A few tips for staying safe this Halloween, from Dr. Dunn

Trick-or-treat! In the spirit of October’s sweet and spooky holiday, Halloween, Dr. Dunn would like to remind all of our patients to be safe while celebrating with friends and family. The American Association of Orthodontists, or AAO, has provided trick-or-treaters with some tips for a ghoulishly good time. Happy Halloween!

A few Halloween safety guidelines:
• Young children should always be accompanied by an adult 
• Carry a flashlight 
• Wear a light-colored or reflective costume 
• Choose face paint over masks for young ghosts and goblins 
• Have an adult inspect all treats before the children dig in

Advanced Dental Care, scaring away your cavities this Halloween!

As Halloween is only a week away, Dr. Dunn knows that there will soon be many tricks and treats! While this festive holiday is full of costumes and fun community activities, it can also be a harmful time for the teeth of young trick-or-treaters in our Irving, TX neighborhoods.

With all of the sugary, sticky, and chewy treats that are often shared with trick-or-treaters, it is important that you take the necessary steps to prevent cavities this Halloween. Be sure to visit our "Understanding Cavitites" blog to learn more about cavities, and how they can be avoided by good oral hygiene habits.

For more information on cavities and good oral hygiene habits, you can also ask our doctors or staff at Advanced Dental Care during your next visit.

Artificial sweeteners and your child’s health, from Dr. Dunn

Dr. Dunn knows that there is always a lot of debate in the health community about the health effects of artificial sweeteners, and aspartame is most surely one of the most controversial food additives to ever be approved by the FDA. Here at Advanced Dental Care, we try to provide you with the most up to date information on topics relating to the health of our patients and their loved ones. That is why we want to share with you a few facts that we recently learned in a Huffington Post article.

Did you know that aspartame is now sold under many commercial names, including NutraSweet, Canderel, and AminoSweet? Yes, that’s right. When checking nutrition facts, it is important to keep an eye out for all of these ingredients! This sweetener can be found in diabetic foods, jams, breakfast cereals, chewing gum, soda, and even prescriptions and vitamins.

What’s so harmful about aspartame?
With over 10,000 official complaints, aspartame reactions are more commonly reported than that of all other food additives combined. Of these reports, two-thirds consist primarily of headaches, mood alterations, and hallucinations. Determining your nutritional type and the foods that your body craves is key to satisfying sugar cravings. The recommended fructose level is below 25 grams per day, which includes both natural and artificial sweeteners.

Next time you're in for an appointment with Dr. Dunn, let us know if you have any questions about aspartame or this article. As always, please remember to use a straw if you choose to sip soda, coffee, or other dark colored beverages to take care of that beautiful smile!

Getting social with Advanced Dental Care of Las Colinas!

At Advanced Dental Care of Las Colinas, we embrace technology, whether it’s through the innovative treatments we offer, our high-tech web site or our Facebook fan page. As you can probably tell, we love connecting with our patients online, whether it’s by sharing news on our blog or communicating ideas on our fan page. For social media to work, we understand that conversation is vital, and that’s why we invite you to join in and tell us what’s on your mind. Although social networks are hugely popular these days, we know they’re unpredictable and ever-changing.

While Dr. Dunn and our staff take a little time to research how to best use social media, we thought we’d ask you, our loyal patients: How would you like us to use our social networks? What would you like us to share on our blog? Please post your thoughts or give us a call!

October is National Dental Hygiene Month

Here in Irving, TX, Dr. Dunn and our team knows that with all of the excitement of fall and Halloween, it is often easy to forget about maintaining good oral hygiene. Did you know that October is National Dental Hygiene Month?

Your sweet tooth may enjoy all of those sweet, sour and sticky candies, but these treats can actually cause damage to your teeth! Did you know sour candies can be acidic to your teeth, and can actually wear down the enamel that protects them? This can cause tooth decay and cavities! After eating candy, it is best to wash your mouth out with water, drink milk or eat a few slices of cheese. These will help neutralize the acid in your mouth (wait at least one hour before brushing your teeth with toothpaste, as this can actually increase the effects of acid on your teeth)

Besides cavities and tooth decay, many people do not realize that good oral health and hygiene are important to your overall health too! Research is discovering a correlation between periodontal disease and other major health concerns, such as heart disease! Therefore, it is important to maintain a good oral hygiene routine: see Dr. Dunn every six months, brush and floss daily and use an antibacterial mouthwash.

We encourage you to make a commitment to improve your oral health for October, the National Dental Hygiene Month!