Share your winter break plans with us!

Dr. Eran Gutkin and our team at Whole Earth Dental want to know: what do your winter plans look like? Do you have any plans for an exciting family vacation? Are you hanging out around town? Catching up on sleep? Spending time with friends? Let us know!

Please feel free to share your exciting winter plans and experiences with us here or on our Facebook page! We would like to wish all of our patients and their families a safe and fun holiday season!

The trouble with bottled water

Our team at Whole Earth Dental know that as more families turn to bottled water and away from the traditional tap, they may be missing out on one important ingredient that most brands of bottled water fail to include: fluoride!

For more than 60 years, water fluoridation has proved to be a safe and cost-effective way to reduce dental caries. Today, water fluoridation is estimated to reduce tooth decay by 20- to 40 percent in children who have access to fluoridated toothpaste.

Bottled water, however, which remains one of the more popular drinks in the world, may not contain any fluoride, which is known to help prevent and even reverse the early stages of tooth decay. The majority of bottled waters on the market do not contain optimal levels (0.7-1.2 ppm) of fluoride, according to our friends at the American Dental Association, or ADA. Many dental health specialists suspect bottled water’s increased popularity as the culprit behind rising rates of cavities.

Because fluoride helps strengthen teeth, it is an important component of maintaining good oral health. So if bottled water is your water of choice, be sure to check the label to make sure that your brand contains fluoride. As of a 2006 decision, the Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, allows bottled water containing .6 to 1.0 milligrams per liter (parts per million) of fluoride to carry a label stating that fluoridated water may reduce the risk of dental cavities or tooth decay. The ADA has backed this decision.

Of course, simply drinking fluoridated water is not a magic ticket to perfect teeth. To keep your pearly whites in tip-top shape, it’s important to brush and floss daily and avoid sugary sweets, in addition to maintaining your fluoride intake and visiting Dr. Eran Gutkin and our team at Whole Earth Dental regularly.

Breaking bad habits, with Whole Earth Dental

At Whole Earth Dental, we know good dental health requires only a few minutes of your day. We thought we’d provide some practical advice on how to improve your or your child’s smile between your visits with Dr. Eran Gutkin.

Start by brushing your teeth twice a day. Proper brushing techniques are an essential part of maintaining good oral health, as well as preventing gum disease. Brushing daily helps remove decay-causing plaque from tooth surfaces. Please consult Dr. Gutkin if you would like us to review brushing techniques with you or your child. Flossing daily will also prevent plaque to build up between the teeth and prevent stains between your teeth. Research has shown the bacteria of gum disease has been linked to coronary artery disease, stroke, diabetes and memory loss. Lastly, we encourage you to throw away old toothbrushes and replace them every 2 or 3 months, or after an illness.

We hope this helps! If you have any further questions about any of these tips, please contact Whole Earth Dental or ask us on Facebook!

How to ease dental fears in children, from Whole Earth Dental

Dr. Eran Gutkin knows that many children have fear when it comes to visiting the dentist. Our team at Whole Earth Dental found a great article on how to help kids overcome fears of the dentist, courtesy of our friends at WebMD.

Making your child feel comfortable when they visit Dr. Gutkin is one of our top priorities. Whole Earth Dental excels at making children feel comfortable visiting the dentist. In fact, most of our patients look forward to their next visit!

Has your child visited us in the last six months? If not, it’s time to schedule an appointment!

Your turn! From Whole Earth Dental

Week after week, Dr. Eran Gutkin and team blog about important topics pertinent to dental care and your well-being, including innovative dental techniques we offer. Today, we thought we’d step back and ask you, our loyal patients and readers: what’s on your mind? What would you like to know about the field of dentistry? What would you like us to focus on our blog in the coming months? Let us know by posting here or on our Facebook fan page!

So… take it away and we’ll try to answer any questions you may have!