Loveland Family Dentistry Blog

 DIY Braces - Are They Safe? A Smile is one of the first things we notice about a person and having a beautiful smile can help to boost health, self esteem and confidence!  A healthy well cared for smile also prevents more dental problems! There can be several options for obtaining a beautiful healthy smile which Dr Rhonda Krause   at Loveland Family Dentistry  is happy to discuss.  Tooth straightening can be one option on the path to a dream smile and as technology has changed, traditional metal braces are not the only option.  Clear Aligners are a series of clear removable aligners custom fit by a dentist to your teeth to provide virtually irritation-free  toot straightening.  Because clear aligners are so inconspicuous, they are especially popular with adults.  The aligners are typically worn at least 20 hours per day and are only removed for eating and brushing/flossing.     Mail Order and DIY Braces    have become increasingly available to the public.  Mail order braces generally

A toothache is pain in and around the teeth and jaws. Tooth decay, an infection, loose or broken fillings, or receding gums can cause it.   If the pain lasts for more than 1 or 2 days, it is best to see a dentist immediately to have it treated.     Until then, the following simple remedies may provide temporary relief from the discomfort.  1.  Cold Compress or Ice Pack          A cold compress or an ice pack can help ease dental pain, especially if a toothache is due to injury              or swollen gums.                    Hold the ice pack against the outside of the cheek near the painful tooth for a few minutes at a                   time.   The cold helps to numb the pain and reduce swelling and inflammation.  2.  Rinse with Salt Water Rinsing with warm salt water can reduce swelling, help healing and remove debris lodged in and around the teeth.  Dissolve 1 tsp of salt in an 8 oz cup of very warm water and swish for 30 seconds.  This can be repeated as often as needed 3.  Clove O

  How to Celebrate the New Year, Without Falling into the Diet Trap.   Humans are unique. While animals are using this time to bulk up, hunker down, and rest until the spring (think bear in a cozy den,) this is the time that most of us go into overdrive. We work long days, don’t see as much sunlight as we’d like, have to brave the hustle and bustle of stores, and are surrounded by tasty food that we feel pressured to eat (or not eat.)    As if that’s not enough, the pressure to make drastic changes come New Year is on. There’s a reason why gym memberships spike in January and fall in the months to come: these drastic changes are unrealistic and hard to maintain. This year, we challenge you to focus on small, achievable changes over a realistic period of time. Here are some ideas to get you feeling your best this winter, without all the pressure.  Make time to practice self-care.  Shorter days + colder weather + longer to-do lists mean that self-care typically falls to the w

Nutrition and Oral Health?  Are they Connected? When patients have asked us that question at Loveland Family Dentistry, we answer with a resounding "YES"!  We know that Oral health is an integral component of systemic health.  Compromised oral health can alter food choices and negatively impact food intake.  We also know that many other health conditions are impacted by a person's nutrition.  In an effort to guide our patients to their best health, Loveland Family Dentistry is working with Tiana Sexton whose information you will see below!   Hello, my name is Tiana and I am a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. Maintaining oral health is a vital part of keeping us healthy. Our mouth is the gateway to the rest of our body and can be an indicator of what else is going on inside us. One way we can support our oral health is through proper nutrition. Not only is nutrition essential to oral health, our oral health can affect how well we can ingest and absorb the nutrients w

  Holiday Healthy Teeth Tips Its not easy to stay healthy during the holidays!  Many of us are so busy wrapping gifts and cooking sweet treats that we can forget about taking care of ourselves and our teeth!  Here are a few simple tips to help  you and your family to keep your teeth, gums and body healthy! 1.  Keep your regular twice a day routine     With all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, it's easy to get off track when it comes to daily           dental hygiene.  Remember to brush at least twice daily and use dental floss too.  This is even more       important if you are indulging in some delicious holiday treats.         Extra tip: Keep a toothbrush and floss in your purse or in your car so that you can clean your                                       pearly whites while you are out and about.  2.  Use a nutcracker        Nuts are often consumed as a traditional holiday treat every winter season.  While walnuts,                          almonds, pecans, and chest

Xylitol - What's the Big Deal?? Added sugar may be the single most unhealthy ingredient in the modern diet.  For this reason, sugar-free sweeteners like xylitol have become popular. Xylitol has been recognized as having various important benefits, including improved dental health!  This natural sugar alcohol helps prevent cavities by inhibiting the growth of the bacteria, Streptococcus mutans, that causes cavities.  In fact, extended use of xylitol changes the quality of the bacteria in the mouth to cause fewer bacteria in the mo uth to cause fewer decay causing bacteria to survive on the tooth surface.   Parents Can Pass Cavities to Children Streptococcus mutans has been found to pass from parents to their children which is why the regular use of xylitol by mothers can significantly reduce this bacterial transmission and results in fewer cavities for children.  It has been shown that an optimal intake of 4-6 grams of xylitol per day in the form of gum or mints chewed or dissolved