dentist Archives - Eric Hull Aesthetic & General Dentistry

Mar18

Find Out How Your Smile Can Benefit From Tooth-Colored Fillings

tooth colored fillings

Most adults will have at least one cavity in their lives, so it’s no surprise that dealing with tooth decay is one of the most common problems addressed by dentists. When teeth have been damaged by decay, dental fillings are generally used to fill in the spot of the decay to prevent it from getting worse. In the past, a mixture—also called “amalgam”—of metals was used, but today we have other options, including composite, tooth-colored fillings.

About Dental Fillings

Dental fillings have been used for about the past 150 years. They are small dental restorations that are used for treating cavities, which are also called dental “caries.” Metal amalgam used to be the filling of choice until the 1990s and 2000s when composite materials began to be vastly improved. Now the benefits of tooth-colored fillings in Comstock Park have become quite well known and popular for dental restorations.

Benefits of Tooth-Colored Fillings

There are a number of advantages that only tooth-colored fillings provide, including:

They are more attractive than metal fillings. Because they are color-matched to the rest of your teeth, tooth-colored fillings blend in seamlessly with the rest of your teeth. They will not discolor with time either. You can smile with confidence at your cavity-free appearance. No one will even know the restoration is there!
They are less destructive. With tooth-colored fillings, more of the natural tooth can be kept intact than with metal fillings. This helps to maintain the tooth’s natural strength.
They are durable. Tooth-colored fillings last a long time; with the proper care, they can last for as long as a decade or beyond.

Learn More About the Advantages of Tooth-Colored Fillings

For more information about tooth-colored fillings and your many other options for effective dental restoration, be sure to contact us at Stewart and Hull Aesthetic and General Dentistry at 616-552-8307.

Jul26

Your Smile Doesn’t Have to Show Your Age

As we grow older, we may welcome many changes. However, most Comstock Park retirees do not welcome wrinkles, gray hair and dental problems.

Fortunately, your smile can be attractive and healthy throughout your golden years!

Even if your teeth are showing visible signs of wear such as enamel loss, staining, and chips, it is not too late to restore your youthful smile. And, though tooth loss is fairly common for Comstock Park residents over sixty, in most cases it is preventable.

At Stewart & Hull in the Rockford MI area, we treat patients of all ages. We are a general dental office with an emphasis on, and extensive continuing education in cosmetic dentistry and Invisalign.

If you live in Grand Rapids, Comstock Park, or Rockford MI, call 616-827-7019 to schedule a dental consultation. If you haven’t seen a dentist in a while, you will be interested to learn about the latest cosmetic dentistry techniques. Many procedures can be completed in one visit to our Comstock Park dental office.

Call Dr. Bruce A. Stewart or Dr. Eric Hull at 616-827-7019 or find us on the Web at: https://www.greatmismiles.com/

Jul12

Developing Good Dental Habits In Grand Rapids

Benjamin Franklin once said:

It is easier to prevent bad habits than to break them.

This holds true for almost everything in life, including dental care. For parents in the Comstock Park area, teaching your children good dental hygiene techniques early in life will help them avoid the lifelong consequences of poor oral health.

It is important to teach your children how to brush and floss at an early age, making sure they are thorough and brushing long enough. Developing these skills at an early age will prevent many future problems.

It’s very hard to convince older children that they should be spending two or three times longer brushing their teeth each morning and night than they do. But, proper brushing involves brushing for a minimum of two minutes. If children have brushed correctly for as long as they can remember, then their habits should be sufficient to avoid excessive dental decay or the need for children’s cosmetic dentistry in Comstock Park.

Dr. Bruce Stewart and Dr. Eric Hull are dentists serving the Rockford MI area. We know that helping children learn proper oral hygiene is an important indicator of future oral health, and we want to help Comstock Park parents teach these habits to their children.

If you are looking for quality dental care in the Grand Rapids, Comstock Park, or Rockford MI area, please call our office. We are currently accepting new patients, and we would love to help you learn how to teach kids good brushing habits or answer questions you may have about cosmetic dentistry or smile makeovers.

Our services include:

cosmetic dentistry
restorative dentistry
Invisalign
general dentistry
implant dentistry

Call today!

Stewart & Hull
769 York Creek Dr NW
Comstock Park, Michigan
616-827-7019
https://www.greatmismiles.com/meet-dr-bruce-stewart

Feb8

Soft, Medium, or Buzz Lightyear?

At Stewart & Hull Aesthetic & General Dentistry, Dr. Bruce Stewart is often asked how to choose the most basic tool of dental hygiene, the toothbrush. Picking a toothbrush in Rockford MI can be as difficult as choosing a paint color, and there seems to be just as many choices.

If you have visited the dental section of your local Grand Rapids grocery store or Rockford MI Walmart lately, you know what I am talking about. There are brushes with bristles of varying lengths, brushes that massage your gums, and brushes that change color when they are used up. (If I had to rate them purely on their fun factor, I would choose the Spiderman brush.)

Some toothbrush manufacturers claim their brushes freshen your breath or remove stains from your teeth. How do you choose?

One key factor is the firmness of the bristles. Hard bristles may be more effective for cleaning burnt steak off a grill or hard water deposits off a shower floor. However, this does not hold true for your teeth. Medium and firm brushes can damage your gums. Soft and extra-soft bristles are plenty stiff enough to clean plaque, food particles, and surface stains from your teeth. Soft bristles also offer more flexibility for hard-to-reach nooks and crannies.

After having cosmetic dental work or oral surgery in Rockford MI, especially anything involving soft tissue grafts, make sure you use an extra-soft brush and be careful!

When buying a toothbrush for a child in Comstock Park, make sure the brush feels comfortable in their hand. If the size and angle feels awkward, the child will be less likely to use it long enough to clean all areas of the mouth. Children do not necessarily need a child-sized tooth brush. Some Rockford MI kids can manage an adult size brush better than a short, narrow child size brush. If you are unsure, ask your Comstock Park family dentist at Stewart & Hull Aesthetic & General Dentistry.

What about the electric types and water-shooters? Some Comstock Park folks like the feeling of vibrating bristles or a mini-squirt gun blasting away at the plaque. Rockford MI people with arthritis or other movement-inhibiting conditions can benefit from powered brushes which take some strain off hands and arm muscles.

Is your toothbrush doing the job? Schedule an exam with your Comstock Park dentist at Stewart & Hull Aesthetic & General Dentistry.

At Stewart & Hull Aesthetic & General Dentistry, our very friendly and thorough dental hygienists instruct our pediatric clients and adult patients alike on proper brushing and flossing. If you haven’t experienced a dental deep cleaning at Stewart & Hull Aesthetic & General Dentistry, you don’t know how clean your teeth and gums can feel.

Schedule a thorough dental cleaning today by calling Stewart & Hull Aesthetic & General Dentistry at 616-827-7019. An outstanding feature of Stewart & Hull Aesthetic & General Dentistry is our wide selection of dental technology. We offer cosmetic dentistry and a full spectrum of restorative dental procedures.

Aug12

When It Is Important to Reschedule Your Dental Appointment

Many people are hesitant to call and reschedule dental appointments if they are not feeling well. We appreciate the value these patients place on our time and that they don’t want to leave us with unfilled appointments. However, there are some situations where it is important that patients call to reschedule their appointments with Dr. Stewart.

1. If you have active cold sores–Any time we are working in and around the mouth saliva can be transferred to your eyes or open wounds, or to the eyes and wounds on a member of the dental team. The herpes virus can then damage these areas.

2. If you have an active cold or flu–If you are in the early stages of a cold or any stage of the flu, please reschedule. It is better for your health and the health of the dental team.

3. If you have a heavy cough or congestion. You will not be comfortable with keeping your mouth open for a prolonged period and the bacteria or virus will be airborne, thus possibly infecting the dental team.

We thank you for your thoughtfulness and wish you good health.

Jul14

Digital Impressions are Coming to Dr. Stewart’s Office!

Dr. Stewart and our team are excited to announce that we have purchased an iTero, a piece of equipment that will allow us to take digital impressions. While we still need to install this equipment and train for it’s most effective uses, we will soon be able to say “goodbye” to all of those messy, and often uncomfortable, impression trays. With the iTero, we will use a wand to scan the area being treated and then send that digital “impression” electronically through our Wi-Fi access to the iTero company. They will prepare a model and send it to our laboratory technician who will then fabricate a crown. This amazing, cutting-edge technology will replace the traditional impressions needed for crowns, bridges, dentures and Invisalign.

It is our office’s goal to always provide patients with the best and most current dental care at every level. We are always looking for ways to make your visits to our office more enjoyable and comfortable. After all, we consider our patients family!

Jul7

More Patient Testimonials!

The office of Dr. Bruce A. Stewart has received so many great testimonials lately, that we wanted to share a couple more with you. We loving hearing what you have to say and your opinions are extremely important to us. If you ever have any questions or concerns feel free to contact our office! Take a look at what some of our patients have to say about Dr. Stewart and our staff:

“Carol, my hygienist, is always outstanding. I would recommend her to everyone. Monica and Debbie are always very friendly, welcoming and professional.” — Dennis

“Everyone from Monica to Barb, my hygienist, to Dr. Stewart is always very friendly, professional and treat you like “family,” for over 30 years of service!” — Jane

“Dr. Stewart and his staff truly know how to treat his patients. Being afraid to have treatment no longer enters my mind. My first visit to Dr. Stewart’s office never made me afraid to go to the dentist again. They do everything right to make the trip worth the smile on my face continue for a long time. As long as they are there, I will be also. Thank you Dr. Stewart and staff!” — Linda

“I would highly recommend Dr. Stewart and his awesome staff to anyone. I was not a patient of Dr. Stewart’s and broke a tooth on 4th of July week. Dr. Stewart and his staff took me in because I couldn’t get in to my own dentist. They were highly recommended to me from a friend. They were very kind and understanding and helped me through the whole process of getting my tooth fixed. Thank You for your service that was above and beyond what I could hope for.”

Thank you for all of the kind words! We look forward to seeing you at your next appointment!

Jun30

Patient Testimonials

Here at the office of Dr. Bruce Stewart, we love to hear what our patients have to say. The comfort of our patients is important to us and we strive to provide you with the best in dental care. Lately we have received some wonderful patient testimonials that we wanted to share with you all:

— “I NEVER liked going to the dentist prior to being a patient with Dr. Stewart. Now the only thing I fear is finding a new dentist when he retires…in the very distant future!!” -Nicholus K.

— “My experience was fantastic. Very knowledgeable staff. Pleasant, professional atmosphere. Great service. I thought the initial personal, interview and talk with the dentist and hygienist was unexpectedly nice. (Unexpected because I never imagined being given that kind of personal time.) I could tell the staff worked well with each other and had a lot of experience. They were all very professional as well as friendly.” -Matthew H.

— “Cathy did an amazing job with Baylor. She was patient, calm, and really got him interested in the whole dental visit. I have never seen him so calm at a first visit in a clinical setting. She was beyond amazing!” -Nicole J.

— “Debbie, Dr. Stewart, Monica—okay, really, everyone in your office is exceptionally professional and friendly, kudos!” -Kelli O.

— “You couldn’t ask for a more friendly staff. They ALL take a personal interest in you and your family.” -Brenda H.

— “Cathy, my hygienist, is one of the main reasons I keep coming back. She is always friendly and professional. You have a great employee there!!” -Jason C.

Thank you for all of the kind words. We look forward to seeing you at your next appointment!

Jun22

Our hygiene team attends a seminar on teen health issues

Dr. Stewart’s hygiene team recently attended a on-day seminar, “Teenagers–What Their Mouths Are Telling You But They’re Not: Practical Information on Teen Health Issues,” presented by Janette Delinger, RDH, BSDH.

This seminar contained up-to-date information on what is going on in the daily lives of our teens; from what they are saying to dietary concerns and dangerous social activities they are engaging in. Topics that were discussed included eating disorders, inhalants (“huff”), tobacco use, binge drinking, methamphetamine, HPV, oral piercings, abusive behavior, recommended immunizations and overall health and oral hygiene challenges. We will be highlighting some of these topics in upcoming newsletters, but we feel parents may want to get their hands on some of this information now.

Here are some excellent websites for parents to check out:

Jun17

Understanding cavities

One word nobody wants to hear when they visit the dentist is Cavity! That’s right, the dreaded cavity; but what exactly is a cavity and how do you get one? A cavity is a hole that develops in a tooth when the tooth begins to decay. It’s important to get a cavity filled as soon as it’s detected so that it does not grow bigger.

So, what causes a cavity? A cavity is caused by plaque, a sticky substance that forms on the tooth as a result of germ and bacteria build-up. Plaque is acidic and as it clings to your teeth the acids eat away the outside of the tooth (also called the enamel) and a hole is formed.

Yes, cavities can be repaired by your dentist, but here are a few simple steps you can take to prevent cavities:

• Brush your teeth with fluoride toothpaste at least twice daily
• Gently brush your gums to keep them healthy (when choosing a toothbrush it is recommended to use soft bristles)
• Floss your teeth at least once a day to remove plaque and food that may be caught between the teeth where your toothbrush can’t reach
• Limit the amount of soda and sugary treats you eat/drink
• Be sure to visit your dentist every six months for a teeth cleaning and check-up

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