Bruce A Stewart DDS, FAGD, Author at Eric Hull Aesthetic & General Dentistry - Grand Rapids Dentist

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Mar15

Tooth Brushing Basics For Healthy Smiles In Grand Rapids

Why should everyone brush at least twice a day? Let’s take a look at why this is so important.

Brushing and flossing is the best way to prevent decay.

Brushing with fluoride toothpaste and carefully flossing removes the food from our teeth and inhibits the build up of plaque. If we let food stay on our teeth, the starches in the food will mix with the plaque. This nasty mixture forms an acid which immediately starts drilling into the enamel to form cavities. Brushing can’t get all the spaces between your teeth, so you need to floss also.

Brushing and flossing keeps gums and bone healthy. Talk to your Grand Rapids area cosmetic dentist about how to keep your teeth healthy and strong.

If you let gum disease go untreated, you can lose teeth that are cavity-free!

The progression of gum disease (gingivitis) goes like this:

Plaque build-up irritates gums
Irritated gums pull away from teeth
Bacteria multiplies in the spaces between the gum and tooth
The bone holding the tooth is eaten by the bacteria
Say goodbye to the tooth

The good news is that gingivitis can be reversed if detected early.

Call Stewart & Hull at 616-827-7019 to schedule a dental health evaluation at our office in Comstock Park. We proudly serve Grand Rapids, Comstock Park, Rockford MI and the surrounding communities.

Mar8

Teeth: What Have They Done For You Lately?

Welcome to the Comstock Park area dental blog! Today we are going to look at the secret life of our teeth.

The shape of each tooth gives a clue to what it does. The incisors, or your front teeth, are sharp. They need to be because they are there to cut food and their curvature helps move food inside the mouth.

Behind the incisors, you find the canine teeth. Their roots go far into the jaw bone because they are designed to hold onto food and tear through it.

Premolars, found just behind the canines, are flat on the surface. This allows them to crush your food as you chew. And, finally, in the very back are the molars. They are large and have nice, flat chewing surfaces that help them to grind food down into smaller, more digestible pieces.

We’re Dr. Bruce Stewart and Dr. Eric Hull, local Comstock Park dentists, and we hope you’ve enjoyed learning a little more about the different teeth in your mouth. If you are in the Grand Rapids, Comstock Park, or Rockford MI area and would like to make a dental health appointment at our practice, Stewart & Hull, please give Dr. Stewart or Dr. Hull a call at 616-827-7019. We can schedule an appointment and tell you about cosmetic dentistry procedures such as teeth whitening or laser dentistry.

If you’ve ever been interested in a smile makeover, come in and we’ll discuss the possibilities. We want all our dental patients including those in the Grand Rapids, Comstock Park and Rockford MI area to have healthy mouths and beautiful smiles. At Stewart & Hull, we offer comprehensive dental services including:

cosmetic dentistry
restorative dentistry
Invisalign

Mar1

Comstock Park Whiter Smiles

Wishing for a whiter smile in Comstock Park but not sure how to get it? New to tooth whitening lingo? At Stewart & Hull Aesthetic & General Dentistry, we educate clients on the variety of affordable teeth whiting treatments; from whitening trays to teeth bleaching to Zoom whitening. We do smile whitening for Rockford MI patients every day.

Almost every toothpaste claims to whiten teeth, but as we age our teeth gradually turn yellow or gray, despite all the whitening toothpastes we use regularly. Tooth enamel, while one of the hardest substances in the body, is porous. Over time, the food and drinks that comes in contact with our teeth cause staining and discoloration. You probably have already discovered that a toothbrush cannot clean these microscopic pores.

Carbamide peroxide and hydrogen peroxide are the two main teeth whitening ingredients. They can penetrate the outer layer of your teeth to remove the build-up, and help restore whitening to teeth. Call Dr. Eric Hull or Dr. Bruce Stewart at 616-827-7019 to schedule an appointment and we will explain the difference between these tooth bleaching ingredients and how they may affect your Comstock Park smile whitening results.

At-home teeth whitening products are probably not a good choice if you have dental crowns or veneers. You could end up with extremely uneven results or possible damage to your existing cosmetic dentistry.

We know the best Comstock Park teeth bleaching options and can recommend the perfect white smile solution for you.

At Stewart & Hull Aesthetic & General Dentistry, we hope to see you soon. Give us a call at 616-827-7019.

Feb22

What Is Lurking Under Your Gumline?

Hello Grand Rapids residents! Your overall dental health depends not only on healthy teeth but also healthy gums. Proper oral hygiene helps keep both your teeth and gums in good shape.

When brushing, hold your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle with the bristle tips aimed at the line where the tooth and gum meet. The bristles of a soft toothbrush can clean the food particles in the pockets in front and in back of the tooth, but you need floss to clean between the teeth. Make sure you get the floss into the pocket between the teeth and scrape food particles up and out of the pocket.

Back to toothbrushing: if the toothbrush is not held at the correct angle, the bristles can’t get in the pockets to clean out the bacteria before it turns into enamel-damaging plaque. If plaque multiplies in the pockets around the teeth, the gum will start pulling away. Eventually, the pockets will become too deep for your toothbrush bristles to reach. Unfortunately, the tooth structure below the gumline is more susceptible to decay than the enamel above the gumline.

There is more than one way to damage your teeth – even if the visible parts of your teeth are cavity-free, gum disease can cause problems with the parts you can’t see.

We are Dr. Bruce Stewart and Dr. Eric Hull. We, along with our friendly staff, promote preventative dentistry by working with our patients of all ages to establish essential oral hygiene habits.

If you haven’t had a check-up in a while, or are experiencing gum soreness or recession, call our Grand Rapids area dental practice today at 616-827-7019 to schedule a thorough tooth and gum examination in Comstock Park. During your exam, Dr. Bruce Stewart or Dr. Eric Hull will measure the depth of the pockets around each tooth. If you already have gum disease, we will help you restore gum health.

At Stewart & Hull Aesthetic & General Dentistry in Comstock Park, we provide full general and cosmetic dental services including dental veneers and restorative dentistry. If you have healthy teeth and gums but want to brighten your smile, ask us about tooth bleaching procedures we perform in-office.

Bruce A. Stewart, DDS, FAGD
Eric D. Hull, DDS
769 York Creek Dr NW
Comstock Park, Michigan 49321
https://www.greatmismiles.com/

Feb15

Tooth Restoration in Comstock Park

At Stewart & Hull Aesthetic & General Dentistry in Comstock Park, we use a variety of techniques to restore damaged teeth. Most family dentistry patients in the Comstock Park and Rockford MI area are familiar with fillings. Traditional fillings are also called ‘direct restorations’ because they are applied to the tooth, shaped and polished in one visit.

Another type of filling is called an ‘indirect restorations’ and is fabricated in a dental lab. There are two types: inlays and onlays.

When a tooth needs more extensive dental restoration, a dental crown is often used. Dr. Stewart and Dr. Hull create strong, natural-looking crowns from a variety of materials.

What if the tooth is damaged beyond repair? There are a number of functional replacements for missing teeth. Dentures are not the only option. Talk to us about dental implants.

Call 616-827-7019 to learn about the restoration options available. We have been improving smiles for Rockford MI and Grand Rapids area patients since 1974.

Whether the damage is caused by decay, injury, bite problems, or natural wear; Dr. Bruce Stewart and Dr. Eric Hull will choose the best cosmetic dental treatment plan for your tooth restoration needs. Stewart & Hull Aesthetic & General Dentistry is conveniently located at 769 York Creek Dr NW in Comstock Park. We provide quality dental care for Grand Rapids and Comstock Park families.

Bruce A. Stewart, DDS, FAGD
Eric D. Hull, DDS
616-827-7019
https://www.greatmismiles.com/
Lighting Up Rooms One Smile At A Time

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.

Feb1

Do You Have Sore Gums?

Every dentistry patient’s mouth provides a cozy home for over 600 types of bacteria. If you are diligent about oral hygiene and have healthy gums, these microbes usually don’t affect your health. However, if you have gum disease, bacteria can enter your bloodstream through your gums and cause problems.

Gingivitis is the term for the mild gum disease. At Stewart & Hull Aesthetic & General Dentistry, we routinely discover gingivitis in Grand Rapids clients who are not even aware they have the condition.

The first signs of gingivitis are swollen, sore gums.

It is important for our Comstock Park and Rockford MI area dental patients to understand that it is not normal for gums to bleed when they are brushed or flossed. If you haven’t had an oral examination in a while and live in the Grand Rapids area, call Stewart & Hull Aesthetic & General Dentistry at 616-827-7019. Dr. Bruce Stewart thoroughly exams teeth and gums and takes time to discuss the results and recommendations with each general dentistry patient.

Stewart & Hull Aesthetic & General Dentistry is a full-service dental practice at 769 York Creek Dr NW in Comstock Park. We provide comprehensive general and cosmetic dentistry for clients who live in the nearby communities of Grand Rapids, Comstock Park and Rockford MI.

During your dentist consultation, we can discuss any cosmetic or restorative procedures in which you are interested. Some of the dental procedures that we use to create perfect smiles are porcelain veneers, clear braces, dental implants and tooth bleaching. Our hygienists are skilled professionals who perform the ultimate in dental deep-cleanings.

Oral health and overall health go hand in hand. Schedule a dental consultation today by calling 616-827-7019 or visiting us online at https://www.greatmismiles.com/.

Jan25

Have A Large Cavity In Your Tooth?

When Dr. Bruce Stewart of Stewart & Hull Aesthetic & General Dentistry in Comstock Park repairs a tooth that has decay or damage, the procedure chosen often depends on the location of the problem. (We’re talking tooth-specific locale here; it doesn’t matter whether you live in Grand Rapids, Comstock Park, or Rockford MI.) If there is a chip, crack or cavity on the biting surface of a tooth, an onlay or inlay is often used to restore the tooth.

Inlays and onlays are a type of tooth restoration used successfully at Stewart & Hull Aesthetic & General Dentistry. They are usually bigger than a conventional filling yet smaller than a complete dental crown. An inlay is used to fill an area inside the cusp tips or bumps of a tooth. An onlay covers an area that includes more than one cusp.

At Stewart & Hull Aesthetic & General Dentistry, the inlays and onlays we place for our Grand Rapids area general dentistry clients are indistinguishable from their natural teeth. Dr. Bruce Stewart has the finely-honed eye for detail and complete mastery of dental aesthetics to create an exact match.

Bruce A. Stewart, DDS, FAGD inlays and onlays:

Are stain resistant
Do not cause tooth sensitivity
Are beautifully matched to natural teeth
When bonded to the tooth, they strengthen the tooth and prevent further decay or damage

Call 616-784-2377 to book a cosmetic dental consultation today.

We’ll help you keep your smile happy and healthy!

Jan11

Live Better With Dental Implants in Comstock Park

Ill-fitting dentures cause more problems for Comstock Park denture wearers than they solve. If you live with loose dentures, you probably regard them as a necessary evil. Though they certainly look better than a toothless mouth, in practical terms they leave much to be desired because they affect two essential activities: eating and talking.

Unfortunately, many frustrated Comstock Park denture wearers have quit dining in restaurants or engaging in social activities because they are afraid their dentures will slip.

Implant dental procedures at Stewart & Hull Aesthetic & General Dentistry in Comstock Park are allowing former denture patients to re-engage in life.

Consider the advantages of implant anchored dentures:

They are stable because the implant is anchored in the bone.
Your denture is fixed, it will not move around in your mouth.
They prevent bone loss that typically occurs when teeth are removed.
They eliminate the necessity of regular denture relines.
They do not irritate gums.
No denture adhesive is required.

Our Comstock Park dental implant bone clients who have replaced their traditional dentures with implant overdentures enthusiastically say that the cost of dental implants was more than worth it.

Do you want to eat normally again? What is the value of maintaining your facial shape? Can you put a price on confidence?

If you want more information about dental implants, call 616-784-2377 to schedule a cosmetic dental consultation with Dr. Bruce Stewart. Stewart & Hull Aesthetic & General Dentistry is located at 769 York Creek Dr NW in Comstock Park. We have been providing advanced cosmetic and general dentistry care since 1974.

Lighting Up Rooms One Smile At A Time

Author: Bruce A Stewart DDS, FAGD