The Blog of Bryan J. Shanahan DDS, PC

When Was Your Last Dental Cleaning?

googlelogin0284@sesamecommunications.com — Tue, 15 May 2012 20:57:13 +0000

You water the garden three times a week, you change your car’s oil every three months, and you replace the batteries in your smoke detectors once a year. Your teeth need to see your dentist on a regular schedule, too.

While daily oral hygiene habits are essential to good oral health, professional dental cleanings at our office ensure your teeth are treated to a deeper level of cleaning. We recommend for most of our patients to have a checkup at least every six months. In addition to a thorough cleaning and polishing of your teeth, these regular visits help us detect and prevent the onset of tooth decay and periodontal (gum) disease. During your visit, we’ll check the health of your mouth, teeth, gums, cheeks, and tongue. We’ll also check old fillings and restorations, as these can wear away over time from constant chewing, grinding, or clenching.

If you are predisposed to oral diseases, you may need to visit our office more often than every six months. Factors at play in these diseases include age, pregnancy, tobacco use, medical conditions (such as diabetes, dry mouth, or HIV infection), along with how well you take care of your teeth on a daily basis.

Make sure your teeth get the professional attention they deserve – If you’re overdue for your next cleaning, check with our office to schedule an appointment!

May is “Get Caught Reading Month”! What’s on your reading list?

googlelogin0284@sesamecommunications.com — Fri, 11 May 2012 17:22:59 +0000

With the school year close to winding down for a lot of our patients at Dr. Shanahan’s office, we wanted to remind all our patients about the importance of reading. Sure it’s easy to keep putting off reading this time of year, but reading is a vital step in brain development and literacy. And if you needed any more reason to read, May marks “Get Caught Reading Month.”

Today, we thought we’d ask: What’s on YOUR reading list? What are some of your all-time favorites? Out of ideas for great reads? Ask us for suggestions, and our team would be happy to provide a few. You may also ask a local librarian for some ideas on what to read next!

Happy reading! Be sure to share with us your book picks or your all-time favorite novels or literature on our Facebook page!

May marks National Teen Self-Esteem Month! From Dr. Shanahan

googlelogin0284@sesamecommunications.com — Tue, 01 May 2012 12:00:24 +0000

At Dr. Shanahan’s office, we know image is everything. May happens to be National Teen Self-Esteem Month, and during this time, parents are encouraged to act as positive role models, help stop negative self-images, and improve confidence and security among teenagers.

We know one of the great ways to improve your confidence is to improve your smile. And that begins with a visit to our Flagstaff dental office. Has your child visited Dr. Shanahan’s office in the past six months for his or her regular check-up? We invite you to give us a call to book your appointment!

See you soon!

Love your smile? Write a review of Dr. Shanahan’s office!

googlelogin0284@sesamecommunications.com — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 12:00:09 +0000

Whether you’ve visited Dr. Shanahan’s office for a week, months or even years, we’d love to hear your feedback about how we’re faring. There are lots of places on the Internet where you may share your reviews, but we’d like to direct you to our Google Places Page to write a review of us – it only takes a moment!

You may write your review here.

Thank you in advance and enjoy the rest of your week!

“What should I do if my child has a toothache?”

googlelogin0284@sesamecommunications.com — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 12:00:47 +0000

Toothaches occur when the nerve root of a tooth is irritated and can be caused by an infection, gum disease, decay (cavities), or injury. If your child complains of a toothache, rinse his or her mouth with warm water and inspect the teeth to be sure there is nothing caught between them. If pain continues, use a cold compress to ease the pain. Do not apply heat or any kind of aspirin or topical pain reliever directly to the affected area, as this can cause damage to the gums. Children’s pain relievers may be taken orally.

If the toothache persists, it is important to give us a call to determine the cause of the pain and provide relief. Immediate contact should be pursued if your child experiences:

· Pain that is not be relieved by over-the-counter drugs
· Severe pain after a tooth is pulled which may be dry socket syndrome
· Pain associated with swelling of the gums or face, or discharge around a tooth, especially if accompanied by a fever
· Broken or knocked-out teeth from an accident or injury

We hope this helps! Please let us know if you have any other questions below or by giving us a call!

Spring is here! Do we have your current contact info?

googlelogin0284@sesamecommunications.com — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 16:49:05 +0000

Spring is in the air! As you probably know, you can always connect with us on our Facebook page, but we invite you to please contact our office with any updates to phone numbers and addresses, so that we may be able to reach you.

We also encourage you to call us and let us know if you have any new phone numbers or if your contact information has changed!

Thank you! Have a great week!

April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month

googlelogin0284@sesamecommunications.com — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 20:32:06 +0000

Visiting our office regularly will not only help keep your teeth and mouth healthy, but will also help keep the rest of your body healthy. The fact is, every hour of every day in the U.S., someone dies of oral cancer, which is the sixth-most common diagnosed form of the disease. The five-year survival rate is only 50 percent, and oral cancer is one of the few cancers whose survival rate has not improved. Since April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month, we would like to take this opportunity to remind all of our patients about the importance of maintaining good oral hygiene.

We are trained to diagnose, treat, and prevent oral health problems. Please let us now if you have any questions about your oral health during your next appointment. Take care of your teeth!

Healthy gums & healthy hearts, from Dr. Shanahan

googlelogin0284@sesamecommunications.com — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 18:32:21 +0000

Gum disease, known also as periodontal disease, is far more common than you may think. Each year, new studies begin to link the effect gum disease can have on the heart, and we at the office of Dr. Bryan Shanahan have been helping spread the word! One of the simplest steps to achieving healthier gums can be your diet. We recently found a great article outlining several options for healthier gums. Included among the suggestions were:

*Raisins
*Green Tea
*Whole Grains

In addition to these foods being gums-friendly, they happen to be healthy foods in general, and a great option to begin integrating into your diet.

Have a great rest of the week

When Was Your Last Dental Cleaning?

googlelogin0284@sesamecommunications.com — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 22:56:54 +0000

Make sure your teeth get the professional attention they deserve – If you’re overdue for your next cleaning, check with our office to schedule an appointment!

Like us on Facebook!

googlelogin0284@sesamecommunications.com — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 03:54:54 +0000

We will be rolling out our new Facebook Timeline page soon and would love for you to check it out! You’ll find all the useful information that was there before, but now in a fun, new layout.

When you connect with us on facebook you’ll be able to check out photos of our office, find out about new events and contests, or you can even leave a note about how much you enjoyed your visit at our office. We love hearing your feedback to make our practice serve you and your family even better. To make life even easier, if you “Like” us on Facebook, you’ll automatically receive updates from our office right on your own news feed!