11
FebNatural Bad Breath Fixes

• Cinnamon Gum: Cinnamon gum contains cinnamic aldehyde, a plant essential oil used for flavoring. This oil doesn’t just cover up bad breath, it actually reduces the amount of bacteria in your saliva by 50%.
• Fish oil supplements:  Fish oil is known to reduce inflammation and bacteria in the mouth,  both of which can cause bad breath.
• Magnolia Bark Extract: This extract has been shown to kill most oral bacteria that cause bad breath within 30 minutes. It’s often found in mints and toothpaste.
• Celery, Apples and Carrots: All of these foods are fiber-rich foods. Fiber-rich foods aid in saliva production which helps wash away plaque build-up.
• Vitamin C:  Vitamin C can help prevent gum disease and gingivitis which both cause bad breath. This vitamin also makes the mouth inhospitable for bacteria growth.
• Black tea: Black tea helps keep your breath smelling sweet because it is full of polyphenols, powerful antioxidants that stop plaque from clinging to your teeth. Studies have also found polyphenols inhibit the growth of bacteria in the mouth, thus minimizing the foul-smelling compounds that those bacteria produce.

05
FebInteresting Dental Facts

1. People who drink 3 or more soft drinks a day tend to have 62% more tooth decay, fillings, and tooth loss than those who don’t.

2. Diet sodas are just as damaging as regular sodas at weakening tooth enamel

3. Tooth decay is the 2nd most common disease in the United States after the common cold.

4. The average person brushes his/her teeth between 45 and 70 seconds a day, it is recommended that you brush at least twice a day and for 2 minutes each time.

5. 80% of people are unhappy with their smile.

6. 50% of people report that a smile is the first facial feature they notice.

7. New born babies do not have tooth decay bacteria. Often, the bacteria are transmitted from mother to baby when she kisses the child or blows in hot food/drink before feeding the baby.

8. Over 3 million miles of dental floss are purchased in North America each year.

9. If you don’t floss, you will miss cleaning 35% of your tooth’s surface

10. Some studies find women smile as much as 62 times a day, while men only smile 8 times on average….SO SMILE BOYS!

28
JanDental Fears. Passed on by Parents

You’re sitting in the waiting room with your child. The dental assistant comes out and calls your child’s name. As you and your child stand up and start heading towards the operatory, the dental assistant gently touches your shoulder and tells you “Your child is in good hands, have a seat, we will bring him/her back when we are done.” Your eyes are full of fear, but you sit back down and wait. Have you ever wondered why? One reason is that children tend to misbehave more when parents are in the room, another reason may be that you, the parent, fears the dentist yourself.

New studies show that the fear of the dentist in mothers and fathers is normally passed down to their children.  Previous studies have linked the fear of the dentist to the patient’s parents, but they have never connected who plays a bigger role in this fear, the mother or the father.

More recent studies prove that the father plays a bigger role in these fears. It appears that children tend to pay more attention to the emotional reaction of their fathers than their mothers when deciding whether situations at the dentist are potentially stressful.

In order to prevent these fears of the dentists, it is important for parents to show their children that they feel at ease in the chair, do not show any signs of anxiety/stress. If you are a parent that avoids the dentist at all costs, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to find another adult, whether it

18
JanSleep Apnea

Are you feeling tired even though you’re getting a full nights rest? Does your partner complain about your snoring? If so, you may be a sufferer of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is not something to simply brush off. It is a serious condition that should always be dealt with. There are 3 different types of sleep apnea:
1. Obstructive sleep apnea- the most common. This occurs when the soft tissue in your throat relaxes and blocks your airway causing loud snoring 
2. Central Sleep Apnea: This is a less common type. It occurs when the brain fails to signal the muscles that control your breathing. People with Central Sleep Apnea seldom snore
3. Complex Sleep Apnea: A combination of Obstructive and Central Sleep Apnea.

Anyone can have sleep apnea, however there are certain health factors that will increase your chances of getting it:
1. Overweight 
2. Being a smoker
3. Male
4. Over 65 
5. History of sleep apnea in your family and
6. Being black, Hispanic or a Pacific Islander.

There are different degrees of treatment for sleep apnea. Easy ways to avoid sleep apnea would be to lose weight, stop smoking, and avoid alcohol. You can also try sleeping on your side or prop your head up with an extra pillow, this will keep your airway open.

08
JanWelcome To 2013

To all of our wonderful patients, we welcome you to 2013. We hope you had relaxing holidays and that it hasn’t been too hard getting back into the swing of things. With all New Years come New Year resolutions. A common, but often unsuccessful one is flossing every day. Many excuses arise, “I don’t floss in the morning because I’m always running late” or “I don’t floss at night because it takes too much time and I’m SO tired”. All these may seem to be legitimate excuses, but what are you doing during your down time? Watching TV? Browsing? Reading a book? A tip we suggest to our patients is to keep floss where you spend most of your down time. Whether that’s in your family room, in your office, or by your bed, make sure to always have floss handy. It takes no more than 2 minutes of your time to floss your teeth, these 2 minutes improve your oral and overall health immensely!

To end things off, check out this cute video on New Year’s Resolutions: http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/8239079/flossing

17
DecThe Use and Handling of Toothbrushes

We all know that brushing with fluoride toothpaste is the most recommended and most used method of caring for our teeth. When we do this, we are removing plaque build-up, and in turn reducing bacteria associated with gum disease and tooth decay.

When we brush our toothbrushes become contaminated with the bacteria found in our mouth. Here are some recommended toothbrush care tips:

• Do not share toothbrushes. The exchange of body fluids that such sharing would foster places toothbrush sharers at an increased risk for infections.
• After brushing, rinse your toothbrush thoroughly with tap water to ensure the removal of toothpaste and debris, allow it to air-dry, and store it in an upright position. If multiple brushes are stored in the same holder, do not allow them to contact each other.
• It is not necessary to soak toothbrushes in disinfecting solutions or mouthwash. This practice actually may lead to cross-contamination of toothbrushes if the same disinfectant solution is used over a period of time or by multiple users.
• It is also unnecessary to use dishwashers, microwaves, or ultraviolet devices to disinfect toothbrushes. These measures may damage the toothbrush.
• Do not routinely cover toothbrushes or store them in closed containers. Such conditions (a humid environment) are more conducive to bacterial growth than the open
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06
DecUse it or Lose it!

2013 is coming to an end and we’re hoping you’ve all had great year! If you have outstanding treatment and you haven’t reached your individual yearly maximum with your insurance company, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT. Did you know that most insurance plans offer a yearly maximum and if you don’t use it all of that money goes to waste? Most plans don’t roll over the unused dollars. So if you are due for a cleaning, have restorations (fillings, crowns, bridges) that you have been putting off, or any dental treatment for that matter, give us a call today. Because remember… if you don’t USE IT, you LOSE IT!

28
NovYour Children’s Teeth

A common question asked by many of our patients with young children is “When should I be bringing my child in for his/her first dental visit?” At Innovation Dental, we recommend bringing your little one in when they turn 3, unless you have some concerns that you want assessed.

Here are some tips and information for you to understand your child’s teeth and to ensure your child has a healthy and clean mouth:

• Baby teeth start to erupt when a child is about 6 months old.
• Teeth normally start falling out after the age of 5 and continue falling out until the age of 12.
• A well balanced diet is important for the development of healthy teeth.
• If your baby sleeps with a bottle, fill it with water.
• Before your child has any teeth, the gums should be wiped with a soft wet cloth after every feeding.
• Brushing should begin when the first tooth erupts, this will get your child used to it.
• Watch for changes in colour, lines or spots on your children’s teeth, these may be signs of a potential problem
• Bring your child to the dentist for regular checkups!

If you have any questions, or if your child is at the age to have their first dental visit please call us and we would be happy to help you!

13
NovMouthguards

While you wouldn’t let your child play hockey without a helmet, many parents let their child play sports without a mouthguard, this is because many people do not realize the importance of a mouthguard. One may believe that a sports guard only prevents chipping and fracturing of teeth, but in fact, it can prevent much more.  “Mouthguards  also protect the soft tissues around the mouth and, in more serious injuries, can reduce the risk of jaw fracture by absorbing much of a blow to the jaw…It is further believed that there can be reduction of risk of concussion or severity of concussion”, Dr. Ian McConnachie, an Ottawa-based pediatric dentist. “Between 10-39% of children’s dental injuries result from sports accidents. Mouthguards are proven to reduce the incidence of these injuries”-American Association of Pediatric Dentistry.

There are a variety of different ways for purchasing a mouthguard. 1) Custom-made: Your dentist will take impressions of your teeth and create an exact fitting mouthguard. Although these are the most expensive type, they are the most affective. 2) Boil-and-bite: Boil a thermoplastic material to soften it, you will then bite into it to create an impression. These are good for children who are in mixed dentition and losing teeth. 3) Ready –made: These mouthguards are held in place

30
OctHappy Halloween!

Innovation Dental is wishing all of our ghouls and goblins a HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Halloween is a fun time to dress up, meet the neighbours and of course GET CANDY! Please remember, candy is SUGAR and what does sugar cause? CAVITIES! When chewed, sugary foods react with bacteria on your teeth to produce an acid that destroys tooth enamel. These acid attacks last up to 30 minutes, enough time to do serious damage to your teeth! Sticky sugars such as cookies and candy will stick in the grooves of your back teeth. These areas are at higher risk for cavities from sticky sugar intake. To all you parents out there, we recommend letting your children indulge in their sugary sweet snacks for the first 24 hours, and then THROW OUT THE CANDY! Easier said than done, we know HAPPY HALLOWEEN!