dental hygiene

Jul12

Developing Good Dental Habits In Grand Rapids

Categories: Oral Health

Developing Good Dental Hygiene Habits In Comstock Park

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

May24

Dental Sealants

Categories: Family Dentistry

Family Dentistry in Comstock Park

Dental sealants are a thin coat of clear resin that is applied to the biting surfaces of teeth, usually the rear molars. The back teeth are more prone to cavities because it is difficult to reach them with a tooth brush and the surfaces contain pits and grooves that easily trap bacteria. It is hard for many adults to clean their back molars and almost impossible for our young Rockford MI children.

Dental sealants fill in the pits and grooves on the rear molars to create a smooth surface. Dentists practicing family dentistry in Rockford MI most often recommend sealants for children’s permanent back teeth, though sometimes they are used for adults, too.

Comstock Park parents may not realize how quickly a cavity can form in a young child’s mouth. Many Comstock Park area kids that we see develop cavities even before they start kindergarten! It is vital that our local parents start regular dental visits early.

Dental sealants protect teeth that have no decay (primary prevention) and also prevent further decay progression in teeth that show very early signs of disease (secondary prevention).

At Stewart & Hull, we take special care of our Comstock Park pediatric dental clients. We want each child’s dental visits to be pleasant and painless so they will never develop a fear of the dentist. We advise parents on the specific dental issues associated with each stage of childhood. Ask us about fluoride, sports mouthguards, and orthodontic treatment.

At Stewart & Hull., we don’t believe that childhood cavities are unavoidable. Call our Comstock Park office at 616-827-7019 to schedule a pediatric dental hygiene exam.

We provide comprehensive restorative and cosmetic dentistry for Rockford MI people of all ages. Our office is located at 769 York Creek Dr NW in Comstock Park. You can learn more about our practice at https://www.greatmismiles.com.

Feb8

Soft, Medium, or Buzz Lightyear?

Categories: General Dentistry, Oral Health

Dental Hygiene in Rockford MI 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.