Why Glacier Dental recommends sealants!

Sealants are often recommended to young children to help prevent cavities. A sealant is a plastic material used to cover the surface of a tooth to help fill in the grooves. They are considered preventative care because the plastic seal prevents food from getting stuck in deep grooves and causing cavities. The reason they are more often recommended to children is to help protect their teeth right away.

However, sealants are also highly recommended for adults who do not have them on their molars. If you're prone to getting cavities, sealants are a great way to help reduce that risk.  The biggest downfall to getting sealants later on in life, is the fact that insurances typically will not cover them if you are over the age of 14, but they are an inexpensive procedure. It is more cost effective to seal your teeth now, than pay for a filling down the road.

Sealants are a pain-free procedure and are applied to the teeth very quickly. Below is an image of how the Doctor or hygienist applies the sealant.

Once the sealant is placed, it can usually last for a few years, some people several years. It is important to remember, however, sealants do not stop teeth from decaying, it helps prevent decay. It is still very important to brush two times a day and floss at least once a day. Next time you're in, ask the Doctor or Hygienist if you have any teeth that they would recommend a sealant on, your teeth are worth it!

Are E-Cigarettes better for your smile?

To start out, e-cigarettes still contain nicotine, which we all know isn't good for our overall health. But what exactly does the nicotine do? It restricts blood vessels and increases risk for periodontal disease. 

What does all that jargon mean? Everyone has white blood cells that "eat bacteria" and reduce the bad bacterial levels (which is a very good thing!). If blood vessels are restricted, causing less blood flow, these white blood cells are unable to do their job of reducing bad bacteria. As a result, gingivitis may occur which can lead to a more progressed inflammation and redness of gums, also known as periodontal disease. According to National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research." In periodontitis, gums pull away from the teeth and form spaces (called “pockets”) that become infected." If not treated, teeth may become loose and fall out. 

If you're curious as to whether or not it's worth switching to e-cigs from regular cigarettes, the answer may not be clear. There hasn't been enough research to say whether or not it's much healthier, but here are a few facts. 

E-cigs do not has as much of an effect on recovery processes as opposed to regular cigarettes, however they still do have some effect. According to WebMD, "The biggest danger from tobacco is the smoke, and e-cigarettes don't burn. Tests show the levels of dangerous chemicals they give off are a fraction of what you'd get from a real cigarette." 

Although e-cigarettes are not as "harsh" as regular cigarettes, they can still be harmful to your body and your smile, so use them as a "bridge" to help you quit, if you plan to quit eventually, but we wouldn't recommend just switching to them as an alternative or starting to use them for "fun" if you're not a smoker already.

What's better electric tooth brush or manual?

There truly is no correct answer to what is better, an electric toothbrush or a manual, simply because if you don't use it, it won't work. According to the Academy of General Dentistry, "The best toothbrush is the one you will actually use." But let's explore the pros and cons of each, and maybe it will help you decide what's best for you!

Of course the Phillips Sonicare DiamondClean toothbrush is excellent, several of Glacier Dental's patients have purchased these and absolutely love them. There are five different brushing settings and each have their own benefits. Sonicare toothbrushes are proven to remove 7x more plaque than a manual toothbrush and can improve gum health in just two weeks. They're also used to whiten teeth in one week by removing surface stains. In addition, this automatic tooth brush has a built in timer and will shut off after two minutes (the proper brush time).

As nice and convenient electric tooth brushes they do have downfalls, just like everything else. The initial cost of an electric toothbrush can be pricey but the benefits of the toothbrush will definitely pay off! Also, you only have to pay that fee once, and the toothbrush heads are removable so more than one person can use the toothbrush. The other downfall is it does need to be charged, however, the DiamondClean can keep a full charge for over a week. It also can be charged with a wall plug-in or a USB plug-in for travel.

Now electric toothbrushes are great, but if you're not going to use it, it's useless. Manual toothbrushes also have many benefits. They're cost effective (especially if you get a free one at your six month check up!), they're easy for traveling, and they're easy for children. The problem is, two minutes of brush time is a lot easier to measure with an electric toothbrush than a manual. So brush time can be reduced by accident. Also, sometimes the toothbrush heads can be too big and proper brushing is not practiced. 

In all reality, whatever toothbrush you are actually going to use, is going to be the recommended one. An electric toothbrush (if you purchase the right one, Sonicare brand is highly recommended) will have more benefits over a manual toothbrush, simply because it can remove more plaque, but a manual toothbrush can get the job done too!

Glacier Dental offers Payment Options!

Whether you're coming in for a cleaning, or plan to have treatment done, Glacier Dental offers a wide variety of payment options. 

These options are available to patients with and without insurance! 

Some of the payment options are offered in house, but we also offer easy loan options through third parties. The payments can be broken up anywhere from 6-60 months!

As an added bonus, some of our options are interest free!

To hear more about these options, call today to reserve your cleaning or exam appointment. We'd love to discuss your options with you! 920-235-3251

Add caption

Top 5 reasons 6 month visits are vital

Nearly one third of Americans did not visit the dentist at all last year.

Not only is this unfortunate, but it can be dangerous to your overall health.

Here are the top 5 reasons, you should keep up with your continued care appointments.

1. Although you may brush twice a day and floss regularly (we hope), your hygienist is able to remove tarter your toothbrush just can't get. They are also able to remove plaque that you may not be able to see, for instance on the back side of your front teeth or around a permanent orthodontic retainer. If this tarter and plaque isn't removed, decay occurs.
2. Do you ever wonder why the Doctor says "stick out your tongue" and grabs it with a cotton swab? It's not just to annoy you. It's because he or she is performing an oral cancer screening. The Dentist is looking for any white spots or abnormalities of the mouth to make sure your mouth is in tip-top shape. This is especially important if you're a smoker or a chew less tobacco user.
3. You should never wait until you're in pain to visit your dentist. If that's the case, the problem most likely just got worse over time. The more often you go in, the better your hygienist and Doctor can look for any cavities and help you prevent those cavities from turning into crowns or root canals.
4. It's never going to cost less than it does today. Going back to #3, if you wait until you're in pain, most likely the tooth has only gotten worse, meaning more of a toll on your wallet. Have your teeth cleaned and checked at least twice a year and in the end you'll save yourself some moola! It's less expensive to pay for a filling than an entire crown.
5. The dental world is constantly changing. New technology is out to help ease any dental treatment in the office as well as making at home care easier. The best way to find out about these updates is finding out from the expert him or herself. For example, back in the beginning of 2013 Dr. Steckbauer decided in order to have a state of the art facility our office needed the most up-to-date technology. He purchased a Conebeam. This x-ray machine allows Glacier Dental's clinical staff to take a 3D image of the patients mouth, allowing him to see the roots of each tooth as well as the bone structure. This is very beneficial when it comes to precise treatment planning. The 3D image is also extremely helpful in any oral surgery he performs, meaning a better and easier appointment for the patient. It also helps eliminate unnecessary follow up visits.

We know the biggest reason patients do not go to the Dentist regularly is because of fear and/or pain. Dr. Steckbauer is extremely gentle and you have nothing to worry about. At Glacier Dental we take time to listen to your concerns and try our best to make our patients feel as comfortable as possible. If you don't believe us, just look at our Google reviews!

Click here to read Glacier Dental's Google Reviews

Why Glacier Dental recommends flossing!

We know you've heard it a million times, why flossing is important and you should floss at least once a day. But why is it still always over looked? According to webmd.com,, ""There is no instant gratification with flossing -- that's the problem," says Alla Wheeler, RDH, MPA, associate professor of the Dental Hygiene Program at the New York University School of Dentistry. "Patients don't think it does anything." " 

And it's true, right? But think about it this way, brushing your teeth only cleans them 70%. Flossing cleans the remaining 30%. When you take a shower, do you only clean your body and not your hair? Of course not!

But what purpose does flossing have in cleaning your teeth? Isn't brushing them good enough? Flossing gets any bacteria out from between the teeth and it also can clean a little deeper into your gums. The bristles on your toothbrush cannot reach these areas. It also helps prevent gum disease and tooth loss. Gum disease and tooth loss!

Another added benefit to flossing, is less scraping at your hygiene appointment. If you're flossing at home at least once a day, you're removing plaque build up. If you don't floss to remove the plaque build up, it becomes harder and turns to tartar, and in return, the hygienist has to scrape it off and cause irritation to your gums.

Now some might say they don't floss because it causes them to bleed. This is normal the first few times flossing, if you have not flossed for quite some time. It just means there was some plaque there and it needed to be cleaned out. However, if bleeding does persist, you may want to go to your Dentist to have your gums checked out. Sometimes this is an early sign of periodontal disease (also known as gum disease or gingivitis).

If you think flossing is too "difficult" or "time consuming", try using a waterpik. Waterpiks use a powerful stream of water to clean between the teeth and below the gum line. Here's a short video clip if you're interested to see how it works: Waterpik Tutorial . Next time you're at your hygiene visit, ask your hygienist about our Waterpiks.

Hopefully this explains why flossing is so important! Losing your teeth and gum disease are only going to cause more pain and money in the future!

Valentine's Day Whitening at Glacier Dental

Valentine's Day is just around the corner!

Purchase your whiting today before your big Valentine's date!

Call today to schedule your whitening consult and see which whitening

option would be best suit for you!

920-235-3251