Good dental health means having healthy teeth and gums. Maintaining it is something that you have to work at every day. It can be a real balancing act: using the right oral care products, your personal oral care habits, and seeing us at Arbor Lakes Dental in Maple Grove twice a year.

Your dental health strategy should include:

• Daily brushing and flossing. You should brush and floss twice a day. Just before bedtime is especially important, because it cleans out the germs and plaque that build up during the course of the day.
• Proper brushing. It’s important not only to brush, but to brush properly. Use a soft-bristled toothbrush in a gentle, circular motion along the gum line. Take your time; a minimum of two minutes is recommended. Don’t forget to brush your tongue!
• Using fluoridated toothpaste. There is a myriad of choices when it comes to toothpaste. Whether you prefer mint flavored or bubble gum, fluoride is the most important consideration. It is your best defense against cavities.
• Limiting sugary and acidic foods. Acidic fruits, teas, and coffee contributes to enamel erosion. Sugar converts into acid when it’s in your mouth. You don’t have to avoid these foods entirely, but choose carefully and minimize.
• Seeing the dentist twice a year. You saw this one coming, right? Your daily dental health care habits are essential, but so is the attention and care of a dentist. A professional teeth cleaning alone is worth the trip, but we can also identify issues before they become serious, and treat them.

At Arbor Lakes Dental in Maple Grove, we want all our patients to enjoy excellent dental health. Our services include family and cosmetic dentistry. Schedule an appointment with us today!

Contact Arbor Lakes Dental – Jamie L. Sledd, DDS:

763-494-4443

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

12000 Elm Creek Blvd N Ste 230
Maple Grove, Minnesota
55369

This Arbor Lakes Dental post looks at oil pulling, an alternative practice that has been generating a lot of buzz lately.

Oil pulling has been a part of Indian Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years. It is the practice of swishing oil in the mouth for twenty minutes to benefit the teeth, gums and overall health and well-being. The oils most commonly used are coconut oil, sesame oil, and sunflower oil.

Proponents claim that it detoxifies the mouth, cleans plaque, reduces inflammation, cures bad breath, whitens teeth, kills infection, and boosts the immune system. Some advocates even claim that it “cures” cavities and periodontal disease.

What does the American Dental Association say about oil pulling? Here is an excerpt from a May 2014 article:

“To date, scientific studies have not provided the necessary clinical evidence to demonstrate that oil pulling reduces the incidence of dental caries, whitens teeth or improves oral health and well-being. Based on the lack of currently available evidence, oil pulling is not recommended as a supplementary oral hygiene practice, and certainly not as a replacement for standard, time-tested oral health behaviors and modalities. The ADA recommends that patients follow a standard oral hygiene regimen that includes twice-daily toothbrushing with fluoride toothpaste and cleaning between teeth once a day with floss or another interdental cleaner, using ADA-Accepted products. Brushing with fluoride toothpaste and cleaning between teeth help prevent cavities and keep gums healthy.”¹

At Arbor Lakes Dental  in Maple Grove, we caution patients not to replace brushing, flossing, and regular dental cleanings/exams with oil pulling. We provide top-quality dental care for every member of your family. Services include family and cosmetic dentistry. Schedule an appointment today.

Contact Arbor Lakes Dental – Jamie L. Sledd, DDS:

763-494-4443

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

12000 Elm Creek Blvd N Ste 230
Maple Grove, Minnesota
55369

You would never consider running a red light at a busy intersection, or crossing over a lane of orange construction cones on the freeway. But a word of caution from Arbor Lakes Dental in Maple Grove: you might do some everyday things that are risky to your dental health.

What follows are some common habits that could be detrimental to the health of your teeth.

Crunching ice between your teeth might be refreshing, but it can actually break a tooth. It can also harm the soft tissue inside your mouth. If this tissue gets irritated, you’re more likely to get toothaches and have increased sensitivity to hot or cold foods.

Participating in your favorite sport without a mouth guard is a risk that no one should take. If there is a chance that a mouth injury could occur (and there is with most sports) then get yourself fitted with a mouth guard.

Using your teeth to open anything is a bad idea. Every time your teeth come in contact with foreign objects there is potential for chipping and cracking. Remember, there’s always a right tool for the job.

Now that you know how to avoid these risks, please take the appropriate precautions! It really doesn’t take much to protect your teeth, and it is totally worth the effort.

At Arbor Lakes Dental in Maple Grove, we want all of our patients to have and keep healthy teeth and gums. Our services include family and cosmetic dentistry. Schedule your next cleaning and checkup today.

Contact Arbor Lakes Dental – Jamie L. Sledd, DDS:

763-494-4443

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

12000 Elm Creek Blvd N Ste 230
Maple Grove, Minnesota
55369

People who wait to have a sore tooth checked usually end up saying, “I wish I had seen the dentist sooner.” A toothache is sending a simple message. Something is wrong, and you should call Arbor Lakes Dental in Maple Grove without delay.

A tooth may become sensitive to pressure when chewing or biting, or to hot and cold beverages. Or there may be a sharp pain or a persistent, dull ache. If you wait, the cost to treat it may rise as the pain gets more acute.

Mouth pain is never “normal.” We will determine the cause of the pain so proper treatment can begin. Possible causes of pain include tooth decay, gum disease, a broken crown, mouth sores, bite issues, and TMD (temporomandibular disorder). Let us take care of you and you will quickly be back to pain-free eating, grimace-free speaking and better sleeping.

At Arbor Lakes Dental in Maple Grove, your dental health is important to us. We offer family and cosmetic dentistry and a full range of dental services. Schedule your next checkup with us today.

Contact Arbor Lakes Dental – Jamie L. Sledd, DDS:

763-494-4443

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

12000 Elm Creek Blvd N Ste 230
Maple Grove, Minnesota
55369

At Arbor Lakes Dental in Maple Grove, we want excellent dental health for all our patients, and constantly remind them to brush and floss after every meal. And most of our patients take that advice to heart. But what are you supposed to do in the middle of the day? You’re out and about, and your usual stuff – that favorite toothpaste, the container of dental floss – is at home in the bathroom.

What’s the best way to keep your teeth clean between meals?

One of the best things you can do is rinse your mouth with water after you eat. That alone will give your whole mouth a quick cleansing.

A quick brushing is good, too. An excellent trick is what we call dry brushing. That means brushing your teeth without toothpaste. Yes, it sounds a bit strange – but it’s effective, especially if you can use a little water, too. (We know of other dentists who do it themselves.) It isn’t the way you would brush at home, of course, but it’s going to clean the surfaces of your teeth – and that’s half the battle.

The other half of the battle is the stuff that gets between your teeth. A good solution here is using floss picks. They’re no substitute for regular dental floss, but because they have a little handle, you can do it one-handed and without the aid of a mirror. (Just be sure you use regular floss later on, before bed.)

Another effective trick is chewing sugarless gum. It only takes about five minutes of chewing to get the benefits. The gum will remove a lot of the surface debris from your teeth. It also gets your saliva going, which in turn promotes re-mineralization. That’s the process of replacing minerals in your teeth.

Still another good idea is to eat healthy snacks. Raw vegetables and nuts are always a better choice than a cookie or candy bar, or some other sugary treat. Not only that, these rough-textured foods help to scrub your teeth as you chew.

At Arbor Lakes Dental in Maple Grove, we want each of our patients to keep their teeth clean during the day, and hope these suggestions help. We would also like to see you in the office every six months. Our services include family and cosmetic dentistry. Call today to schedule your next checkup.

Contact Arbor Lakes Dental – Jamie L. Sledd, DDS:

763-494-4443

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

12000 Elm Creek Blvd N Ste 230
Maple Grove, Minnesota
55369

When you leave Arbor Lakes Dental in Maple Grove after a cleaning and checkup, our front desk always makes sure to schedule your next appointment, six months down the road. Is twice a year really necessary? Isn’t having the dentist look inside your mouth once a year enough, for good dental health?

The short answer is: no. An unfortunate reality of dental health is that it doesn’t take very long for new problems to appear, and the sooner we identify and treat them, the better. You don’t want to give a cavity an extra six months to eat away at the enamel of your teeth.

We understand that no one really likes going to the dentist. Even when you’re confident that your teeth are in great shape, do you really want to sit for an hour while a hygienist pokes and scrapes your teeth and gum line?

But as the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Benjamin Franklin said that more than two hundred years ago, and it’s as true now as it was in his day. If you don’t have cleanings and checkups on a regular basis, you’re gambling with your dental health – and that can result in other health complications.

By now, we think you get the point. But here are three very good reasons to see us every six months:

• Plaque and tarter. Even brushing and flossing twice a day won’t get everything. There are areas that simply can’t be reached that way. Plaque and tartar has a way of settling into those areas, and should be removed frequently.
• Bad habits. When you see us on a regular basis, we have the chance to identify new problems that may appear. Additional stress in life may lead to teeth grinding or jaw clenching; the early stages of gum disease, not noticeable six months ago, may be plain to see. No matter the issue, early detection and early treatment are the best ways to treat it.
• Oral cancer check. You don’t have to be a smoker to get oral cancer, although tobacco use increases your risk. Once again, the sooner it is found, the better the chances of successful treatment and recovery.

During those six months between cleanings and checkups, remember to brush and floss your teeth twice a day. At Arbor Lakes Dental in Maple Grove, services include family and cosmetic dentistry. Schedule your next appointment with us today.

Contact Arbor Lakes Dental – Jamie L. Sledd, DDS:

763-494-4443

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

12000 Elm Creek Blvd N Ste 230
Maple Grove, Minnesota
55369

Health-conscious people want to keep their teeth as clean as possible. At Arbor Lakes Dental in Maple Grove, we applaud their efforts!

However, a lot of folks are also looking for convenience. We can’t really fault them for that. But a lot of them turn to floss picks instead of conventional dental floss, and as dental health professionals, that makes us a little uncomfortable.

These little tools are quite handy. They usually have a handle that is pointed and can double as a toothpick, and a length of floss strung in a U-shaped groove. They are economical and can be used more discretely than floss.

While this may seem like a dream come true for those hoping to make flossing a more regular part of their oral health routine, floss picks are a step below actual floss when it comes to effectiveness.

The American Dental Association has only approved regular dental floss for cleaning in between teeth. Why not floss picks? One issue with them is that the strand of floss on them won’t curve to form the angles needed for superior cleaning.

What is a person to do? Find that middle ground. We think floss picks are great during the day, since they fit easily into a purse or pocket. They’re there for after-lunch or after-snack flossing. But try to use regular dental floss every day, too. Before bedtime is ideal.

At Arbor Lakes Dental in Maple Grove, we like to see our patients stay on top of their dental health. That includes cleanings and checkups every six months. Our services include family and cosmetic dentistry. Schedule your next appointment today.

Call 763-494-4443 today to schedule an exam or consultation.

Contact Arbor Lakes Dental – Jamie L. Sledd, DDS:

763-494-4443

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

12000 Elm Creek Blvd N Ste 230
Maple Grove, Minnesota
55369