Smiling and Laughing – It’s Healthy!

At our office, we believe in smiles. Having a healthy smile not only looks great, feels great, and is great for you physical health…it’s also great for your mental state and overall well-being. Research shows that there are definite health benefits in direct correlation with smiling and laughing. Let’s talk about them today.

We’ve all heard of endorphins right? They’re a chemical in our body that makes us happy and lowers our stress levels. Often they’re associated with physical exercise, but they’re also released when you smile. Whether the smile is real or fake! Can you believe that? So once you smile, the muscle movements in your face trigger the release of these chemicals. 

Endorphins are an amazing part of our biology. They work to lower our stress level by reducing the stress hormone cortisol. Endorphins even help  minimize physical pain and increase your pain tolerance. Smiling and laughing more has also been linked to lower blood pressure, lower blood sugar, improved immune system functionality and mucus minimization. While we by no means claim that a simple smile and laugh can achieve all of this instantly, studies do connect these health benefits with a lifestyle that includes more smiling and laughing.

One more great advantage has to do with the benefits of a happy and positive lifestyle – which is also connected to the way you feel.  It’s no secret that smiling can make you more attractive to people, making you more approachable too. For your overall well-being and social life, whether it be at home or work, a smile a day goes a very long way :)

Flossing 101

Flossing is an important part of your daily routine. It loosens up plaque wedged between your teeth and is a great defense to help fight against gum disease and tooth decay. All in all, we're big fans of flossing, and always advise our patience to make it a habit. 

We always want our patience to get the most out of their dental health routine day to day. So we'd like share 3 tips for flossing the right way.

1. Position Yourself

Wrap the floss around both middle fingers and grip the floss between your thumbs and pointer fingers. Make sure you're working with around 20 inches of thread each time your floss. More is more when it comes to floss!

2. Be Kind

It's all about being gentle. Don't forcefully push the thread into place. Once you've positioned the floss between your teeth, lightly curve the thread down, then up, around the sides of each tooth.

 

3. Stay At It

Consistency counts when it comes to flossing. It's a great habit to get into every day, and once it's a part of your daily routine it really becomes second nature. Plus, the more your teeth and gums are used to flossing, the less painful the process will be as your gums become stronger. 

So position yourself, be kind to your gums, and stay at it - soon you'll be a flossing pro!

'Filling you in'

We have two brand new members to our Toms River Family Dental Team! We couldn't be more thrilled.

• Harry is our new, full-time dental assistant and he's already a patient favorite! So happy to have him as a part of the family.
• Dr. Jesse Hofer is our new board certified Periodontist! He'll be at our practice every Thursday and many Fridays. We're very excited to have him with us!

Scholarship Awards Night!

We are so pleased to talk about our first annual Toms River Family Dental Scholarship Awards, held on July 2nd. With so many promising applicants it was not easy to choose who would be awarded the scholarships, but in the end three candidates stood out among the rest.

High school seniors from our three local Toms River high schools were asked to submit essays about why they chose to enter the health care field. Our winners were Molly Applegate from Toms River South, Victoria Emm from Toms River North, and Miles Stafford from Toms River East. Each were awarded $500 scholarships, along with a party we threw for them.

Two things we at Toms River Family Dental love to do is support our community and help support students as they achieve their goals. This was a way to accomplish both, and it's a new tradition we are very excited about.

So sending a BIG congratulations to all of our winners and their (rightfully) proud families. It was a wonderful night to help jumpstart three very bright futures.

Toothbrush Tips

Happy day before the Fourth of July everyone! Hope you're gearing up for a long weekend filled with friends, family, food, fun and flossing! Today we wanted to discuss your toothbrush. It's an important part of your life and everyday routine, but it's something we often don't think about. Before the festivities of the holiday begin, here are some tips to keep in mind about your toothbrush technique.

1. Don't Share It, Ever
Even if it belongs to your family member, we never recommend sharing toothbrushes. Not only that, but it's important to keep your toothbrush in a separate place from any others. Any opportunity for toothbrushes to touch is an opportunity for germs to spread - and that's not good!

2. Keep It Germ Free
Having you toothbrush resting in a cup by itself is a great storage routine. By doing this, the toothbrush remains upright to dry faster once you've rinsed it off. It's the safest way to rid the toothbrush of any bacteria.

3. Toss It
We believe in using your best judgement about when to toss your toothbrush. If at any point there's hesitation around whether to keep it or not, our advice is to just ditch it for a new one. Better safe than sorry. If there bristles are frayed or you've had it for longer than two months, it's time for a new brush!

Happy July 4th to all of our patients! Enjoy it!

3 Myths About Cavities

Cavities - the word alone strikes fear into the heart of kids and adults alike. But for a word that is so scary, so many patients have some very basic misconceptions about cavities - and that's what we'll be discussing this week! Let's start with the first myth...

1. Children are more prone to cavities

That's false! In the past, cavities have been heavily associated with children because they typically took care of their teeth the least. But this simply isn't so anymore, thanks to modern day advancements and parents helping kids brush. All teeth, little or big, are prone to cavities equally. 

2. You'll know it when you feel it

The truth is, when small cavities are beginning to form it's unlikely there will be any pain or symptoms associated. It's only when a cavity is large enough to cause nerve damage that patients will experience pain. Regularly visiting us is the best way to catch the start of a cavity.

3. Fillings Don't Last

Fillings DO last (if they're taken care of). Fillings only need to be replaced if they crack or if a cavity forms around them. Proper care of your teeth, and coming in for regular cleanings is the best way to keep your fillings intact. 

And there you have it! Our 3 big cavity myths, dispelled. So as you're drinking your sugary summer drinks and eating at barbeques, just remember to brush, floss and rinse afterwards! Do you have any cavities? What was the experience like? Tell us in the comments section below, we love to hear from our patients! 

Breathe Easy - 5 Ways To Ward Off Bad Breath

Many of our patients come to us with dental questions and issues that affect their day-to-day lives. One of the most common topics we hear about is bad breath. It's a problem that results in insecurity and frustration, but lucky for our patients, it's also an issue that can be helped through proper oral care. We want to share five tips that can combat bad breath, and debunk the myth that there's no simple solution to do so.

1. Brush AND floss more than you already do.

Do you currently just brush and not floss? We definitely suggest adding flossing into the mix. Do you brush and floss twice a day? Try doing it three times, once after each meal.

2. Stop smoking.

Smoking is one of the leading causes of bad breath. Cigarettes dry out your palette and leave smoke particles in your throat that can linger with a tobacco-like smell for hours. Not only that, smoking stains your teeth and deteriorates your gums. 

3. Steer clear of onions, garlic, and spicy foods.

These foods, in particular, are known to cause bad breath. Even brushing and flossing right after consuming these foods can often not help defeat their potency. For patients that already deal with bad breath issues, we suggest staying away as much as possible. 

4. Keep your tongue clean.

Bacteria that causes bad breath is often sitting on your tongue. Keeping that surface clean is crucial, and we suggest using a toothbrush or a tongue scraper to do the trick. By incorporating this into your regular brushing and flossing habits, it will become second nature. 

5. Stay hydrated. 

Drinking water isn't only important for your overall health, it's important for your breath too! Keeping your palette wet and salvia flowing is necessary for a clean and healthy mouth. If food particles sit for too long without being washed away, it's a recipe for bad breath. Even rinsing your mouth with water or mouthwash can help.

Have you followed these steps and seen results? Let us know in the comments section below! And remember, we're always here for our patients to help with any issues that may arise. Keep having a wonderful Summer and breathe easy!  

What’s New? Laser Dentistry

Staying on the cutting edge of dentistry and putting the comfort and health of our patients first are always our priorities. Lucky for us, laser dentistry accomplishes those goals. With a brand new laser in the office, our team has already put it to great use.

We are using this technology for so many aspects of progressive dental health. For instance, to treat gum disease and tooth decay, for biopsy or lesion removal, and for diminishing bleeding and swelling. The laser is also an asset for cosmetic improvements such as gum contouring and teeth whitening.

However, what has really been most exciting for patients is its ability to remove canker and cold sores.  Often a painful annoyance for many people, these types of sores can be effectively removed without surgery and with haste.

Here are Dr. Lisa Indelicato and Dr. Khani Nguyen treating a patient with our new laser.

The laser works by delivering energy in the form of light. It’s one of the many ways we are keeping a laser-sharp focus on patients and their well-being.

'Filling you in'

• Our Dental Assistant Dana Ventura passed her Certified Dental Assisting License Test. While Dana has been x-ray certified for years, this is a major step for her and one the whole team is very proud of.

• Do you follow us on Facebook and Twitter? Look out for a very big giveaway coming soon, only available for Toms River Family Dental fans!