Dalseth Family & Cosmetic Dentistry

Apple Valley, MN Dentist

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(952) 432-1101

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Giving thanks this holiday season

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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.

All about tooth sensitivity

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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.

November activities at our office!

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November is a busy month for all of us at Dalseth Family & Cosmetic Dentistry. It’s a month where we typically try to give back to the community and our staff. It is just one way to say thank you for supporting us all these years.

1. First, we are taking an afternnoon to go to Feed My Starving Children. As a team we pack meals to be shipped to people in impoverished nations, those strictened by drought and starvation. These meals contain all the essential vitamins, protein, and carbohydrates to prevent malnutrition and disease. It is a great way to bond as a team and think about those less fortunate.

2. Dr. Stephen Dalseth, Jodi, and Angie are headed to Haiti on Friday for a 10-day mission trip. They will be working at a sister parish of Church of the Risen Savior in Burnsville. Their main goal is to clean all of the school children’s teeth, check for cavities, and place sealants on their permanent molars to protect against cavities. They will also be treating adults, primarily through exodontia, or extracting teeth. Dr. Dalseth is very passionate about this trip and has gone for several years. He serves on the committee that organizes and plans this annnual trip. At the office we always look forward to a presentation and stories of the experiences they have had. You can follow the trip and learn more by visiting the Risen Savior Catholic Community website.


3. We also sponsor a couple of famillies over the holidays through Armful of Love. Members of our staff make a donation, and the office matches the dollar amount. Last year we were able to sponsor two families! We go shopping for the families and then wrap all of the gifts so Armful of Love can deliever them. It is a great way to give back during the holiday season.

4. Lastly, we have a family night at the office. During this family night, the spouses and children of our staff come to the office after hours and we have a tooth cleaning party! After the tooth cleaning, we have a pizza party. The kids love playing together and it is a great way to see the all of the families from our office together. It is amazing how much the kids change every six months. Look for pictures on our website and Facebook page in the near future!

We hope you all have a great November!

Stories of comfort at Dalseth Family and Cosmetic Dentistry

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Drs. Stephen Dalseth, Pascal Dalseth, Todd Weber, and Sara Michel and team strive to make our patients feel comfortable and safe in the office at each appointment. We love being able to give patients a beautiful smile. Here are a few great stories from our office:

We met a new patient who came to Dalseth Family & Cosmetic Dentistry to get a required check up before deployment. He was so anxious that he refused to come in past the doorway. We allowed him to sit in the doctors chair and talk about his concerns until he felt comfortable for us to take a look in his mouth. It turned out that he needed a lot of work done. Every tooth he had required some type of treatment. He knew that his anxiety and deeply rooted fear of the dentist caused him to have very infrequent visits to the dentist and his needs continued to pile up. We started out slow. Scheduling a few things at a time. Always making sure that he was comfortable. His treatment needs resulted in him having a total mouth reconstruction. He was deployed and spent a few years overseas. He told us when all his work was completed that we gave him his smile back. He had been embarrassed about the condition of his mouth for years and always held his hand over his mouth when talking and knew people thought he was crabby all the time because they never saw him smile. Its great to see that he is comfortable and trusting of our care and his renewed self confidence.

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We have a patient that has a terminal medical condition. His doctors haven’t given him very long to live. His disease has ravaged both his body and mouth. Now most people would think that your teeth would be the last thing on your mind if your going through this. When he came in and told us that he wanted us to fix his smile he said his reason for going through the work wasn’t for him but so that in his last days with his family they get to see his nice smile. He always comes in with a warm smile and kind words.

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We had a patient who struggled her whole life with mouth pain and what she thought were “ugly” teeth. She was terrified of the dentist and extremely embarrassed to have anyone see her teeth. She worked in a field that required that she have constant contact with the public and knew that not feeling comfortable to smile hindered that. She was a great candidate for implants and eventually had her mouth restored to great function and an even greater appearance. Not only was she able to smile the way she always wanted but she is one of a very small number of women that was happy to be able to gain weight since she no longer had any mouth pain.

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We see an older gentlemen who has Alzheimers. His wife is determined to make sure that his teeth are given the proper treatment. His memory of recent events is not as sharp as it used to be but he has a million stories to share about the life he’s led. He has taught us how to hunt and prepare a deer. He’s shown us the pictures to support his story. They are a sweet couple who always ask about how the staff and their children are doing despite their own trying circumstances.

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We saw a little girl for a cleaning one day. She was neither shy nor anxious. We giggled our way through the cleaning and she requested a certain toothbrush that we didn’t have on hand in the room. When I stepped out of the room to get it she thought it would be funny to play hide and seek. Fortunately she wasn’t a very good hider and her pigtail gave her away.

What do you love about Dalseth Family & Cosmetic Dentistry?

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From your very first visit to Dalseth Family & Cosmetic Dentistry our doctors and team strive to provide superior treatment in a pleasant, friendly atmosphere. We thought we’d ask you, our wonderful patients: Have you been especially impressed by the work of Drs Stephen Dalseth, Pascal Dalseth, Todd Weber, and Sara Michel? Did our team go out of their way to make your day? Are you in love with your new smile?

Whether you’ve just come in for a consultation or your family has been visiting our office for years, we’d love to hear your feedback. Or, you can tell us by posting on our Facebook page or by giving us a call!

Thank you,
The team at Dalseth Family & Cosmetic Dentistry

Moooooove over gum disease!

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Drs Stephen Dalseth, Pascal Dalseth, Todd Weber, and Sara Michel want to know: Is dairy a major part of your diet? If not, it should be! A study from the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) found that regular consumption of dairy products, such as milk, cheese and yogurt, can actually lower your chances of contracting periodontal disease (also known as gum disease). Results of the study also showed that adults who consume at least 55 grams of lactic acid a day are less at risk for gum disease.

Cheese is one of the healthiest snacks for your child’s teeth. In addition to providing large amounts of much-needed calcium, cheese also does its part to fight cavities. Cheddar, Swiss, Mozzarella, and Monterey Jack all stimulate the body’s salivary glands to clear the mouth of debris and protect them from acids that weaken them, according to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. This means cheese disrupts the development of cavities, especially when eaten as a snack or at the end of a meal. Calcium and phosphorous found in cheese reduce or prevent decreases in the plaque’s ph level and work to re-mineralize the enamel of your child’s teeth.

Gum disease is caused by a bacterial infection in the mouth that affects the gums and jaw. Gum disease results in a loss of teeth and bone, and has been connected to certain cases of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, respiratory disease and osteoporosis.

Eating dairy is not just healthy for building strong bones, but is essential for maintaining a strong, healthy mouth. Next time you reach for a quick snack, choose some cheese, or a glass of milk, and remember with each bite, and every sip you are preserving your teeth for a lifetime of smiles and good oral health!

For more information about which dairy foods are best for keeping your teeth healthy, please give us a call.

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Dalseth Family & Cosmetic Dental
14505 Glazier Ave.

Apple Valley, MN 55124

952.432.1101

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