Immunizations and Dental Health

Posted April 24, 2012 by Dr. Stewart

This week is National Infant Immunization Week, and as a Livonia, MI family dentist, Dr. James Stewart wants to discuss the importance of immunizations and quality dental care when it comes to laying a solid foundation for lifelong health for your child.

Why are Immunizations Important?

Immunizations are designed to protect children from certain diseases and health conditions to help ensure that they grow to live healthy and high-quality lives. There are currently fourteen vaccine-preventable diseases, and it’s the mission of National Infant Immunization Week to urge parents, caregivers, and healthcare provides to ensure that infants are fully immunized against them.

Vaccines exist because scientific and technological advancements allowed researchers to find a cure for serious infectious diseases that once killed or harmed infants, children, and adults. As a parent, don’t you want to do everything in your power to ensure that your child is healthy for many years to come? Of course you do. That’s why it’s important to fully immunize your child and maintain a dedication to quality dental care.

Why is Dental Care so Important?

Just like immunizations, dental care plays a large part in your child’s current and future health. Dental caries—also called cavities and tooth decay—is the most widespread childhood disease, yet it is easily preventable with proper at-home dental hygiene and quality professional dental care. (more…)

Parents, Give Your Child the Gift of a Beautiful Smile

Posted April 19, 2012 by Dr. Stewart

We’re already more than halfway through April, which means that May—and the end of the school year—is right around the corner. The end of the school year brings a lot of big events for senior students, including prom, senior pictures, and graduation. Today, Livonia, MI cosmetic and family dentist Dr. James Stewart wants to urge you to give your child a graduation gift that he or she will love: a bright white smile.

Teeth Whitening in Livonia

As the parent of a graduating senior, you want your child to remember the last few weeks of school and the coming summer fondly. After all, it is the summer before he or she heads off to college and embarks on a brand new life. To help your child smile as big and brightly as possible as he or she walks across the stage and receives his or her hard-earned diploma–and as he or she meets new people at college in the fall—it’s time to consider teeth whitening.

With a few weeks left until prom, senior pictures, and graduation, there’s just enough time to help your child whiten his or her smile. How? With professional-strength teeth whitening from Dr. Stewart. We offer two kinds of teeth whitening treatments to our patients from across the greater Livonia and Farmington Hills areas: in-office and at-home teeth whitening. (more…)

Athletic Mouth Guards for Livonia Athletes

Posted April 17, 2012 by Dr. Stewart

As a parent, would you let your child ride a bike or play football or hockey without a helmet? No, you would probably do everything in your power to keep your child safe from potential injury. The month of April is National Facial Protection Month, and Livonia, MI dentist Dr. James Stewart wants to discuss why an athletic mouth guard should be a part of every athlete’s uniform.

Why do I need an Athletic Mouth guard?

Mouth guards are worn inside of the mouth to protect the teeth, gums, tongue, and other oral structures from injury during physical activity. Most people believe that only athletes of contact sports need to wear a mouth guard, but athletes of all kinds are at risk for damaging their smiles. In fact, up to forty percent of sports injuries directly affect the face.

In an effort to be safe rather than sorry, the American Dental Association, the Academy of Sports Dentistry, and Dr. Stewart recommend mouth guards for athletes who participate in the following sports:

Acrobatics
Bandi
Baseball
Basketball
Bicycling
Boxing
Equestrian Events (more…)

Post-Operative Instructions from Your Livonia Dentist

Posted April 12, 2012 by Dr. Stewart

Over the past few weeks, Livonia dentist Dr. James Stewart has explained what to do following your cosmetic, periodontal, and restorative dental work. Today, Dr. Stewart wants to explain the post-operative instructions for two of the more invasive procedures we offer at our Livonia, MI dentist office: tooth extraction and root canal therapy.

After Tooth Extraction

Following your tooth extraction, it’s important for a blood clot to form so that the extraction site can begin healing. To encourage clotting, we will ask you to bite on a sterilized gauze pad at the end of your procedure. If the bleeding continues, change the gauze pad every thirty minutes and continue biting. A blood clot has formed once the bleeding subsides. To protect the blood clot, refrain from smoking, sucking through a straw, rinsing your mouth vigorously, cleaning the teeth immediately next to the extraction site, and chewing near the extraction site. (more…)

Taking Care of Your Mouth Following Periodontal Surgery

Posted April 10, 2012 by Dr. Stewart

Over the past few weeks, Livonia, MI dentist Dr. James Stewart has discussed what to do to ensure the health and wellbeing of your smile makeover following dental work at our Farmington Hills-area dentist office. Today, Dr. Stewart wants to continue this information by sharing what you should do following periodontal surgery.

After Periodontal Surgery

As is the case with a number of dental procedures, your lips, teeth, and tongue may feel numb for several hours following your periodontal surgery. To protect yourself from biting your mouth or harming your dental work, avoid chewing until the numbness has completely worn off, and don’t eat anything for at least two hours following the procedure.

To reduce some of the initial discomfort, take pain medication as prescribed by Dr. Stewart. Apply an ice pack—twenty minutes on, then twenty minutes off—for approximately six hours following the surgery. To reduce pain and swelling twenty-four hours following your dental work, rinse your mouth with warm salt water approximately every six hours. Continue to take any antibiotics prescribed by Dr. Stewart or another physician for the indicated length of time. (more…)

Celebrate World Health Day with Dental Care in Livonia, MI

Posted April 5, 2012 by Dr. Stewart

This Saturday, April 7, is World Health Day, and, in honor of this observance day, Livonia, MI dentist Dr. James Stewart encourages you to think about all aspects of your health and consider what you can do to make a positive change. Because oral and overall health are so closely connected, taking better care of your teeth and gums is a great place to start.

Good Health Adds Years to Your Life

The theme of World Health Day 2012 is “Good Health Adds Years to Your Life,” and Dr. Stewart and our team couldn’t agree with this statement more. As a family and general dentist serving the Farmington Hills area, Dr. Stewart treats patients of all ages, and it is our goal to help our patients achieve and maintain healthy smiles to ensure healthy, high-quality living. (more…)

Taking Care of Your New Smile After Cosmetic Reconstruction in Livonia

Posted April 3, 2012 by Dr. Stewart

A few weeks ago, Livonia dentist Dr. James Stewart discussed how to keep your mouth and dental work safe following dental filling, dental crown, and dental bridge appointments. Today, Dr. Stewart wants to discuss how to care for your new smile following cosmetic reconstruction.

After Cosmetic Reconstruction

It is important to remember that your mind and body need time to adjust to your new bite following your cosmetic reconstructive procedure. For some patients, it can take up to a week for the brain to recognize the new bite as “normal.” If you continue to have problems adjusting to your bite, call Dr. Stewart’s Farmington Hills dentist office at (734) 425-4400.

You might experience some heat, cold, and pressure sensitivity, as well as some soreness for up to a few days following your dental work. To relieve your discomfort, rinse your mouth three times a day with warm salt water and take mild pain relievers as needed. Continue normal dental hygiene, including brushing, flossing, and attending professional dental checkups and cleanings. (more…)

Dental Health and Diabetes Advice from Your Livonia Dentist

Posted March 27, 2012 by Dr. Stewart

Today, Tuesday, March 27, 2012, is American Diabetes Alert Day hosted by the American Diabetes Association. In honor of this national day of observance, Livonia, MI dentist Dr. James Stewart wants to discuss how oral health and diabetes are closely connected.

Is There a Connection Between Gum Disease and Diabetes?

Gum disease—an infection of the gums that causes the gum tissue to pull away from the teeth—is an unexpected condition that often occurs with diabetes. In fact, research shows that people with diabetes have an increased chance of developing gum disease, in addition to heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and other serious health problems.

Recent research suggests that the relationship between gum disease and diabetes is a two-way street, meaning people with diabetes are more susceptible to gum disease, and gum disease contributes to the advancement of diabetes by affecting the blood glucose levels. (more…)

Keeping Dental Work Safe After Your Livonia Dental Appointment

Posted March 22, 2012 by Dr. Stewart

Livonia, MI dentist Dr. James Stewart provides cosmetic, restorative, general, and preventive dental care to patients of all ages from across the greater Farmington Hills area. To help you achieve the healthiest and most attractive smile possible, Dr. Stewart will use every aspect of his expertise while you’re in his dental chair. Still, Dr. Stewart’s efforts can only be preserved if you take care of your dental work after you leave our dentist office. Over the next few weeks, we’ll cover what you should do to protect your newly treated smile following your dental procedures.

Caring for Your Dental Filling

Today, Dr. Stewart wants to discuss caring for your dental work after dental filling, crown, and bridge appointments.

Depending on your needs, Dr. Stewart might use anesthetic when placing a dental filling. If local anesthetic is used, your lips and tongue may feel numb for several hours following your procedure. To protect yourself from biting your tongue or burning your mouth, avoid chewing and eating or drinking anything hot until the numbness subsides. It’s also normal to experience some soreness in your gums, as well as sensitivity to heat, cold, and pressure following your appointment. If this occurs, rinse your mouth three times a day with warm salt water to reduce any swelling and discomfort. (more…)

Treating TMJ/TMD in Livonia

Posted March 20, 2012 by Dr. Stewart

Livonia, MI dentist Dr. James Stewart strives to help his patients achieve and maintain healthy, high quality lives, and, sometimes, this goes beyond the basic health of your teeth and gums. One of Dr. Stewart’s areas of expertise is treatment for TMJ conditions to help his patients restore function, comfort, and ease to their daily lives.

Why TMJ is Painful

Your TMJ—short for temporomandibular joint—is one of the most complex joints in your body and is responsible for all movement of your jaw, including speaking, yawning, biting, chewing, and—most importantly—opening and closing your mouth. Anytime the alignment of your jaw is out of place, often as a result of injury, bruxism (teeth grinding and clenching), or a bad bite relationship, TMD (temporomandibular joint dysfunction) can occur, and the result can be painful.

This pain is caused by the added stress and strain placed on the muscles and nerves surrounding the TMJ. For many patients, TMJ pain affects the head, neck, mouth, jaw, shoulders, or lower back. You might also experience worn teeth, bruxism, a clicking or popping noise when you move your jaw, ringing in your ears, and other symptoms. (more…)