Virginia beach Cosmetic and Neuromuscular Dentistry Blog - Dr. Michael Folck

Friday, October 28, 2011

National Family Health Month


Family Health Month focuses on several different aspects of ways to keep you and your family healthy. October is National Family Health Month, sponsored by the American Academy of Family Physicians and doctors around the country. All doctors, including dentists like Dr. Michael Folck, are using October and National Family Health Month to encourage their patients to pay attention to their general health. 

This means proper nutrition, physical fitness, and stress and mental health should all be examined. It’s also a time to remember that major illnesses, all of them leading causes of death in this country, are preventable. Heart attacks, stroke, cancer, lung disease, and various injuries don’t have to happen.

Oral Health and General Wellness

Dr. Folck cares deeply about the health of his patients. Eating correctly provides nutrition your body needs. This includes your teeth and gums. Eating a variety of fruits, vegetables, and nuts is the best thing you can do for your health. Many of these have vitamins that keep your gums and teeth healthy and strong.

Telling people to avoid tobacco and drink alcohol in moderation may seem like a tired old song by this point, but it cannot be overemphasized that both of these can destroy your smile. Oral cancer, receding gums, and missing teeth are all things to worry about when using tobacco and alcohol.

If you have not had a dentist appointment in some time, maybe October, a month to celebrate National Family Health is a good time to make one. 

If you are in the Portsmouth, Virginia area and need to see a general dentist, please contact experienced general and cosmetic dentist Dr. Michael Folck, DDS today.

posted by Admin at 9:28 AM 0 comments

Saturday, October 15, 2011

National Orthodontic Health Month


While you and your kids are thinking about what to be for Halloween, it’s also a time to remember that October is National Orthodontic Health Month. Since Halloween is a day where trick or treating leads to eating candy, even for those who don’t generally eat it, it is also important to remember to take care of your orthodontia.

It’s easy to get caught up in the act of eating sticky candy, even though you are wearing braces. For children, this is often a given. When presented with a pile of candy, thoughts of dental hygiene are non-existent for most of them. However, it’s important to remember that eating foods that get caught in your braces can lengthen the time needed to wear them.

If you are going to eat candy this Halloween, or any other day for that matter, it is best to choose candy that melts in your mouth, eat it in moderation, and brush and floss after eating it.

Orthodontia patients who wear Invisalign may have an easier time since they can remove their aligners if they’d like to eat candy, but it is still important to brush and floss as soon as you can. 

Remembering to care for your teeth while wearing orthodontia is going to get you past the need for wearing it in the first place. Every choice you make with food, drink, and even candy, will affect your teeth. 

Choose wisely and celebrate National Orthodontic Health Month this October.

If you have any questions about braces and are in the Norfolk, Virginia area, please contact experienced orthodontist Dr. Michael Folck, DDS today.

posted by Admin at 9:26 AM 0 comments

Saturday, October 1, 2011

National Dental Hygiene Month


October is National Dental Hygiene Month, and gives you a chance to remember that your oral health is extremely important to your general wellbeing. This year, the American Dental Hygienists’ Association has announced the theme is “It’s simple. Healthy habits for a healthy smile.”

Taking care of your teeth should be ingrained in you by the time you’re an adult, but too often many people neglect some aspect raising the chance that they may develop gum disease. National Dental Hygiene Month is a way to disseminate information on what you need to do to keep your smile healthy.

The best way to keep your teeth healthy and gum disease at bay is by doing the following:

  • Brush for two minutes twice a day
  • Floss every day
  • Rinse with an anti-microbial mouthwash
  • Chew sugar-free gum after eating
  • Have your teeth professionally cleaned twice a year

If you do these things consistently, your teeth will be much healthier. You avoid problems that can include bleeding gums, and loose and missing teeth. When bacteria from your mouth get into your bloodstream, you also raise chances of stroke, heart attack, and certain kinds of cancer.

So celebrate National Dental Hygiene Month by scheduling your next dental appointment. 

If you are in the Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Norfolk, Hampton, or Portsmouth, Virginia area and need to see a dentist, please contact experienced general dentist Dr. Michael Folck, DDS to set up an appointment today.

posted by Admin at 9:24 AM 0 comments

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