Diet & Your Teeth

Learn more about the connection between your teeth and what you eat.

The above video is found on the American Dental Association YouTube Channel.

Drs. Null, Seidel & Dental Associates  
353 York Street Front
Gettysburg, PA 17325
(717) 334-8193 

Great Ways to Improve Your Smile # 2

Crowns
A crown is a good way to cover teeth that are discolored or badly shaped. A crown can make your tooth stronger and improve its appearance. Crowns can also be used to attach bridges, protect a weak tooth from breaking or restore one that’s already broken.

The above article is from: MouthHealthy.org

Drs. Null, Seidel & Dental Associates  
353 York Street Front
Gettysburg, PA 17325
(717) 334-8193

How to talk to your children so they don’t fear the dentist

How to talk to your children so they don’t fear the dentist
By Dr. Stephanie DeFilippo


The definition of fear is to be afraid of something that is likely to be dangerous, painful, or threatening. According to Peter Milgrom, DDS (WebMD), “twenty percent of people experience enough anxiety that they will go to the dentist only when absolutely necessary.” This neglect causes unnecessary pain and infection. When asked, most people would say that their fear of the dentist stems from a negative experience they had as a child. As a pediatric dentist, it is our goal for children to have positive experiences so they will not develop this fear. Without realizing, or intending, parents can translate their own fear to their children.

Tips for how to talk to your children about the dentist:

• Talk positively about the dentist. Please don’t use words like shot, hurt, or pain. Instill in your child that the dentist is there to help them and not hurt them. Don’t threaten “going to the dentist” when your child is misbehaving.
• Take care of your own oral health. Be a good example for your child and brush and floss at home, as well as having your own checkups every 6-months. This will also keep you dentally healthy and avoid any pain, or discomfort.
• Let the dentist (or hygienist) explain what is going to happen during your child’s appointment. Give your child basic information about the visit and let the dentist and their crew use tell, show, do. Tell, show, do is a process that dental professionals use to ease children into the visit. We TELL them what we are going to do, SHOW them what we are going to do it with and then DO the procedure. A pediatric dentist works only with children; therefore, they use only “child friendly” terms for the dental tools. For example, we don’t call the hand piece used to clean a cavity a “drill.” We may call the hand piece “Mr. Whistle.”
• Please don’t share your negative experiences. We all want to be “honest” with our children, but this is not the time to share all of the bad things that have happened to you when you were their age. This will only put in their mind that the dentist hurt you and they will hurt them.

Bring your child to the dentist as early as possible (preferably age 1) and continue to come every 6-months for a professional cleaning and exam. When the proper steps are taken for prevention, your child will already have a healthy relationship with their dentist if or when they get a cavity, or other dental issue. Waiting until your child has a toothache to see the dentist is not the best game plan. The last thing we want is to have your child associate the dentist with pain. If your child has frequent check-ups, then they are less likely to have pain and infection.


Following these steps will start your child onto a happy and healthy dental journey that will take them into adulthood.


Stephanie DeFilippo, DDS, is a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry, and a pediatric dentist and co-owner of Just Kids at Gettysburg Dental Associates.

Lifestyle & Your Oral Health

Learn more about how your lifestyle can affect your oral health.

The above video is found on the American Dental Association YouTube Channel.

Drs. Null, Seidel & Dental Associates  
353 York Street Front
Gettysburg, PA 17325
(717) 334-8193 

Great Ways to Improve Your Smile # 1

Whitening
When it comes to getting a whiter and brighter smile, there are a variety of teeth-whitening products you can try. Your main options are in-office and at-home bleaching. Before starting any whitening treatment, you should speak with your dentist. Your dentist will tell you what, if any, whitening procedures will work best for you.

The above article is from: MouthHealthy.org

Drs. Null, Seidel & Dental Associates  
353 York Street Front
Gettysburg, PA 17325
(717) 334-8193

Dentistry & Overall Health

Learn more about dental care and your overall health.

The above video is found on the American Dental Association YouTube Channel.
 

Drs. Null, Seidel & Dental Associates  
353 York Street Front
Gettysburg, PA 17325
(717) 334-8193 

Take Care of Cold Sores

How To Get Rid Of Cold Sores
It’s easy to get them confused, but cold sores are not the same as canker sores. Cold sores are red blisters that appear on the lips as a result of infection with the herpes simplex virus. They almost never occur inside the mouth and they are not associated with gum disease. By contrast, canker sores, which are not associated with herpes or gum disease, almost always occur inside the mouth.

Usually, cold sores last for seven to 10 days, after which time the pus-filled blisters will rupture and ooze. Fortunately, cold sores usually heal without leaving scars. Most cold sores will resolve without treatment, but you can apply a topical medication such as lidocaine or benzyl alcohol to relieve pain and itching.

If you develop a cold sore, avoid skin-to-skin contact. And don’t share razors, eating utensils, or towels—those are other ways the infection spreads to other people. If you have frequent cold sores, or a cold sore that doesn’t go away after seven to 10 days, talk to your doctor.

It can be hard to reduce the risk of cold sores, but it certainly won’t hurt to maintain a consistent personal hygiene routine including regular hand washing. Also, using a lip balm with sun block throughout the year, not just during the summer, can help prevent cold sores, too.

The above article is from: OralB.com

Drs. Null, Seidel & Dental Associates  
353 York Street Front
Gettysburg, PA 17325
(717) 334-8193 

Get Familiar With Oral Thrush

What Is Oral Thrush?
Oral thrush, also known as candidiasis, can occur in anyone of any age, from babies to the elderly. Oral thrush is a condition that occurs when a fungus called candida albicans builds up on the lining of the mouth. The result is white lesions on the tongue or inner cheeks.

Oral thrush can sometimes be confused with leukoplakia. But leukoplakia lesions are caused by chronic irritation from rough edges on teeth, fillings or crowns, not by an organism. And leukoplakia lesions develop over time, while thrush lesions may develop suddenly. A thrush infection can spread and involve the roof of the mouth and the gums, where it can cause symptoms such as redness and irritation. See your dentist if you have any type of lesions on your tongue or in your mouth so you can determine the cause of the problem and plan a course of treatment. The goal in treating thrush is to stop the infection from spreading.

Healthy babies and children may not need treatment—the lesions may resolve on their own. Sometimes adding yogurt to you or your child’s diet may do the trick and reset the bacterial imbalance caused by the excess amount of the thrush fungus.

People with HIV or other immunosuppressive illness are at increased risk for the infection to spread. If you are in this category, your doctor or dentist may recommend an antifungal medication.

To prevent thrush from occurring or recurring, follow a consistent oral health care routine, and try to include yogurt with live, active cultures in your diet, especially if you take antibiotics for a chronic condition. Frequent use of antibiotics can promote the growth of the Candida fungus because they upset the natural mixture of microorganisms in the body.

The above article is from: OralB.com

Drs. Null, Seidel & Dental Associates  
353 York Street Front
Gettysburg, PA 17325
(717) 334-8193 

New Year’s Resolutions -By Eric Seidel, DMD

New Year’s Resolutions
By Eric Seidel, DMD

As the year ends we are always surrounded by a host of ideas for ways to improve our lives. Many of us are tempted to join gyms, go on diets or a myriad of other things that we know would greatly improve our lives, health and happiness. The challenge is making these changes permanent in a way that will help us long term, not just for the few short weeks that most of these "resolutions" last. In dentistry, not unlike other health arenas, we know that a few easy long term changes would have a profound effect on most of our patients’ oral health. Simple dietary changes, oral hygiene regimens and staying regular with office visits are all most people would need to lead a life of oral health. They would be able to maintain all of their natural teeth, be pain and disease free and experience the confidence and life changing effects a beautiful smile can bring.

So what gets in the way? WE DO. Human nature gives us the ability to find excuses for avoiding things we don't perceive as absolutely necessary or fun. We use time, affordability, work, life or many other reasons to put off what we know is something we should be doing. Interestingly, with or without dental insurance, the average appointment interval for Americans that do go to the dentist "regularly" is 11 months (only half of Americans visit the dentist outside of emergencies). The standard recommendations are to brush twice daily and see your dental professional twice a year. Science is showing us that this may not even be adequate for those with gum disease or a high rate of dental decay.

As the New Year is upon us, I ask you to consider what barriers are in the way of you having the healthy and beautiful smile you have always wanted. If you are a part of the 50% that don't seek dental care, there have been many recent advancements that you may not have experienced. Comfort, affordability and true listening and delivering on the wants and needs of our patients is the centerpiece of our practice. We pride ourselves on being able to keep patients pain and disease free and doing so in the most comfortable and non-judgmental manner possible. Technology is making visits faster, safer and easier than ever. We encourage visiting the pediatric dentist by 1 year of age to start off and maintain oral health for a lifetime in a fun and positive environment. For the 50% who are routine, simply going twice per year and having necessary work completed would be a game changer. What simply is needed is the commitment to ourselves and our health to make this year better than the last!

I am not adverse to New Year's resolutions, although admittedly they have never worked for me. Rather, I like the idea of doing what is tried and true. Going back to the basics of life that will provide us with the true happiness that only health can bring. Exercise more, eat healthier and follow the basic health guidelines that we know will make our lives better.

Brush your teeth twice daily. Floss. Visit your dentist twice a year. Make good dietary choices. If we stick with the basics, we would have very little need for new resolutions at all. I wish you all a happy and healthy New Year.

Eric Seidel, D.M.D. is a general dentist at Drs. Null, Seidel and Dental Associates and an Invisalign preferred provider.

Drs. Seidel and DeFilippo and Dental Associates.

353 York Street Front
Gettysburg, PA 17325
(717) 334-8193