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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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filed under: Uncategorized

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Mouthwash Is Not Just For Your Mouth

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Mouthwash is an antiseptic that kills the bacteria in your mouth to leave your mouth fresh and clean. Dr. Stewart can show you how to incorporate oral rinsing into your hygiene behaviors. Keep the bottle handy, because you can also use the same mouthwash for other cleaning and medical uses.

  • Bruises: Mouthwash’s antiseptic properties promote faster healing. To help reduce the appearance of an ugly bruise, just dip a cotton ball in mouthwash and rub it on the area.
  • Itchiness: Poison ivy and bug bites can be painful, itchy, and very uncomfortable. Mouthwash will help dry out the infected area to make the healing process quicker. In addition, it will relieve the itchiness.
  • Sanitizer: The antiseptic properties don’t just work in your mouth. You can use mouthwash to clean and disinfect cuts, scrapes, and wounds. If your hands smell bad from cooking, cleaning, or any other activity, wash them with soap, water, and mouthwash to help mask the smell.

filed under: General, Healthy Living

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The Legend of the Tooth Fairy

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With the holidays right around the corner, everyone is talking about Santa Claus. But what about our other favorite character? When you lose a tooth, you are visited by a fairy who replaces your tooth with money. You may remember getting a few coins as a child, but in recent times, the Tooth Fairy is paying an average of $2 per tooth. Where did the tooth fairy legend originate?

Who is the Tooth Fairy?

Santa Claus lives in the North Pole with Mrs. Claus, has elves and reindeer to help him, and even has an established look. The Tooth Fairy, however, is based on individual imaginations. The fairy made her first appearance in the 1900s. The Tooth Fairy is most commonly believed to be a beautiful, small woman with wings, a magic wand, and a crown. When you place a lost tooth under your pillow at night, she comes in while you’re sleeping and replaces it with a reward. Since losing teeth is often a scary experience for young children, the prize helps make the process more fun. The Tooth Fairy is believed to have two different uses for teeth. One myth says that she turns teeth into stars in the sky, and the other says she uses the teeth she collects to help build a castle.

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filed under: Just for Fun

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How Much Do You Care About Your Smile?

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Do you skip your dental appointments with Dr. Stewart because you don’t have time or can’t afford it? Your teeth are not a luxury. Keeping a healthy smile is important to keep your mouth and overall body strong. Believe it or not, many people choose to neglect their dental health and spend their time and money on other luxuries, treats, and other less important habits.

If you find $100, what would you spend it on?

Americans spend about $2 billion on Halloween candy each year. It’s a little ironic that this is equal to the amount spent on dental products each year. About $1.8 billion is spent on toothpaste, $775 million on toothbrushes, and $885 million on oral antiseptics. It makes sense because you have to clean away all the candy you’ve eaten.

When you meet someone, what do you notice?

Usually the first thing someone notices about you is your eyes, followed by teeth and then hair. Since teeth seem to be more noticeable, you would think people would want to spend more money to make them look good. However, Americans only spend about $50 billion a year in the dental industry, including treatments and cleanings. On the contrary, $100 billion is spent in hair care.

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filed under: General, Just for Fun

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Licorice Helps Fight Cavities

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You may remember eating licorice candy as a kid. Licorice is used to flavor and sweeten candy, tobacco, and beverages. While you have probably heard that these sweet treats are bad for you, studies have found that compounds isolated from licorice root can actually be beneficial.

Protecting your mouth

Licorice candy is made from the dried root of the licorice plant. Extracts from this root have two compounds that can help inhibit the growth of Streptococcus mutans, the bacteria responsible for causing tooth decay. Chewing licorice root stimulates saliva and helps keep bacteria from sticking to your teeth.

In addition, licorice root extract can help cure canker sores. The herb’s main therapeutic compound, glycyrrhizin, has anti-inflammatory properties. Coating injured mouth tissues can help reduce pain and regenerate tissue cells to promote quicker healing.

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filed under: Healthy Living

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