right Way

Flossing is essential to the health of your smile. But, unfortunately, there is a right and a wrong way to floss your teeth. Here is some information on how to floss your teeth the right way:

You want to use strong floss that doesn't break when you put it between your teeth. You can break off about 18 or so inches of floss and then hold the floss between your thumbs and index fingers, pulling it so that it is taught and doesn't have to give. Floss 2x a day. You want to remove any food built up between your gums. While flossing more than that is not going to hurt your smile, flossing at least 2x a day is critical. 

You want to be gentle and place the floss between two of your teeth, gently gliding it up and down not to damage your gums. Your smile is important, and flossing can keep it healthy for a lifetime. 

Contact Dr. Judy Strutz and her team for more information on flossing or other dental tips. 

2021 Smile!

Now that you have rung in the New Year, have you reflected? Did you set a New Year's resolution? If you did and your health is a part of that equation, start with your smile. Did you know that the health of your body is impacted by the health of your smile? Don't leave this critical component out of the equation.

If 2021 is the year for you to become healthier and on track with your fitness goals, schedule a consultation with Dr. Judy Strutz to start that health journey. When your smile is healthy, it can help ensure that your body is ready to work out, eat healthy, or enjoy the other opportunities you have planned for 2021. The health of your smile can ensure you can consume the food on your new healthy food plan. 

Please don't leave your smile behind on this health journey because you deserve it. For more information, contact Dr. Judy Strutz and her team or to schedule a consultation to ensure you have a healthy smile in 2021. 

Take Care of Your Smile

 

The holidays are here, and you might be tempted to dive into the sweets or mash potatoes however, these 5 foods are healthier for your smile and will do it some good this holiday. 

1. Fruits. Fruits have a high concentration of water. This can help to remove things from the surface of your teeth and keep them from building up on the gum line. 
2. Drink plain water and avoid other drinks such as coffee, tea, soda, and high sugar drinks. Each of these poses a different problem for the health of your smile. 
   
3. Load up on the veggies. Vegetables have a high concentration in water as well. They are a great way to remove build-up for example, if you have just consumed something with sugar in it, the water can reduce any food on the surface of your smile. 
4. Cheese. Cheese contains a product called casein. It is a protein that helps to strengthen your teeth enamel. The stronger your tooth enamel the better able it is to fight against other problems that may arise. 

Don't sell your smile short this holiday season. For more information on keeping your smile healthy contact, Dr. Judy Strutz and her team.  

Give Your Smile A Chance

 

 

Your smile gives you chance after chance to be as healthy as possible. Have you been treating your smile right? While your smile will not give up on you, and there are plenty of treatments you can do if you have a dental problem, it is important to take care of your smile. This holiday season, don't wait! Instead, give yourself the gift of a special treat. Take your smile to the next level.
Your smile is not going to give up on you, but you should not give up on it either. There is plenty of options when it comes to restoring your smile to its formal glory. This may include crowns, a permanent denture, or a different treatment plan. What we will say is that you should have a smile that lasts a lifetime that you can't wait to show off.

If you are unsure about the precautions we are taking during this time, check out our COVID-19 information and our patient reviews. We want to be sure you are comfortable with your smile all the time not just some of the time.

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

Do Your Gums Bleed When You Brush?

Do your gums bleed when you brush or floss them? You might tend to believe it is no big deal and move on with your day. However, bleeding gums can be a sign of a larger dental problem. Dr. Judy Strutz and her team encourage individuals who are struggling with this to schedule a visit with your dental team to get it looked at and come up with a treatment plan. 

Your gums might be bleeding because of periodontal disease. It is a gum infection that impacts the soft tissue of your gums. You might have periodontal disease if you do not floss regularly or if you do not brush regularly. If you do not get treatment, it can impact the bone that is below the soft tissue of your gums, which can cause larger problems for your smile later on. 

While, you might be tempted; to try and find an over the counter remedy that can fix the problem. You do want to visit a dentist because you might need periodontal treatment specific to your circumstances. 

For more information or treatment options schedule a consultation with Dr. Judy Strutz and her team. 

7 Dental Health Risks

It can be easy to take your smile for granted. You wake up, maybe brush for two minutes, or maybe decide to wait until after breakfast. You might forget altogether in the rush of the morning. We always assume that our smile is going to carry us through and we’ll just get things done the next time. But here are 7 dental risks you make be taking every day that are causing problems for your smile.

1.     Not brushing in time. When you consume high sugar foods or drinks and high carbohydrate foods, the length of time that the substances stay on the surface of your teeth provides a longer opportunity for problems to arise.

2.     Consuming food that is too cold.  (example)

3.     Not flossing. Removing food from between the gums is essential to your gum health. If you’re starting to see your gums bleed during routine brushing and flossing sessions that can be the sign of worse things to come.

4.     Chewing on Ice can damage the enamel causing cracked and broken teeth.

5.     Consuming less than 8 servings of fruits and vegetables a day.

6.     Eating foods that are high in acid. (example)

7.     Consuming several sodas a day.

Your dental health is so critical to your body health. Keep your smile in great shape and kick these habits to the curb. Contact Dr. Judy Strutz and her team for help with your smile.

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.

Holiday Smile

Do you hide your smile during the holidays? Do you dread visiting the dentist because you know they are going to tell you that you have dental problems you're not ready to face? We can help. Our number one goal is to ensure you have a great cosmetic dental experience that changes how you feel about yourself and your smile.

We want to be sure that every patient walks away feeling great about the smile they are now sharing with the world. There should be no question about whether your smile is what you want. It is easy to put yourself last especially over the holidays but now is a great time to spend a little extra time on you. Visiting Dr. Judy Strutz and her team is a great way to take care of what you need in order to feel good about yourself. Self-care is never selfish and it starts with the self-esteem you can gain when you flash your new holiday smile during photos.

Cosmetic dental procedures are more than just giving you a pretty smile. It is a way to give you a healthy smile that lasts a lifetime. 

For more help with your smile or to schedule your consultation contact Dr. Judy Strutz and her team.

4 Risks You Face When Not Taking Care Of Your Smile

Taking care of your smile is important to ensuring, not only your dental health but, your physical health as well. Brushing and flossing is only the start to making sure that your smile will last a lifetime. It is also critically important that you visit the dentist on a regular basis. Visiting your dentist can provide an opportunity for your cosmetic dental team to fix any problems right away. Here are 4 risks you run when not taking care of your smile: 

1. Losing your teeth. Once a tooth has to be pulled you are more likely to lose other teeth. Further damage once a tooth is lost includes your arch caving in and your cheeks will sink in. Your teeth will also move together to cover up the spot of the missing tooth. 

2. Decreased overall health. It may be difficult to consume food you love or that is healthy due to dental pain, problems or missing teeth. 

3. Depression. You may find that you do not enjoy smiling if you do not love your smile. As you smile less, it is more likely that you will develop symptoms of sadness or depression. 

4. Recent studies have also found a link between Pneumonia and dental bacteria. 

We want to make sure you always have a healthy smile you love to show off to friends and family and that keeps you moving forward in your life. For more information on how to keep your smile healthy, contact Dr. Judy Strutz and her team.

Your Success Is Our Success

There is no greater joy in dentistry then seeing a happy patient walkout the door with a smile they love to show off. Having missing teeth, or teeth that are broken or cracked can be devastating. Maybe you haven’t had time; the money or you didn’t feel it was important to fix your smile. However, with the opportunities that dentistry has in store for you these days, we highly recommend you take advantage because your success is our success.

We do not believe in having patients walk out our doors without loving their smile. And while we may not get 100% of the results you want in one visit, we’ll take the time to help you have a smile of a lifetime.  No one should have to suffer with dental pain, old dentures, or cracked teeth, when dental care has upgraded and can provide you a stable and beautiful smile.

The health of your smile is not just determined by the look of your teeth, but it is also determined by the overall health. Starting with a consultation can help you and the team at Dr. Strutz’s office comes up with a plan to enhance your smile and keep it healthy for a lifetime. 

To set up your consultation for a smile evaluation, contact Dr. Judy Strutz and her team today.

Don’t Take Your Smile for Granted

It may have been awhile since you really took a step back and evaluated the health of your smile, but it is critically important that your teeth and gums are in great shape. Often times people go to the doctor and get regular check-ups. You may spend time working out, or eating right, but then forget to floss on a regular basis. Or you skipped that pesky dental appointment because something more fun and exciting came up, but it is important not to skip these appointments, in fact they are essential to your health.

The health of your teeth and gums can impact the entire body and while more and more research has been conducted on this, they are finding there is more than a correlation to heart disease and periodontal disease. Why spend hours ensuring you eat the right food and exercise if you are not going to spend the time taking care of your teeth and gums also?

Next time you feel like skipping the floss, or run out the door and decide against going to the dentist, think about the fact that your smile is the backbone to your health. Without teeth you cannot consume the foods that you enjoy. Bleeding gums and bad breath can lead to a breakdown in relationships and lead to depression. Don’t take your smile for granted.

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

Do You Take Time For Your Smile?

It may be the last thing you think of after a crazy busy day, or in the morning when you are trying to get ready, but keeping these 5 rules at the forefront of your brain can change your dental routine to improve the health of your smile.

1.     Always brush your teeth at least 2x a day. Your teeth deserve to be free of food debris. You are really only committing to 4 minutes a day to this routine. You can do anything for 4 minutes a day.

2.     Floss isn’t recommended because you dentist is trying to trick you into spending 2.00 dollars on floss. It is the only way to keep your gums healthy and looking fantastic.

3.     Show it off. Your teeth work hard every day for you. Don’t hide them behind your lips, sharing your toothy smile more not only improves your mood but it also improves the day for others around you.

4.     Think about your teeth throughout the day and reward them by drinking water. Water helps to rinse leftovers from your teeth so you don’t get embarrassed when you smile in that business meeting with lettuce stuck to your teeth.

5.     Schedule and keep you dentist appointments. Your smile would like to be out with friends, but your regular dental commitments are a sure way to keep your smile looking awesome in order to do just that.

Your teeth are really designed to last a lifetime, don’t cut their life short with unhealthy dental habits. For more information on improving your smile, contact Dr. Judy Strutz and her team.

Lemons, Yea or Neigh For Your Smile?

Now that the temperature is warming up you may be tempted to reach for that sweet lemonade. Or are you the type of person that just sucks on lemons in order to cool down in the summer? A little lemon juice in your water to help detoxify your body may sound like a good idea, but what does all this acid do to your smile?

Watch out, because the acid from lemons and other citrus fruit may be reeking havoc on your smile. If you are going to consume lemons, or other citrus fruits this summer, you might want to consider the following tips:

1.     Chew sugar free gum after to remove the juice from your teeth. This will protect the enamel.

2.     Brush your teeth as soon as you can if you do not have sugar free gum.

3.     Drink regular non-flavored water. This can also help remove any juice from the surface of your smile.

4.     Consume a non-acidic fruit that is high in water, such as watermelon or cantaloupe. All of this is good for you, but it can help quench your thirst without damaging your smile.

Your teeth can last a lifetime if you take care of them, contact Dr. Judy Strutz and her team today on more information about how to keep your smile healthy.

A Healthy Smile Can Improve Your Self-Confidenc

When you smile at a stranger or smile at your coffee barrista you show them that you are happy, healthy and care about your oral health. But if your teeth are damaged or if you have dental decay that is negatively impacting your smile, your dental team can help.  A beautiful smile that you love to share with the world, not only improves your feelings about life, but it can also improve the lives of those around you.

People who have dental decay or are embarrassed about their smile, share with dentists that they are less likely to go out with friends, they are more likely to hide their smile when taking photos and their overall self-confidence is low.

Dr. Judy Strutz and her team know how important it is for your smile to be healthy and they can help to organize a plan to improve your overall dental health, if you do not love your smile.  It may be a dental procedure can help to improve the look, or maybe it means a more serious dental procedure, whatever your needs are, Dr. Strutz and her team can and will help you get your self-confidence back.

For more information or to schedule your cosmetic dental appointment today, contact Dr. Strutz and her team.