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Have you ever had a sinking feeling when you bite into something and hear an unsettling crunch? You know you’ve broken a tooth, and worry about just how long it will take to get it fixed. You’ve heard that it can take two dental appointments and several weeks to get a crown, while the dentist waits for a dental lab to make your new tooth. But who wants to wait that long?

That’s why our North Appleton office invested time and money into the equipment and training necessary to offer CEREC single-visit crowns to our patients. CEramic REConstruction means that our dental practice can produce metal-free dental restorations to match your smile in just one visit.

CEREC uses CAD/CAM technology, an advanced computer program that acts as a dental restoration tool, so you don’t have to worry about dealing with the mess and discomfort of traditional crown placement. No more choking on dental trays while we make an impression of your teeth. When you come to us with a broken or damaged tooth, we perform a thorough examination and then create a 3D optical impression of your mouth. After that, we use CEREC technology to design and mill a precision ceramic restoration right in our office.

Feel Better Faster With CEREC Restorations

As a patient, you experience many benefits from this one-visit approach to dental restorations. CEREC allows Drs. Emily Ruthven and Daniel Cepeda to preserve more of your original tooth structure, which means less drilling for you. No temporary crowns are required, because we can take you from diagnosis to restoration in one office visit.

Patients say they love the results, too. Natural tooth-colored porcelain materials are used to create your restoration so it matches your natural coloring as closely as possible.

There is no mess, less discomfort, and no long wait with CEREC, and you get great results, too. Technology is changing the way we provide dental services. If you experience a broken tooth, or are thinking of replacing a cracked or damaged tooth, contact our North Appleton office today and ask whether a CEREC single-crown visit is right for you.

Come say hello twice a year. The American Dental Association says two times is the charm. Multiple visits a year lets us keep an eye out for any developing issues. It’s important to remember that this goes for the whole family. Children over one year old should be seeing Drs. Emily Ruthven and Daniel Cepeda!

Stay fresh. At North Appleton Dentistry, we have a virtually unlimited stock of toothbrushes and floss, which means you have no excuse to be using a sad, ineffective toothbrush. As soon as bristles begin to fray, pick up a new one or stop by our North Appleton office and we’ll replace yours. On average, you should be opening a new one every two to three months.

For goodness sake, floss! Flossing is an efficient way to keep your whole mouth healthy. It not only protects your teeth by removing aggregated plaque, it keeps your gums happy, too.

And brush. Practicing regular healthy habits is essential to keeping your mouth—and us—happy! When it comes to brushing that means two minutes, two times a day. If your kids need some encouragement, try making a calendar or playing a song like this.

Tell a friend. One way you can help us is by spreading the love. Tell your friends about what a good thing we’ve got going here. The more the merrier. And the healthier.

Earth Day began in 1970 as an event to raise awareness of our environment. What began as a single day in April is now recognized around the world to bring attention and education to global environmental issues. Conserving our natural resources, reducing water and air pollution, and developing green technologies are all ways in which we can improve the environment around us.

Reduce, Recycle, and Reuse

One of the easiest ways to participate in Earth Day is by simply reducing the amount of refuse that ends up in landfills. Many communities have recycling programs for paper, plastic, and metal refuse. By keeping recyclable items out of landfills, we reduce the need for new disposal space and the amount of energy needed for burning refuse. Recycling products also helps conserve the resources that are used in making new products.

You can save money by reducing your consumption of many everyday products. Single disposable water bottles can be recycled but they are costly. By using filtered faucet water, you can conserve your financial resources. Disposable paper towels can also be wasteful. Consider reusable cleaning rags for the majority of your chores.

Reusing items saves both the environment and your finances. A large number of products can be re-purposed to create a new item. Old furniture can be remade into a new piece. Old clothing can be used for craft items. If you are not able to find ways to reuse your old items, donate them to a charity. Remember to continue your positive environmental steps on a daily basis.

Other things you can do to improve the environment

Everyone, young or old, can find ways to participate in improving the environment. Some ideas include:

• Planting trees
• Picking up litter
• Reducing energy consumption
• Walking, bicycling, or carpooling to work or school
• Disposing of hazardous waste properly
• Using rain barrels to conserve water for plants

Earth Day is designed to appreciate and celebrate the health of the earth. Keeping the earth healthy is important, but keeping your mouth healthy is important, too. Healthy teeth and gums contribute to your overall health and well-being, so remember to call our team at North Appleton Dentistry to schedule an appointment. Have a happy and healthy Earth Day, from Drs. Emily Ruthven and Daniel Cepeda!

Here is some surprising yet worthwhile advice you might be hearing for the first time: Brushing after a meal can be incredibly bad for your teeth if you do it after eating certain foods.

Enamel is an extremely hard mineral on the exterior of each of your teeth. It’s actually the hardest substance in the human body: It’s even stronger than your bones! Its only weakness is that acids in the food we eat can easily destroy enamel.

Healthy teeth thrive in an environment that has the proper pH balance. That ensures your mouth doesn’t start the process of demineralization. That’s what happens when alkaline turns into acid, which attacks and softens the enamel on the surface of your teeth. Pores and fissures form, and that’s when the harmful bacteria go to work.

Our mouth’s pH level fluctuates depending on what we eat throughout the day. Examples of the most common highly acidic foods include citrus fruits, soda, and sugary foods. Highly acidic foods tip the balance of pH in your mouth from a healthy alkaline to a dangerous acid.

Can brushing your teeth immediately after a meal lead to even more damage? The answer is yes!

Eating highly acidic foods causes your teeth to be more susceptible. If you brush your teeth when they have been weakened by acids, even more destruction can happen to your enamel. Your toothbrush’s bristles will actually wear away some of your enamel. So it’s healthier to wait at least an hour after eating or snacking to brush.

Good preventive measures to take instead of brushing after you eat include:

• Rinsing or drinking water
• Chewing sugarless gum
• Consuming dairy or non-acidic foods to conclude your meal

These practices help produce saliva, which in turn restores a healthy pH level in your mouth and coats the teeth with minerals they need.

Once you’ve allowed time for your mouth to be restored to a healthy pH level, you may brush your teeth as you normally would. Keep in mind that acidic foods can weaken the enamel on your teeth and take the right measures to prevent spiking pH levels.

Most important, don’t forget to wait to brush at least one hour after you eat!

Still have questions? Call our North Appleton office and schedule an appointment with Drs. Emily Ruthven and Daniel Cepeda.