Oral Safety

Mar17

Teeth Protection for Exercise and Sports

Categories: Dental health, General Dentistry, Missing Teeth, Oral Health, Oral Safety

Keep Your Teeth Safe, Comstock Park

There are more ways to exercise than ever before. In Comstock Park, we have personal trainers, all-purpose gyms, HIIT, barre, yoga, Zumba, spin classes, specialty facilities, and recreational sports.

Sports and Exercise Can Be Risky for Your Teeth

At Eric Hull Aesthetic & General Dentistry, we want our patients to be aware that many activities pose a risk to teeth.

You may believe that mouthguards are only for boxers and pro football players. Actually, mouthguards can and should be used during any activity where impact to the face is possible.

This includes many common sports such as pick-up basketball games, and volleyball, and bicycling. When you have a properly fitted mouth protector, you can prevent broken or lost teeth as well as lip, tongue, and jaw injuries.

At Eric Hull Aesthetic & General Dentistry, we remind our patients that sports mouthguards aren’t just for kids. Another misconception is that they are only necessary for contact sports. We’ve treated plenty of oral injuries that happened during solo activities like mountain biking.

All Mouthguards Aren’t Create Equal

Mouth protectors come in three main types: stock, boil and bite, and custom-fitted. The stock mouth protectors are pre-formed and ready to wear. Unfortunately, they rarely fit well.

You can find boil and bite mouth protectors at sporting goods stores. They are to be softened in water and then formed to your mouth (make sure you follow the manufacturer’s instructions).

Custom-fitted mouth protectors can be made by your dentist to make sure you have a perfect fit.

The soft tissues that line your cheeks and lips are especially susceptible to injury when you have braces or fixed bridge work. Plus these expensive appliances can be damaged as well. For these reasons, a mouth protector is extremely important for patients undergoing these treatments. Your orthodontist may even recommend a mouth protector for your lower teeth as well.

If you have questions about sports dentistry any other dental issues, please contact our office and schedule an appointment. We look forward to meeting you.

Contact Eric Hull Aesthetic & General Dentistry:

616-784-2377

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

769 York Creek Dr NW
Comstock Park, Michigan
49321

Mar10

Oral Health During Pregnancy

Categories: Dental health, Oral Health, Oral Safety

Comstock Park dental exam during pregnancy

This post from Eric Hull DDS Aesthetic & General Dentistry in Comstock Park MI is for women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant.

Carrying a precious baby can not only consume your time; it can divert your attention from other things. As valued as your little bundle of joy will be, don’t forget your needs and your vitality during these critical months.

It’s vital to understand that the changes your body experiences during pregnancy also impact dental health. Changes in your hormonal balance are needed for growing a new life, but they can also compromise your oral health during pregnancy.

Your gums are especially susceptible. Poor gum health can even affect your unborn child. The American Dental Association has conducted studies that show a slightly increased risk of low birth weight and pre-term infants in mothers with gum disease.

In order to keep your smile healthy, it is recommended you have a thorough checkup before you are pregnant. If you are already pregnant but haven’t visited a dentist in a while, give us a call at Eric Hull DDS Aesthetic & General Dentistry in Comstock Park MI. We offer complete dentistry services. Patients from Ada, Belmont, Grand Rapids, Sparta, Walker and Rockford, MI also some to us for orthodontics and cosmetic dentistry. Call for an appointment today!

Contact Eric Hull Aesthetic & General Dentistry:

616-784-2377

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

769 York Creek Dr NW
Comstock Park, Michigan
49321

Feb10

A Missing Tooth Can Lead to Bone Loss

Categories: Dental health, Missing Teeth, Oral Health, Oral Safety, Restorative dentistry

Rockford tooth implants

Dental implants from Eric Hull DDS Aesthetic & General Dentistry in Comstock Park MI support teeth so lifelike, patients have been known to forget some of their teeth aren’t real. That’s now natural their look and function is.

Those simple facts are enough to make most people choose dental implants if they need to replace one or more of their teeth. Then they learn that in addition to those benefits, implants can actually preserve and promote healthy bone mass in their jaws.

Dental Implants and Bone Loss

An unfortunate consequence of losing teeth is that the surrounding bone begins to atrophy. This begins almost immediately, and is usually noticeable within a year or so. The person’s face takes on a shrunken or sagging appearance. The more teeth that are missing, the more pronounced it is.

This happens because of the missing tooth root. But because dental implants are physically attached to the jaw, they mimic the root. The natural biting and chewing motions stimulate the bone and encourage new tissue to grow around the implant.

One dental implant can support one artificial tooth, and several can support a bridge, and even a full dental arch. At Eric Hull DDS Aesthetic & General Dentistry in Comstock Park MI we have placed them in patients fromAda, Belmont, Grand Rapids, Sparta, Walker and Rockford, MI. They also come to us for restorative dentistry and cosmetic dentistry . Please give our office a call to schedule an appointment today!

Contact Eric Hull Aesthetic & General Dentistry:

616-784-2377

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

769 York Creek Dr NW
Comstock Park, Michigan
49321

Oct5

Unexpected Stress in Your Life? Don’t Forget Your Smile

Categories: Dental health, Dental hygiene, Oral Health, Oral Safety

Rockford cosmetic dental and tooth implants stress oral hygiene

When you suddenly have to juggle extra responsibilities, some are bound to get dropped. Perhaps you are going through a divorce or you became the caregiver for an ailing parent. Perhaps you took on a second job or started night school to earn an advanced degree. A new baby, marriage, career, or move can be exciting but also overwhelming. It’s okay to feel stressed and it can sometimes be helpful to take a break, but you should never take a break from your dental health routine.

Importance of Oral Hygiene

Sometimes you feel too exhausted to brush and you skip regular check-ups and cleanings. When life hands you extra challenges it can be easy to get forgo oral hygiene, but Dr. Bruce Stewart and Dr. Eric Hull want to remind you to think about the possible consequences of neglecting your smile.

  • Tooth decay
  • Gum disease
  • Tooth and Gum Pain
  • Bad Breath
  • Infection
  • Tooth Loss

If your plate is already full, then don’t add poor oral health to an already overwhelming list. Let the car go unwashed for a few weeks. Record your favorite show to watch later when things slow down. Postpone that kitchen remodel. But keep your smile healthy – it really will make your life easier, healthier, and happier.

Schedule an Appointment

Stewart & Hull Aesthetic & General Dentistry in Comstock Park provides gentle and comprehensive dental care for the whole family. Our services include porcelain veneers, Invisalign Orthodontics, implant dentistry, and Zoom! teeth whitening. If you haven’t seen a dentist in a awhile, we invite you to call our office at 616-784-2377 and schedule a thorough exam. There is no need to feel embarrassed about plaque build-up or an existing cavity. We completely understand how stressful life can be and we love helping our Comstock Park area patients get back on track.

We can whiten, brighten, and straighten your smile!

Contact Stewart & Hull Aesthetic & General Dentistry:

616-784-2377

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

769 York Creek Dr NW
Comstock Park, Michigan
49321

Apr4

Protect Your Mouth, from Dr. Stewart

Categories: Oral Safety

April is National Facial Protection Month and a good time to think again about protecting your children’s teeth (and your own) with a sports mouth guard. Everyone expects football players to wear mouth guards. However, spring sports can be just as dangerous to the teeth as football. Dr. Stewart had an emergency call several years ago from a young man who broke off his two front teeth, one right at the gum line, while playing soccer. About six years ago the son of one of our team members broke his two front teeth playing baseball. He needed root canals on both of his front teeth and will eventually need veneers when the teeth discolor.

The National Youth Sports Safety Foundation tells us that children, high school athletes and adults have more than 5,000,000 teeth knocked out each year. Many of these injuries can be prevented by wearing a mouth guard. We make clear mouth guards at Dr. Bruce Stewart’s office for $95. If an athlete wants to show school spirit by wearing a mouth guard made in the school colors, we can do that for an additional charge.

Dr. Stewart and our team strongly encourage everyone to wear mouth guards when engaging in sports. Please call our office to set up an appointment for the athletes in your family!