Patient Question: What’s so bad about nail biting?

We’ve all heard that biting your nails is an awful habit, but you many wonder- really- what’s so bad about it? Recently, our team at Advanced Dental Care found an interesting article that discusses how biting your nails affect your teeth and oral health.

Nail biting, also known as Onychophagia, is a common habit among various age groups, including primarily children, teens and young adults. Nail biting is generally triggered by stress and most often decreases with age. That being said, nail biting is unsanitary, unattractive, as well as unhealthy for your teeth!

Here’s why:
• It’s unsanitary. Your nails are dirty, almost twice as dirty as your fingers! Hence, biting your nails is just asking for germs and bacteria.
• No good things come to your teeth. Nail biting causes your teeth to constantly be chewing, which is not good for them. This excessive motion wears your teeth down faster than a non-nail biter’s and puts a large amount of stress on your front teeth- contributing to teeth misalignment.
• Braces don’t love it either. Braces already put pressure on teeth, nail biting ads unnecessary pressure, further stressing your teeth and weakening their roots.
• It can be costly. Nail biting can result in up to $4,000 in additional dental bills over one lifetime, according to the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD). Yikes!

What can you do about it?
Now that you know how harmful nail biting can be, it’s time to take action to break your nail biting habit. Try to be conscious of your fingernails and to keep them looking good- this will help you resist the temptation. Ask Dr. Dunn or visit the article for tips on how to break a nail biting habit. Good luck!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Dr. Dunn and team would like to wish you a safe and happy Thanksgiving. Enjoy a day filled of friends, family, and great Thanksgiving food! What are you most thankful for this year? Leave us a comment, or if you have any stories or pictures to share with us, we encourage you to share them on our Facebook page!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Dr. Dunn wants to know: What do you enjoy most about Las Colinas in the fall?

It’s fall here at Advanced Dental Care of Las Colinas, a time when the leaves change colors, the air becomes crisp, and families begin to make plans for Thanksgiving.

Today, Dr. Dunn and our team thought we'd ask: What are your favorite things about Dallas, Irving, and Fort Worth in the fall? What do you love most about our community? Is there a local event you attend every year? Do you have a favorite eatery? Perhaps a favorite Texas winter getaway?

Please feel free to share some information about your favorite local hang-outs, and everything you love best about “your neck of the woods” on our Facebook page!

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!

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!

My adventures in Africa, from Kim at Advanced Dental Care

Thank you so much to everyone for your support during my trip back to Africa. It was an amazing time and I definitely treasured every moment there. It's always a little hard for me to put into words all of the great experiences and express some of what I saw. Today, I wanted to share a few of the highlights with the staff and patients of Advanced Dental Care.

• Kenya is such a beautiful place! We were able to see much of the countryside and villages, even though we actually stayed in Nairobi. I was able to meet many hospital workers, hospital administrators and doctors.
• I had the opportunity to work with a dentist within the Kenya hospital. I loved it. I pulled my first tooth! I also had the chance to speak with the patients and educate them on proper oral health habits.
• In Uganda, we were able to volunteer at God Cares orphanage and school, which was such a blessing. We had the opportunity to lead their daily chapel and morning bible study, which was a great experience. It was really one of the trips highlights being able to spend time with the kids in class, hearing about their lives, playing games, and listening to them read.

There are just so many stories I wish I could share but just wanted to share a glimpse of my trip with all of our patients at Dr. Dunn’s office. Next time you’re in for an appointment; feel free to ask me about my trip if you have any questions or if you have had similar experiences traveling!

Thank you,

-Kim

Technology helps you relax at Advanced Dental Care

It used to be that people were terrified to see the dentist. And Dr. Dunn understands that some patients are still nervous. But fear not! The days of fear and loathing when driving to an dentist appointment are gone! And it’s all due to technology. That’s right, technology has allowed dentists everywhere to zero in on patient care and comfort.

For example, dental implants actually restore comfort and appearance, yet remain functional for the long run. In addition, they have a 90-95% proven success rate in appropriately chosen cases.

If you have any questions about how Advanced Dental Care uses state-of-the-art technology, give us a call and ask!

Summer reading for the dads, from Dr. Dunn and team

Hey Dads! Are you in search of a great book to read this summer? We’ve got some suggestions! Recently, we came across “A Guy’s Summer Book Guide,” which happens to be a pretty cool resource if you’re shopping around for a great summer read! If you’re still not satisfied, check out this complete list of reading ideas from Barnes & Noble. The list includes bestsellers, new releases, classics, as well as books designed for everyone in the family!

Happy reading! Be sure to share with us your summer picks or your all-time favorites on our Facebook page!

- Dr. Dunn and team