1. To prevent oral cancer

2. To prevent gum disease

3. To help maintain good physical health

4. To keep your teeth

5. To detect dental problems early

6. To maintain good oral health

7. To use your dental insurance plan

8. To create a treatment plan

9. To have a BRIGHT and WHITE smile

10. To prevent bad breath!

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Who doesn’t love candy at Halloween? If your kids are like mine, they’re going to come home from trick-or-treating with tons of candy. Sugary candy can lead to tooth decay, but following these simple steps can help you and your children have a fun Halloween without the nightmare of harming their teeth in the process.

1. Don’t let your kids gorge on Halloween candy all night. Teaching your kids moderation on Halloween is important.
2. Monitor that your children are brushing their teeth three times a day.
3. Make sure that your children use an age-appropriate fluoridated mouthwash every evening.
4. Have extra disposable dental flossers laying all over the house. You’d be amazed at what kids will do when their bored.
5. Avoid or limit candy such as caramels, candy corn, jelly beans, and taffy. These particular candies are extra sticky, making it hard for saliva to wash away the sugar.
6. Give your kids sugar free gum to chew. Not only does sugar-free gum help prevent cavities,  it also helps neutralize the effects of sugar from the candy. Therefore, it combats the bacteria in plaque that causes cavities.

Halloween is a fun holiday and you shouldn’t have to worry about things like tooth decay. By practicing good oral hygiene and using moderation, your kids can have a fun and safe Halloween and still enjoy the candy!

Wayzata Dental

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Wisdom teeth are a valuable asset to the mouth when they are healthy and properly positioned. Often, however, problems develop that require their removal. When the jaw isn’t large enough to accommodate wisdom teeth, they can become impacted (unable to come in or misaligned). Wisdom teeth may grow sideways, emerge only part way from the gum or remain trapped beneath the gum and bone.

Extraction of wisdom teeth is generally recommended when:

• Wisdom teeth only partially erupt. This leaves an opening for bacteria to enter around the tooth and cause an infection. Pain, swelling, jaw stiffness and general illness can result.
• There is a chance that poorly aligned wisdom teeth will damage adjacent teeth.
• A cyst (fluid-filled sac) forms, destroying surrounding structures such as bone or tooth roots.

Patients should ask the dentist about the health and positioning of their wisdom teeth. The dentist may make a recommendation for removal or send the patient to an oral surgeon for further evaluation.

Wayzata Dental

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