Dental warning signs are sometimes symptoms of another problem.  It is important to not only address the symptom but also the cause.  The most common warning signs are:

• Flat, worn teeth plus headache
• Cracking, crumbling teeth
• Sores that don’t go away
• Gums growing over teeth
• Dry mouth
• White Webbing inside cheeks
• Crusting dentures

You can read the full article including the potential cause of these signs here: 7 Things Your Teeth Say About Your Health

Our 4th annual Smiles From The Heart  will occur on Saturday, May 18, 2013.   Smiles From The Heart is a free day of dental services provided to those in need in our local area. Services such as cleanings,fillings and extractions are provided on a first come, first served basis.

Two locations will be providing care, in hopes to serve even more community members:

• Smile Grand Haven & Little Smiles at 1203 S. Beechtree, Grand Haven
• Drs. Thornley & Bowen’s office at 17000 Robbins Rd, Grand Haven

Thank you to our growing list of sponsors:

• Dan Bowen DDS
• Bill Gaston DDS
• Brad Masse DDS
• John Leitner DDS
• Darren Riopelle DDS
• John Riopelle DDS
• Reynaldo Rivera DDS MS
• Dennis Thornley DDS
• Absopure
• Benco Dental
• Colgate
• Community Shores Bank
• Eastern Floral
• Fat Chix Coffee Cantina
• GHSP
• Grand Haven Eagles
• Grand Haven Tribune
• Hackley Hospital Dental Clinic
• Healthzone Chiropractic
• Kirby House
• Little Ceasar’s
• Morningstar Cafe
• Panera Bread
• Redi Rental
• Scholten Fant
• Subway
• Tim Horton’s
• Tri-Cities Kiwanis
• VerDuin’s Printing

Researchers found that people with gum disease are nearly three times as likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis – a condition that can cause stiffness, pain and fatigue – than those with healthy grins.  Since gum disease has also been linked to heart problems, it’s worth spending a little more time on your mouth, starting tonight!

Courtesy of Shape, February 2010

It’s 600 children and 8 different schools in 5 days in 2013.  But this is not your regular dentist career day kinda visit!

Whether we are visiting a classroom or the children take a field trip to Little Smiles, we have a great time talking about wiggly teeth, practicing our brushing with Harry the Horse, performing science experiments with eggs, apples and Oreos and passing out flashing toothbrushes.  We laugh a ton and learn a bunch.

We’ve eatin’ our Wheaties, backed our bags and are ready to go!

Holmes Elementary who won our $2,000 grand prize for collecting the most candy.  Peach Plains and Jeffers Elementary won second place ($1,000) and third place ($750), respectively.

Congratulations and thank you to all the participating schools: Griffin, Rosy Mound, Peach Plains, Robinson, Holmes and Jeffers Elementary, White Pines Middle, and West Michigan Academy.

All candy is donated to Operation Gratitude through the National Guard.  Shipping to Operation Gratitude in California has been graciously donated by AeroVision International in Muskegon.

1.  Children can either drop off their candy to participating schools between Nov. 2nd and 7th to help the school win prizes. Participating schools include Griffin, Rosy Mound, Peach Plains, Holmes and Jeffers Elementary, and White Pines Middle School.  The school with the largest amount collected in weight will receive $2,000, $1,000 for second place and $750 for third.

2.  Candy can be turned it in to the Little Smiles office on Nov. 5th from 12 noon to 7 p.m. in exchange for $1 per pound.

All candy in donated to Operation Gratitude through the National Guard.

It takes a while to brush your smile!  Brush your child’s teeth carefully at least twice a day with fluoridated toothpaste. By eight or nine years old, children can be expected to be able to adequately brush on their own.

Floss is the boss!  It’s very important to floss your child’s teeth once each day. Dental floss reaches areas in-between teeth that a toothbrush cannot, and is an essential part of cavity prevention. Flossing can be difficult for children, so until they are 11 to 12 years old, be sure you help them complete this task correctly.

Think before you eat or drink!  It’s important to eat a well balanced diet and avoid excessive snacking between meals – especially sticky, sweet things like candy.

Be good to those gums!  Keep an eye on your child’s gums! Puffy, red and tender gums, persistent bad breath, and gums that bleed are signs of gum disease.

Get plenty of fluoride!  Fluoride plays a protective role against dental decay throughout life. Community fluoridation is the single most effective public health measure we have to prevent tooth decay and improve oral health. Your child should be getting enough fluoride through drinking water and fluoridated toothpaste, but if you have questions regarding your child’s fluoride intake, ask your child’s dentist.

Seal out decay!  Many of the cavities found in children under age 15 develop on the chewing surfaces of back molars. Molars commonly decay because plaque accumulates in the tiny grooves of the chewing surfaces. Have sealants applied to these surfaces of permanent molars soon after they come in to help seal out decay.

Don’t wait till it’s too late! Visit your child’s dentist regularly for preventative checkups and cleanings. Your dentist is trained to see hidden problems that you may not recognize. Prevention is key to having a healthy smile!