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!

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!

Your turn! From Advanced Dental Care

Each week, Dr. Dunn and our team at Advanced Dental Care in Las Colinas blogs about topics pertinent to dental care and your well-being, including the 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!

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!

Dr. Dunn presents: "Whose Feet Belong to Who?"

Thanks to all of the patients who recently connected with Advanced Dental Care of Las Colinas online! This week, Dr. Dunn and our team would like to introduce an exciting new contest at our office. Since our staff recently celebrated an amazing July with lunch and pedicures, we thought that it would be fun to get all of our patients involved in the fun! Take a guess at whose pampered feet belong to who, for your chance to win a new Braun toothbrush.

How do I enter "Whose Feet Belong to Who?"
The first patient to identify whose feet belong to who, starting at twelve o'clock clockwise, will win a new Braun toothbrush. To enter, email Kelly at kellyb@adclc.com with your guess of the clockwise order of our doctor and staff's pedicured feet! You can visit our About Us web site page for a few ideas! Present in this photo are Judy, Kim, Adela, Kelly B, Teri, and Jennifer, Amy, and Dr Dunn. (Kelly M won the massage raffle and was absent from the photo.) Hint, Dr Dunn passed on the nail polish.

Thanks to our wonderful patients that make our office such a wonderful place to work.

Dr. Jerry Dunn, helping you avoid heat exhaustion this summer

With the summer here, and with the heat wave sweeping through most of America this week, we want you to be extra careful when you’re out and about. On Tuesday, Dr. Richard Besser appeared on Good Morning America and discussed the ways you can protect yourself from heat stroke and other heat-related conditions this summer. And, here are a few summer safety tips from our friends at WebMD.

Dr. Jerry Dunn and team encourage you to watch this short clip and remember to always have a bottle of water handy when heading out!

"Hey, Dr. Dunn! What can you tell me about sedation dentistry?"

While Irving dentist Dr. Jerry Dunn and our team at Advanced Dental Care of Las Colinas strive to offer a comfortable experience for all our patients, we realize that fear or anxiety while visiting the dentist can affect a lot of patients anyway. For patients who need that extra comfort and relaxation during their visit with Dr. Dunn, we are pleased to offer sedation dentistry.

The reasons for patients' fear of the dentist can be numerous, but are usually due to a traumatic experience during their childhood. This overwhelming anxiety can cause one to avoid modern dental care, resulting in poor oral hygiene, tooth decay and even gum disease.

There are, however, some important things about sedation dentistry that Dr. Dunn wants you to know about:

- Sedation dentistry is not the same as being unconscious: you will be responsive and conscious throughout the entire procedure, but in a deeply relaxed state of mind.

- Because the sedation takes some time to wear off completely, it's crucial for you to have a friend or family member who can give you a ride to and from our office.

If you suffer from dental phobia, sedation dentistry may be the answer for you. At our convenient Irving office, we use state-of-the-art and effective technology. Please give us a call at (972) 506-9688 for more info about sedation industry, and we'll be more than happy to answer your questions.

Write a review of Advanced Dental Care of Las Colinas!

With over 100 years of combined dental experience, we partner with patients on a daily basis to help them achieve the self-confidence they desire. Drs. Dunn and Bazan surround themselves with a talented and dedicated staff that is known for their gentle touch and friendly treatment. Our staff averages 10 years with us. We think that says a lot about our dental practice, because we love coming to work here.

Whether you've visited Advanced Dental Care of Las Colinas for a week, months or even years, we'd love to hear your feedback about how our practice is faring! There are lots of ways you can share your thoughts about our practice with the rest of the world, but we encourage you to head to our Google Local page and write a review there. Or, you may review us on Yelp if you'd like. After all, reviews help us create more beautiful smiles in Irving, Las Colinas and surrounding communities!

You may write a review here. Thanks in advance and enjoy the rest of your weekend! We really look forward to reading your reviews!

Dr. Dunn and team, supporting National Physical Fitness and Sports Month

Did you know the month of May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month? In 1983, President Reagan encouraged all Americans to devote more time to physical activity into our lives, and the reminder is even more important today as people are more distracted by TV, social networking, video games and working more hours. Living an active lifestyle can and does improve physical and mental health, productivity and overall well-being. The best part? It doesn’t have to take a lot of time or effort.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has provided these public health guidelines for your reference, which call for people to exercise one hour every day of moderate intensity physical activity (such as playing sports or brisk walking) or one hour and 15 minutes of vigorous activity (jogging, jumping rope or dancing).

At Advanced Dental Care of Las Colinas, we always encourage our patients to exercise or participate in sports. However, we want to remind you to always wear a mouth guard or other forms of mouth or facial protection when doing so. To learn more about how often you should exercise, we recommend you check out these helpful tips, courtesy of our friends at the American Heart Association.

Could you be a teeth whitening addict?

At Advanced Dental Care of Las Colinas, we know everybody loves a bright white smile, but dentists all across the United States are becoming more and more concerned that their patients are reporting more mouth problems due to excessive whitening.

In an age—and culture—where looks matter as much as anything in life, more and more folks want to look and feel great. But there can be too much of a good thing when it comes to teeth whitening. At Advanced Dental Care of Las Colinas, there are two primary methods of teeth whitening: in-office teeth whitening and supervised at-home teeth whitening. In-office techniques often make use of a light-activated gel application, require as little as one to two hours and can improve color by up to 8 shades. Less expensive supervised at-home methods produce results via daily sessions over one or more weeks of wearing a customized gel-filled tray appliance, and may result in about a 4 to 6 shade improvement as seen on the dentist's shade scale.

If you suspect you may have a teeth whitening addiction, we encourage you to check out this helpful article from our friends at WebMD.

Ask Dr. Dunn: Which toothbrush should I use?

Dr. Jerry Dunn and our staff at Advanced Dental Care of Las Colinas will tell you that brushing your teeth is one of the easiest methods of cavity prevention. But which type of toothbrush should your child use? When choosing a toothbrush, look for round-ended (polished) bristles that clean while being gentle on the gums. Choose one that is specifically designed for children's smaller mouths and hands. Also, look for large handles that can help children control the toothbrush. Lastly, throw out a toothbrush after three months or sooner if the bristles are fraying. Frayed bristles have the ability to harm your gums, and are not as effective in cleaning teeth.

As far as which toothpaste is best? It doesn't matter as long as it has fluoride in it. However, for small children who tend to swallow toothpaste, do not use fluoridated toothpaste. Make sure to touch each tooth and every side of that tooth. Also, you do need to gently brush on your gums.

To learn more about choosing the right toothbrush and toothpaste for your child, we encourage you to read this helpful article from Parenthood.com. Or, you may give us a call and we'll try to answer any question you may have about keeping your child's mouth as healthy as possible!

Helping kids overcome fears of the dentist, from Dr. Jerry Dunn

Dr. Jerry Dunn knows that many kids have fear when it comes to visiting their dentist. Our team at Advanced Dental Care of Las Colinas found a great article on helping kids overcome fears of the dentist, courtesy of our friends at WebMD.

Dr. Dunn and our staff at Advanced Dental Care of Las Colinas excel at making children feel comfortable visiting the dentist. In fact, most of our young patients look forward to their next visit!

Has your child visited Dr. Dunn in the past six months? If not, it’s time to schedule an appointment! Have a terrific weekend!

At Advanced Dental Care of Las Colinas, a pursuit of excellence

At Advanced Dental Care of Las Colinas, we make every effort to provide you with the best dental treatment. For Dr. Jerry Dunn and our team that means achieving consistently great results. There are many things that help Dr. Dunn do that. Some of them are:

1. Using the most up to date and proven dental technologies available
2. Spending time and resources on continuing education to stay current and relevant
3. Training our entire team on new dental techniques
4. Educating our patients about the pursuit of excellence

If you or a family member has been thinking about cosmetic dental treatment, please give us a call. The team at Advanced Dental Care of Las Colinas look forward to seeing you.

Advanced Dental Care of Las Colinas, supporting National Children’s Dental Health Month

You already know it's American Heart Month, but did you know also know it's National Children’s Dental Health Month? Today, Dr. Jerry Dunn is here to tell you about the need for preventative oral care in kids. For 60 Februaries, the American Dental Association, or ADA, has sponsored National Children's Dental Health Month to raise awareness about the importance of oral health. National Children's Dental Health Month began as a one-day event in 1941 in a Cleveland clinic. In 1981, however, the program was extended to a month-long celebration known today as National Children’s Dental Health Month.

Each February, Dr. Dunn and thousands of dental professionals focus on the preventive oral care of America's children. Dr. Dunn and our staff want you to remember developing good habits at an early age and scheduling regular dental visits helps children get a good start on a lifetime of healthy teeth and gums. Has your child visited Advanced Dental Care of Las Colinas the past six months? If not, it’s time to give us a call and schedule an appointment!

Access your account—all the time—at Advanced Dental Care of Las Colinas

Access to your account, 24/7. Sounds great, doesn’t it?

Dr. Dunn's patients have access to their account, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, on our web site. You can look up your appointments and all of your account details at your convenience, from the comfort of your own home! You can even receive appointment reminders through email or text messages! Just see what some of our patients are saying about this service:

"Can see charges and payment history. Can check on appointment schedules." ~ Erin M.

"Suprisingly different. To share a diagnosis on line is amazing." ~ Jerelene A.

"This is how most working adults communicate. It is just so much faster and easier than phone calls." ~ Jan B.

You, too, may sign up for this convenient service on our web site by clicking the "Patient Login" button on our homepage. Please call the team at Advanced Dental Care of Las Colinas if you have any questions!

Dr. Jerry Dunn wants to know: What do you love about Irving?

Advanced Dental Care of Las Colinas, located in Irving and serving Las Colinas and surrounding communities, is situated around some pretty unique neighborhoods in Dallas County. Each is special with its own personality, created by the people and places (and our wonderful patients) living within.

Today, Dr. Jerry Dunn and our team thought we'd ask: What are your favorite things about Irving or Dallas? Is there a local event you attend every year? Do you have a favorite eatery? Perhaps a favorite getaway in Texas?

Please feel free to share some information about your favorite local hang-outs in Irving, Las Colinas or Dallas, and everything you love best about “your neck of the woods.” And, who knows, we might post your response on our social networks!

Have a great rest of the week!

Ask Dr. Dunn: How do I prevent bad breath?

We've blogged about the effects of bad breath in the past, and today thought we'd share a few tips with you to help prevent halitosis, or bad breath. Dr. Dunn knows bad breath can be a bummer, but he also knows that it can be easily prevented!

Bad breath is caused by odor-producing bacteria that grow in your mouth. This bacteria gathers on bits of food and between your teeth and release sulfur compounds, making your breath smell. Recently, we read an article by Dr. Andrew Weil titled, "3 Ways to Prevent Bad Breath." He recommends the following ways to help prevent bad breath:

1. Brush your tongue: "The tongue, and especially the back of the tongue, is a warm harbor for bacteria," he writes, and recommends spending some time on your tongue during teeth brushing, "moving slowly toward the back so as not to activate your gag reflex."

2. Keep your mouth hydrated: Because a dry mouth typically leads to bad breath, eating oranges or celery, or drinking water, may help.

3. Freshen your mouth: Herbal palate cleansers (parsley, peppermint tea and cardamom seeds may do the trick). If bad breath returns, give us a call! Dr. Dunn may diagnose any condition or concerns of the oral cavity that may be causing the problems, such as gum disease.

If you have any questions about halitosis or your treatment with Dr. Dunn, please give us a call!

What puts you at ease at Advanced Dental Care of Las Colinas?

Dr. Dunn understands not everyone is thrilled to see their dentist. But the doctor and our team at Advanced Dental Care of Las Colinas strive to bring you the best and most comforting experience at each visit. We’d like to know: What is it about our office that makes you comfortable or puts you at ease? Is it something about our pleasant environment? Our friendly staff? Dr. Dunn himself?

Let us know by posting here or by giving us a call!

Dr. Dunn, reminding you that regular checkups are important

With the big food holidays in full swing, Dr. Jerry Dunn and team thought we'd ask: Are you brushing his/her teeth twice a day? If yes, that’s fantastic. But, don’t forget that it’s also important to visit our office every six months in addition to brushing your teeth a couple times a day. Regular dental checkups are important for maintaining good oral health, as well as good overall health. At Advanced Dental Care of Las Colinas, Dr. Dunn and team are able to:

--Check for problems that might not be seen or felt
--Detect cavities and early signs of decay
--Treat oral health problems early
--Show you or your child how to properly brush and floss their teeth

During an oral exam Dr. Dunn will check the health of your mouth, teeth, gums, cheeks and tongue. Checkups will also include a thorough teeth cleaning and polishing. If you have not been in to see us in the last six months, it’s time for you to schedule an appointment. Call us today at Advanced Dental Care of Las Colinas!