How Much Sleep Do You Need?

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Everyone needs sleep to rejuvenate their brain and body and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Depending on several factors, however, how much sleep you need to be fully rested can greatly differ from how much sleep somebody else needs. Livonia sleep dentist Dr. James Stewart wants you to know how your age and gender effect how much sleep you need so that you can be bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, and wide awake during the day and the get the good night’s sleep you need at night.

Age and Developmental Stage

It’s obvious that our sleep needs and patterns change throughout our lives. Additionally, sleep needs vary from person to person within the same age group, often of a result of stress, sickness, weight, lifestyle, and other factors.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, these are the general sleep needs for people of all ages during a 24-hour time period:

  • Infants (younger than 11 months) need 14-15 hours
  • Toddlers need 12-14 hours
  • Preschool-age children need 11-13 hours
  • Children (ages 5 to 11) need 10-11 hours (more…)

filed under: About Sleep

Comprehensive Dental Care From Your Livonia Dentist

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Can you believe that, thanks to teeth whitening and porcelain dental crowns, these teeth…

…were transformed into these teeth?

And that, thanks to porcelain crowns and a partial denture, these teeth…

…became these teeth?

The above photos are just two examples of the smile makeovers completed by Livonia comprehensive care dentist Dr. James Stewart. Offering general, preventive, restorative, and cosmetic dental care to his patients of all ages, Dr. Stewart and our dental care team have seen patients overcome severe oral health problems, achieve healthy teeth and gums, maintain healthy smiles, and eat, speak, and smile with renewed confidence, comfort, and ease. As a comprehensive care dentist, Dr. Stewart has the expertise and experience needed to treat patients of all ages with a variety of dental needs, but how exactly does he do this? (more…)

filed under: Cosmetic Dentistry, Restorative Dentistry

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Which Medical Problem is Causing Your Oral Problem?

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At your appointment with Dr. Stewart, we will take a full medical health assessment to determine if any of your health conditions could be affecting your mouth. How much do you know about your oral systemic health? See if you can match up which health problems and oral problems are related.

Health Problem:                    Dental Symptom:
1. Headaches                                 a. Advanced periodontal disease
2. Pregnancy                                 b. Mouth sores
3. Cancer                                        c. Dry mouth
4. Loose teeth                               d. Enamel erosion
5. Heart attack                              e. TMJ
6. Medications                              f. Inflammation
7. Acid Reflux                               g. Swollen gums

(more…)

filed under: Healthy Living, Oral Health

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Mouthwash Campaign Promotes Important Oral Rinsing

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You know you have to brush and floss daily to keep your mouth healthy, but one part of oral hygiene often gets overlooked: mouthwash. Mouthwash brand Listerine and superstar Kristin Chenoweth have teamed up to promote the importance of oral hygiene.

Your Mouth Has Something to Say

Listerine’s campaign, “Your Mouth Has Something to Say,” was designed to spread awareness for America’s Toothfairy, a national nonprofit foundation that focuses on pediatric dental disease and childhood oral health. Tooth decay is the number two most widespread childhood illness, coming in second to the common cold. The organization promotes that pediatric dental disease is preventable and treatable by following proper oral health care.

The campaign is derived from a study by Listerine Whitening that found that almost half of Americans are ashamed of their smiles and 43 percent of people don’t smile in photos because they have stained teeth.

The makers of Listerine are contributing $100,000 to America’s Toothfairy and an additional dollar each time the video is viewed. Chenoweth is the campaign spokesperson and her voice helps narrate and promote the video trailers. She is very excited to work with Listerine to “celebrate our smiles and help children get the healthy smiles they deserve.”

(more…)

filed under: General, Oral Health

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Drooling On Your Dentist

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Your mouth may water while thinking about a delicious meal or possibly while watching your celebrity crush on the big screen. When your saliva begins to drip out of your mouth, it’s called drooling. Many people are embarrassed when they drool, but one place you shouldn’t be ashamed of drooling is at Dr. Stewart’s dentist office.

Why Do I Drool?

When your mouth produces more saliva than you can swallow, it flows out of your mouth. Dental procedures require you to frequently open and close your mouth, which stimulates your salivary glands. The treatments and dental tools in your mouth may prevent you from swallowing normally. With your mouth open, the saliva will overflow and start to drip out.

But don’t worry—Dr. Stewart sees slobber all the time. In fact, it’s more of a problem if you don’t produce saliva, because that could be a sign of dry mouth. Saliva is necessary to keep your mouth clean and moist.

(more…)

filed under: Family Dentistry

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Patient Word of Mouth

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Choosing a dentist is an important decision to make in order to ensure you get the best oral care possible. You want to find a dentist who is trustworthy and experienced. Dr. Stewart and our team are devoted to making patients feel comfortable and confident in their smiles. Take a look at why some of our current patients are smiling.

Joe: “Having my teeth bonded by Dr. Stewart is one of the best things that I have ever decided to do. I used to hate smiling for pictures and I would always cover my mouth when laughing. Now I have a contagious smile and I receive many compliments. I’m forever grateful!”

Michelle: “I knew you were a kind, gentle dentist, but what you did with my teeth is an absolute miracle!”

Shannon: “I have a lot of faith in Dr. Stewart and would trust him for anything. I believe he is a perfectionist and takes pride in his work…. He has the capabilities of doing anything and has the education and credentials to prove it.”

Toya: “An otherwise dreaded process was pleasant, starting with the warm greeting the moment I walked through the door… My sincere appreciation for your quality care.”

Ron: “Your expertise in dentistry shows in my smile. My teeth are absolutely perfect; strangers approach me and comment on my teeth.”

To experience our dental services for yourself, contact our dentist office in Livonia, MI, at (734) 425-4400 to schedule an appointment. We welcome families from the surrounding areas of Farmington Hills, Plymouth, Novi, Dearborn, Redford, and other nearby communities.

filed under: Dr. Stewart, Family Dentistry

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Reasons to Smile About Soup

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The weather is turning colder, and you may want to warm up your body with a nice bowl of soup. Approximately ten billion bowls of soup are consumed in the U.S. every year, most of which are consumed in January for National Soup Month. Although we only celebrate it in January, there are many benefits to eating soup all year long.

Convenient

The Greeks began selling soup on the street in about 600 B.C. They added peas, beans, and lentils to a bowl to make it a type of “fast food.”  Soup is quick and easy to eat because it’s usually already made for you. Most soups come in a can and just need to be heated up. You can also stock up when they go on sale for the winter, because soups tend to last a while in your pantry. Homemade soups are also convenient. You can just throw all your favorite ingredients into a pot, heat it up, and you’re ready to go. In contrast, many other “fast foods” are loaded with sugar and carbs that are bad for both your smile and your waistline.

(more…)

filed under: Healthy Living, Nutrition

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Tongue-Tying Twisters

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Your tongue is an important part of your oral health. It’s useful for tasting, swallowing, chewing, cleaning your teeth, and speaking. Almost half of the bacteria in your mouth and 90 percent of your taste buds live on the surface of your tongue. Although your tongue is the most flexible muscle in your body, sometimes it doesn’t shift fast enough, leaving you tongue-tied.

A tongue twister is a phrase or sequence of words that uses alliteration and rhyme. It is often difficult to pronounce quickly without blundering. Certain sound sequences require your tongue to change positions very quickly, and when trying to repeat the phrase your tongue begins to slow down. Some tongue twisters are used for games to produce amusing results and confusion. They can be used as a competition to see how many times you can repeat the phrase quickly without stumbling.

Tongue twisters are also used for articulation and learning purposes. Public speakers and actors may repeat an alliterated phrase several times to get their tongue flowing so they don’t flub their lines. People with speech difficulties may also use tongue twisters to practice their pronunciation and certain sounds.

(more…)

filed under: Just for Fun, Oral Health

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Happy Holidays From Your Dentist!

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Dr. Stewart and our team want to wish you a Happy Holidays filled with friends, family, fun, and smiles!

Remember to choose tooth-friendly treats and protect your smile through your holiday activities.

After your celebrations, be sure to stop by our office for a cleaning and checkup to keep your mouth safe into the New Year. It’s also a great time to maximize your insurance benefits before they reset, and get a jump start on using your freshly renewed benefits come January 1st. Call us today to reserve your appointments for 2012. The earlier you call in to schedule, the more likely you are to get the timeslots that fit into your busy lives.

Happy Holidays from Dr. Stewart and our team!

filed under: Dr. Stewart, Just for Fun

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A Testimonial From a Happy Sleeper

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Sleep apnea is a breathing disorder than can interfere with your sleep. Your airwaves may become blocked while you sleep, offsetting your sleep-wake cycle and causing health problems. Fortunately, Dr. Stewart can help relieve your sleep problems by providing personal service to you and adjusting his treatments to solve your needs. Here’s one testimonial from a now-happy sleeper.

“Dr. Stewart,

I want to first thank you for your wonderful service. I’ve had severe sleep apnea for over nine years and have been using a mask with my CPAP machine. At a visit with my sleep apnea doctor, I explained how well the CPAP has been working for me, but that the mask sometimes puts pressure on my head and causes me to wake up with headaches. He suggested that I see a dentist that specializes in sleep apnea, because they made a dental appliance that had an attachment that would connect to my machine and my nose to replace my mask.

(more…)

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