dentist Apple Valley MN Archives - Page 5 of 6 - Dalseth Family & Cosmetic Dentistry

Have you had a check-up lately?

January 5, 2012 by Dalseth Family Dentistry

Even if you brush and floss daily, it is still important to see us at Dalseth Family & Cosmetic Dentistry every 6 months, or as recommended.

Why?

• We can detect and treat tooth and gum problems that you may have never felt or noticed.
• Even thorough daily oral care may not be enough to prevent cavities and oral decay.
• Frequent visits can allow us to treat a problem early to prevent future complications.

If you are overdue for an appointment with us, please give us a call today!

— Drs Stephen Dalseth, Pascal Dalseth, Todd Weber, and Sara Michel

Make 2012 the year to improve your oral health

December 26, 2011 by Dalseth Family Dentistry

Many folks consider the beginning of a new year a time to not only reflect on the year that was, but also to set personal goals for the upcoming year. How are you planning to improve your health and happiness in 2012? Dr. Pascal Dalseth and our team recommend that you make a New Year’s resolution to benefit your oral health!

It is important that New Year’s resolutions are reasonable and attainable, and that they improve your overall quality of life—for example, did you know that flossing every day is the very best way to prevent periodontal, or gum, disease? Using a straw when drinking sugary beverages can also help prevent cavities. There are many small steps that you can take to prevent cavities, oral infections and bad breath.

Be sure to give us a call if you need a few suggestions on ways to improve your oral health, or visit this helpful article from our friends at the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD). After all, we know your oral health is about more than just a beautiful smile.

Happy New Year!

Beware of those Christmas goodies!

December 19, 2011 by Dalseth Family Dentistry

Maintaining a healthy diet over the holiday season can prove a difficult task. After all, who can resist the tasty treats of Christmas? With grandma and everybody else offering you candy, chocolate logs or Christmas pudding, you just can’t say “I’ll pass” each time. But trouble lurks: every time you chow down on that chocolate or candy, the bacteria in your mouth have a feast on the sugar—at your expense. The sugar turns into acid, and the acid eats away at the enamel on your teeth. Then, you start getting cavities.

Instead, our friends at the American Dental Association recommend nuts or dried fruit, which are a nice alternative to sugars and have a greater nutritional value—and can satisfy your sweet tooth! Both nuts and fruit are a great source of fiber and act as an appetite suppressant. In addition, nuts are a great source of Vitamin E, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B9, nutrients that contribute to a healthy immune system. Nuts are also a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, which have been linked with reducing heart disease and lower blood pressure.

If you must indulge in chocolaty goodness this Christmas or holiday season, remember to brush your teeth after eating sugary treats. Hope this helps! Give us a call if you have any questions!

– Dr. Pascal Dalseth and team

Dental implants are a top treatment at Dalseth Family and Cosmetic Dentistry

December 14, 2011 by Dalseth Family Dentistry

The advancements in dentistry are incredible. The standard of dental care has changed significantly for people who are missing one tooth or all their teeth. Dalseth Family & Cosmetic Dentistry is proud to offer our patients dental implants to replace missing teeth. Dental implants are a predicatible way to create a natural feeling prosthesis that can restore your esthetic and functional needs.

Dental implants can be life changing for a person. They can actually prevent the loss of bone. In fact, there is no need for an adhesive like you would use to hold a denture from floating around in your mouth. A dental implant is secure and does not move while you eat or talk. People with dental implants can become more healthy because of a better diet, improved self-esteem, and confidence.

To learn more about dental implants at our office, give us a call or ask us on Facebook!

Getting married this fall? Smile bright!

December 2, 2011 by Dalseth Family Dentistry

It’s Fall. Leaves are turning shades of orange and red, the wind is picking up and getting cooler, and pumpkin patches are full of bright orange pumpkins. Families gather together, kids head out trick-or-treating, and as always, wedding bells are ringing. That’s right, Fall is one of the best times of year to tie the knot! If you are gearing up for a wedding this Fall, consider matching that white dress to a perfectly white smile!

At Dalseth Family & Cosmetic Dentistry we offer in-office tooth whitening for the bride, the groom, or the entire wedding party! You get the girls together to get their nails done, and now you can get them together to get their teeth done!

In-office whitening is the quickest, most effective way to achieve whiter teeth. Because we are dental professionals, we have the expertise to use higher percentages of whitening agents than the at-home systems allow. So you can get a brighter white, usually in just one visit!

Give us a ring and let us add some extra sparkle to your “I do”!

A personal Thanksgiving message from Dr. Pascal Dalseth

November 23, 2011 by Dalseth Family Dentistry

Thanksgiving is a wonderful time of year. It is a time that brings families together, gives us an opportunity to appreciate and be thankful for all that has happened throughout the year. Thanksgiving also seems to be the commencement of the giving season and thinking about helping those less fortunate than most of us. At Dalseth Family and Cosmetic Dentistry we also believe in giving back.

This past week we had the opportunity to visit Feed My Starving Children again. It is a wonderful organization that allows volunteers to pack and ship nutrient rich meals to children in countries where starvation is cause by drought, political unrest, or natural disasters. Last Friday the entire staff packed 25,056 meals, which is enough to feed 65 children for 1 year. At the end, a FMSC employee shared a story about an 8 year boy for EL Salvador who weighed 19 pounds, after 6 months of Manna pack meals the young boy weighed 74 pounds. His stomach was no longer distended and his hair had begun to grow. It is an amazing story of how a few people working together can help so many.

The one thing I took away from when volunteering at FMSC was, that sometime the greatest gift a person can give is one of time. The gift of time is important, whether you are reading to your child, listening to your grandparents share a story, picking up trash along the roadway, or working at a foodshelf. Without your gift of time, you are leaving a void that cannot be filled.

On this week of Thanksgiving all of us at Dalseth Family and Cosmetic Dentistry wish you and your family a wonderful holiday season and want to thank you all you for sharing your time with us.

Dr. Pascal

Giving thanks this holiday season

November 22, 2011 by Dalseth Family Dentistry

With the start of the busy holiday season right around the corner, our staff at Dalseth Family & Cosmetic Dentistry wanted to stop for a moment to say how thankful we are to have you in our dental family. We realize that our practice thrives because of great patients like you. We are the lucky ones because we not only help keep you and your smile healthy, but we also have the pleasure of knowing you and your loved ones.

As always, if you know anyone we can help, just let us know. We promise to give them the same quality care that we have given you over the years.

We hope that this Thanksgiving and holiday season brings fond memories. Thank you for being part of our family.

A child’s first visit to the dentist

November 15, 2011 by Dalseth Family Dentistry

Visiting the dentist for the first time should be a positive experience, one that child would like to repeat again and again. When I was young I loved to go to the dentist, but perhaps that is because my father was my dentist. But as kids I think we are all looking for the same thing: a cheerful, friendly person who is willing to explain and show things before they were done. A prize at the end is also a plus! Dalseth Family & Cosmetic Dentistry has seen families for multiple generations now, and even some of the young adults are telling their children about the prize basket they had when they came to see our office as a kids. It’s the same basket that we use today!

I think it is important for parents to talk to their children about coming to the dentist in a positive, non-threatening manner. The majority of the kids we see at our office love to come back for their next appointments. Their parents love to share this, and it makes us feel good about the work we do.

For our staff we have family night. We see all the staffs’ kids and spouses, and clean their teeth. When we are all done we have a pizza party and ice cream! We try to make everyone’s dental experience positive and enjoyable.

-Dr. Pascal Dalseth

All about tooth sensitivity

November 7, 2011 by Dalseth Family Dentistry

At Dalseth Family & Cosmetic Dentistry, we know that tooth sensitivity affects a lot of people. While the reasons may vary, there are many different ways to help those with tooth sensitivity:

1. One reason that tooth sensitivity may occur is because of gum recession. Exposure of the root surface can dramatically increase sensitivity. An exposed root has open channels into the nerve sensors, which can be activated by hot, cold and sweets. Regular use of a sensitivity tooth paste with the active ingredient 5% potassium nitrate can close or restrict these channels, which can help reduce tooth sensitivity.

2. Clenching and grinding of teeth can also contribute to sensitivity. If force is placed on the teeth, it can aggravate the nerves. Some theories state that clenching and grinding is one cause of gum recession and abfraction (the loss of tooth structure from force) of the tooth. Abfraction lesions are small cracks or notches in your teeth caused by chewing. Clenching your teeth, as well as chewing and biting put pressure on your teeth. Over time, this pressure can cause cracks and splits in the enamel, or outer layer, of your teeth.

Abfraction lesions can show up as notches on the chewing points (cusps) of the back teeth. They can also show up as lines or cracks on the outside of a tooth. You can see them if you look in a mirror and shine a flashlight or bright light on your teeth. The lines usually run up and down the length of a tooth. You also can have cracks in the neck of a tooth, which is the part closest to, or just under, your gums.

Wearing a bite splint can reduce the force on your teeth by decreasing the contraction force of your chewing muscles. We can also give you some self-help tips to prevent this common stress release at our office.

If people have extreme sensitivity at the time of their cleaning, we can apply a special polishing paste to protect the teeth which can last a couple of months. We can also apply a topical anesthetic to the gums and teeth that help relieve sensitivity during your cleaning.

Another way to help reduce tooth sensitivity is with a prescription toothpaste, such as Prevident 5000. It contains 5 times the amount of fluoride found in regular toothpaste. It can work like potassium nitrate to reduce sensitivity, while also greatly decreasing your risk of cavities.

If you have any questions about tooth sensitivity, feel free to give us a call, ask us on Facebook, or ask us at your next appointment.