Is Your Coverage Compatible? Perfect Smile Dental Studio is in network with PPO insurances. Here's a list of some of the insurance carriers we are in network with:
Commonly Covered Procedures Procedures that are commonly covered include diagnostic and preventative procedures. These procedures consider exams, cleanings, and x-rays. Typically, cleanings and exams are covered to allow visits with us for twice in a year. Full mouth x-rays are usually covered for every 3 to 5 years. However, bite-wing x-rays tend to be covered for at least once a year. What To Do Before The Year Ends Before the year ends, it is crucial to visit your dentist at least twice a year for your dental cleanings. It is important to make sure you are brushing well! In addition, it is typically at these appointments that our hygienists can spot issues that may be developing such as plaque buildup that can lead to potential cavities and more. Coming to the dentist twice a year can prevent you from needing to come more than necessary! Your health is our priority! We Can’t Wait To See You! We’re always looking out for our patients and want to make sure you’re taking the fullest advantage of your benefits! If you have any questions regarding dental insurance, stop by or call us today and we can help! The greatest benefits are to your dental health! The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.
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Breast Cancer Can Affect Anyone Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women, with one in eight being diagnosed during their lifetime. It’s estimated that over 250,000 more women will have been diagnosed with breast cancer by the end of this year in the United States alone, and 40,000 women will have succumbed to the disease. Although it’s rare, men may also be diagnosed with breast cancer, with approximately 2,150 cases being diagnosed each year. Hope Through Medical Advancements While the diagnosis and death statistics for breast cancer are still unacceptably high, thanks to advancements in early detection, improvements in treatment, and increased awareness, survival rates have gone up steadily since 1989. Put On Pink And We’ll Donate! When our patients show support for breast cancer research, so can we! You can help us donate to this great cause in three simple steps: Step 1: Pledge to post a photo of yourself putting on pink on your personal social media pages. Step 2: Put on some pink or choose a pink prop in our office and take your photo! Step 3: Post the photo to Facebook as a public post and tag the location of our practice!
For every tagged photo of one of our patients wearing pink, we will make a $1.00 contribution to breast cancer research! One post per patient will be counted for donation. Our donation will be contributed to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation! This campaign will run throughout the month of October. Together, We Can Make A Difference We’re looking forward to this opportunity to work with you, our wonderful patients and friends, to help raise awareness during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. As your trusted, lifelong health partner, we want to do anything we can to keep you and your loved ones as healthy as possible. If you have any questions about breast cancer, feel free to reach out to us and we’ll be able to direct you toward the information and resources you need. And don’t forget… Put On Pink to show your support!
Crabeater Seals Contrary to their name, crabeater seals’ diets consist almost entirely of antarctic krill, but you probably wouldn’t guess that by looking at their teeth. Where we have our molars, they have some very bizarre teeth. These teeth are like if a normal sharp canine tooth had many smaller canine teeth coming out of it. All together, they look like they’re packing deadly saws in their jaws. Even though they look deadly, crabeater seals use their teeth in much the same way that we use strainers for pasta: they’ll take a big gulp of ocean water, then squeeze the water back out while their teeth trap all the tasty krill inside. Yum! Beavers You’d be horrified if you woke up with orange teeth, but that’s because you aren’t a beaver. Beaver teeth become orange over time because of the iron in the food they eat. The iron makes their teeth harder, which helps them chew through trees to construct their dams. But even iron doesn’t fully protect against wear and tear, which is why their teeth constantly grow. Narwhals Narwhals are often called the unicorns of the sea because of the single spiral horn protruding up to ten feet long from the males’ heads. However, those aren’t really horns. In fact, they are tusks—in this case, elongated canine teeth that grow through the upper lip. Usually only the left one manages to grow that long, but some male narwhals end up with two full-length tusks, and occasionally a female narwhal will grow one or both as well. As recently as May of this year, scientists still weren’t sure about the tusks’ purpose, but new footage has shown narwhals using their tusks to stun fish, making it easier to eat them. There’s probably more to it than that, though, because the tusks also contain millions of nerve endings, which likely means narwhals use them to sense their surroundings. Keep Taking Care Of Those Chompers! We might not be able to bop fish over the head, saw through trees, or strain krill with our ordinary human teeth, but we still need them to be healthy and strong in order to chew our food, speak clearly, and share beautiful smiles with the people we love. Always remember to brush your teeth for two minutes twice a day, floss once a day, schedule regular dental appointments, and contact us if you’re having any dental problems in between appointments! As cool as animal teeth are, human teeth are still our favorite! The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.
Sugar And Your Teeth There are many ways that sugar is bad for our overall health, but it’s also specifically bad for our teeth. Our mouths are diverse microbiomes containing dozens of species of bacteria, both harmful and beneficial, that can reproduce multiple times per day. Sugar may taste good to us, but harmful bacteria love it. They eat the sugar that sticks to our teeth and excrete acid that dissolves tooth enamel, leading to tooth decay. Brushing twice a day and flossing once a day is usually enough to keep the bacteria populations under control, but your teeth will thank your for avoiding excess sugar. So how can we satisfy a sweet tooth craving without also satisfying the cravings of millions of harmful bacteria? By cooking sugar-free desserts, of course! Healthier Sweet Options There are a few ways you can cut down on sugar without cutting down on sweets when you’re cooking. Some of them can be pricey, so your budget might play a role in determining which one you use. Rebaudioside A Rebaudioside A is a polyol or sugar alcohol produced by Stevia, a leafy South American plant. The FDA has approved rebaudioside A as a safe food additive, which means we can cook with it. But what makes it better for our teeth than sugar? Well, all those hungry bacteria in our mouths can’t digest sugar alcohols. We get to enjoy the sweet taste, but they don’t! The only downside is that it can leave a bitter aftertaste if you use too much. Since you only need one teaspoon to match the sweetness of a whole cup of sugar, it’s easy to overdo it. Xylitol and Erythritol Xylitol and erythritol are two more sugar alcohols that serve as excellent sweeteners. You may be familiar with xylitol, because that’s what sweetens sugar-free gum. While it’s even better for your teeth than other sugar alcohols–which is why dentists recommend it–it might not be the best to cook with, as it can cause digestive discomfort if you eat too much of it. Erythritol doesn’t have that drawback, but it can be pretty expensive. Fruit Fruit is another great sugar substitute. If you’d rather work with ingredients you already know, unsweetened applesauce, bananas, dates, and figs are four great replacements for table sugar that you can use in many recipes. You’ll end up with desserts that are still sweet and moist, but which contain far less sugar, which your teeth will appreciate. Fruits are sweet because they contain fructose, a type of sugar, but you’ll use less sugar overall by using pureed fruit instead of table sugar. Need some extra inspiration for a sugar-free treat? Check out this sugar-free cheesecake recipe below! Keep Up With Your Oral Health Basics Even if you completely cut out all foods that are bad for your teeth out of your diet, it’s still crucial to maintain good oral hygiene. Brush your teeth twice a day, floss once a day, and come see us for a cleaning appointment every six months! Be sure to bring your favorite sugar-free dessert recipes the next time you come! Your Dental Health Is Our First Priority! The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.
#1: Reduces Pain Smiling releases endorphins, which are our bodies’ feel-good hormones. They serve as natural painkillers with no side-effects. What’s particularly interesting about this is that it’s the smile itself that releases the endorphins, not the attitude behind it. Our brains are so hard-wired to associate smiling with joy that even a fake smile will get you the chemical benefits. So whenever you get injured, it really is a good idea to grin and bear it! #2: Relieves Stress Another thing the endorphins released by smiling do for you is help relieve stress. A study in 2012 tested how quickly subjects’ heart rates could go back to normal after performing a stressful task. One group was instructed to hold a pencil between their teeth (which forces a smile) and the other was instructed to hold the pencil between their lips (which forces a neutral expression). The subjects with the biggest smiles recovered the fastest. This goes back to the way our brains react to smiles. We don’t just smile when we’re happy; smiling can actually make us happy, which means you really can “fake it till you make it” when it comes to smiling! #3: Boosts Our Immune System Relieving tension and stress by smiling can have a profound cumulative impact on your health. It can make you more resilient against illness and it can even reduce your chances of getting cancer by lowering the number of stress-induced mutations your cells go through. #4: Increases Longevity Smiling doesn’t just make you look younger and more attractive; it can also add years to your lifespan. Taking advantage of every opportunity to smile (and then some) could make you live up to seven years longer! Let Those Smiles Shine! As adults, we average a paltry 20 smiles per day, while children will light up with a smile 400 times in that same day! Imagine the health benefits we could rack up if we could start smiling like we did when we were kids? Some people keep their smiles to themselves because they aren’t happy with the way their teeth look, but we can help you get and keep a smile you’ll be proud to show off. Our biggest reason to smile? Our patients! The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.
Chlorine: Good For Sanitation, Bad For Teeth That’s right: the same chemical that kills many of the germs that love swimming in fresh water as much as we do can also be pretty hard on our teeth if the pool’s pH isn’t carefully regulated. The proper pH for pool water is 7.2-7.8, but it can easily become acidic because of the chlorine. Swimmer’s Calculus: A Risk For Serious Swimmers Swimmer’s Calculus isn’t the name of an underwater math class; it’s what happens to tooth enamel after prolonged exposure to acidic chlorine ions. The pH of saliva in a healthy mouth is very close to neutral. It’s the perfect pH to keep your teeth strong (as long as we’re also brushing and flossing). Acid, like the diluted hydrochloric acid that forms in pools with chlorine, will erode more tooth enamel the longer we swim. This can lead to “swimmer’s calculus,” or yellow and brown stains on our teeth. It can also make our teeth extra sensitive after swimming, because erosion of the enamel exposes the more vulnerable dentin underneath. Other Underwater Tooth Problems Maybe you’re not a huge fan of the public pool, but you love snorkeling and diving in natural bodies of water. While you probably won’t have to worry about swimmer’s calculus, those activities come with their own set of tooth-threatening problems. Scuba Diving And Tooth Squeeze Diving in the deep end of a pool is enough to make us feel the water pressure in our ears, but did you know that when you dive deep enough, you might feel it in your teeth? Barodontalgia, or tooth squeeze, is what happens when tiny air bubbles trapped in cracks, crevices, and holes in our teeth change size due to pressure. This can cause significant tooth pain and it can even fracture teeth. The best way to prevent it is to visit the dentist before diving season begins. Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome (TMJ) Most divers know the inconvenience of the mouthpiece design, but you might not know all the specific ways it’s bad for your teeth. The shape has been described as “one size fits none” because it’s too small and doesn’t really fit most divers’ teeth. Despite the less-than-ideal size and shape, we still have to grip it between our teeth the entire time we dive. Clenching our jaws for so long, especially when the pressure is mostly on the front teeth, can lead to Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome (TMJ), which causes jaw pain, headaches, and difficulty chewing. A good solution, particularly for a frequent diver, is to get a custom-fitted molded mouthpiece. To learn more about TMJ and the treatment options available, watch the video below: We’ll Help You Prepare Your Teeth For The Water! We want to make sure you have a great summer enjoying all of your favorite water activities without fear for your teeth. Schedule an appointment so that we can come up with the best plan to help you avoid these common underwater tooth problems! Thank you for being part of our practice family! The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.
The Big Picture: Panoramic X-Rays Has an X-ray technician ever had you stand on a circular platform and stand still for several seconds while the machine spun around your head? Then you’ve had a panoramic X-ray, which is the most common type of extraoral dental X-ray. With these, we can see your entire mouth in one image, because the camera travels all the way around your head while taking the picture. These X-rays show incoming adult teeth and wisdom teeth, including any that are impacted, which is how we determine if there’s enough room for these teeth to come in and if they’ll come in on their own. Panoramic X-rays also make it much easier to detect things like tumors, cysts, and abscesses. Glamor Shots: Bitewing X-Rays As you might have guessed from the name, bitewing X-rays are the ones where the patient has to bite down on a piece of dental film before the image is taken. Because the dental film is inside your mouth, bitewing X-rays are a type of intraoral X-ray. Usually, there will be one X-ray taken for each of the four quadrants of your mouth. Bitewing X-rays are taken to give us a clear view of the crevices between your teeth, which are difficult to see with the naked eye. With these images, we can easily check for tooth decay and cavities in those areas. It’s Time For Your Close-Up: Periapical X-Rays This intraoral X-ray is the close-up of the dental world. If a specific tooth or area in your mouth is bothering you, we’ll probably take a periapical X-ray to get a clear idea of what’s going on there, but they can also be taken alongside bitewing X-rays even if you aren’t aware of an obvious tooth problem. For more information on dental X-rays and why they’re so important, watch the video below: Early Warnings For Healthier Smiles All types of X-rays are simple, low-risk tools that help us catch dental problems early on, maybe before you’ve even noticed anything! However, in order for us to do that, it’s crucial that you come in for your regular cleanings and dental exams. Is your smile ready for its next close-up? We’re so happy to have you as part of our practice family! The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.
Our Team’s Favorite Summer Vacation Spots! From Sacha: "Any place that has sun, sand, water!" From Carolyn: "Can't wait to spend weekends at the beach (Clearwater) with my kids and husband! We love to bring a soccer ball and have a good game first, then go for a nice swim!" From Dr. Bush: "Anna Maria Island is where I like to share time with my family whether it is playing board games or just relaxing without having any tight schedule. We also create a special menu for the vacation so we can try out new recipes! I enjoy the sun and, especially, the food!" From Joanne: "My favorite vacation spot is Indian Rocks Beach. I also love to go kayaking in Weeki Wachee, Florida. The river is so beautiful and crystal clear. In addition, I enjoy going to the pool with my family and friends and having BBQs! I love to be outside soaking up the sunshine." From Kala: "I love to travel and take trips with my family. One of my favorite places to go back is home to Louisiana. I get to eat lots of good food, attend LSU football games, and just enjoy the culture of the state. My daughter loves to go to Disney so we find ourselves there a lot. There are many vacation spots on my travel bucket list that I cannot wait to visit such as Italy, Paris, Chicago (to visit Wrigley Field) and Alaska." From Megan: "One of my favorite summer vacation spots is St. Pete Beach. The best view of the sunset is at the rooftop of the Grand Plaza Hotel. When I've had a tough week and I want to indulge for the night, I enjoy going to 1200 Chophouse. It is a quaint restaurant that makes the perfect steak! When I've had enough of Florida living, and I'm in need of an escape away, I'll head to Maggie Valley, North Carolina. Nothing beats hiking through the mountains where there are waterfalls and fresh air." From Jessica: "Yellowstone National Park. I went on my honeymoon there last year and fall in love. There is so much to do and see. The air is so clean and there is wild life everywhere. You can also go white water rafting, wild life tours, hiking, and photography. The night sky is breath taking; something you will never see in Florida. Highly recommend everyone to Yellowstone once in their lifetime." Need some unique vacation ideas? Check out the video below: What Are Your Fun Summer Plans? How about you? How do you like to enjoy your summer? Do you love camping? Tanning on the beach? Traveling to exotic places or to see family? Getting that adrenaline rush from amusement parks or skydiving? Tubing on a river or waterskiing on a lake? We’d love to hear about it! Share in the comments below or let us know on social media! Thank you for being part of what makes summer so great! The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.
Beware Dried Fruit Many people think dried fruit is a great healthy snack. Unfortunately, dried fruits have a lot of sugar in them, not to mention the added sugar that many packaged dried fruits come with. Because they’re dehydrated, most of the water is lost from the fruit, but none of the sugar is, making it highly concentrated. As we’ve said in previous blog posts, more sugar, more cavities! Harmful bacteria in our mouths consume the sugar and produce acids as a by-product, which can cause tooth decay. Dried fruit is also extremely sticky, meaning it sticks to your teeth longer than most other foods. To learn a bit more about why sugar is bad for our teeth, watch the video below: Can The Canned Fruit Most canned fruits you find are bathed in sugary syrup. It may taste good, but it can wreak havoc on your teeth if you’re not careful! Even those that are labeled “light syrup” often have a high sugar content. If you’re a fan of canned fruit as a healthy snack, make sure it doesn’t have any added sugar or is packaged in 100 percent fruit juice. Watch Out For Fruit Juice Fruit juice, even if it’s all natural, contains a lot of sugar. What’s worse is that many fruit juices, especially those marketed for children, have added sugar in them. In fact, the majority of fruit juice sold in stores contain just as much sugar as soda, sometimes even more! Sugar isn’t the only problem–fruit juice is also very acidic. The combination of sugar and acid doesn’t bode well for your teeth: while acid weakens tooth enamel, sugar feeds cavity-causing bacteria and contributes to decay. Do What’s Best For Your Teeth As a general rule, try to eat your fruit fresh! Not only is it better for your teeth, but the fiber in whole fruit slows the absorption of sugar in the bloodstream, making it much healthier for your body. Of course it’s okay to have juice and dried or canned fruit every once in awhile. But remember to rinse with water after and brush and floss to protect your pearly whites! Have you scheduled your next appointment? Call us today and we’d be happy to help! The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.
What We Love About Our Moms From Megan: Our hygienist says she loves her mom for being understanding, supportive, and giving her comforting advice. Her favorite memory with her mom is having fun playing Mario Cart and cuddling on the couch. From Riley: A shadow of our office reveals that he loves how supportive his mother is of everything he does. His mother is always that person who is cheering him on to push himself and achieve his dreams. Riley's favorite memory with his mom is going back with her to her hometown outside of Boston. It was a great experience to not only hear about her childhood memories but also see where she grew up and meet her lifelong friends. Comment below.... What you love most about your mom? What is one of your favorite memories with your mom? From The Mothers On Our Team… What Do You Love Most About Being A Mom? From Dr. Bush: She loves seeing her girls grow and turn into amazing young women the most as being a mom. Being selfless was one of her greatest benefits of motherhood. Doctor Bush never knew she could love someone so deeply, instantly, and completely. Motherhood gave her a purpose of living. From Joanne: Our assistant loves most as a mom is the unconditional love she feels from both her children. She loves that she gets to talk to them everyday and be a part of their daily lives. Becoming a mother changed her life in how she loves. Joanne never knew she could love someone as much as she loves her kids. Knowing that they love and need her makes Joanne realize that she needs to take care of herself so that she can always be there for them. Her kids are her everything. From Sacha: Our office manager loves that her children keep her feeling young and make her strive to always be a better version of herself. After becoming a mother, she feels complete. Sacha could not picture her life without them. From Kala: Our assistant loves the pure joy she gets from seeing her daughter grow and learn. Being a part of her life is a gift. A woman's life changes in so many ways when she becomes a mother, but one of the biggest things for Kala is her want to be a better person for her child. Children make people see the world differently and things that once seemed to be a big deal don't matter anymore. Being a mom has changed Kala for the better. Comment below... What you love most about being a mom? How did life change for the better when you became a mother? Mothers, We Appreciate You! Whether your mom lives near or far, show her how grateful you are for her this Mother’s Day. To all you moms out there, THANK YOU! Have any great stories about your awesome mom or an amazing motherly figure in your life? Post it in the comments below or on our Facebook page! Happy Mother’s Day! The content on this blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.
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