Maple Mews Dental – Celebrating 25 years!

What a great time with my amazing team! Celebrating the 25 year Anniversary of Maple Mews Dental … what an accomplishment!

I am so honoured and privileged to have worked and continue working alongside other dental professionals that have not only supported Maple Mews Dental and the Burlington Community, but have such a passion for dentistry.  Without my team, and our patients we would not be celebrating this milestone!

I am thankful to the many team members that have worked with me since opening Maple Mews Dental in 1996.  From Associate Dentists that worked for me in my early years of the business while I started a family to Dr. Tracy Parker, my associate of over 15 years … I am thankful for each of them!

Many of my team members have been committed to Maple Mews Dental for countless years, including Laura, my office manager for almost 24 years!  Our hygiene team, which is comprised of four highly dedicated Registered Dental Hygienists have over a combined 100 years of dental experience … Lori joined the Maple Mews Dental team in 2000, Christine in 2007, Stephanie in 2009 and most recently Kim has joined the hygiene team. 

The smiling face of Alice that you see upon arrival to the office (well ..without a mask you could see her smile) has been with our team for 7 years, and our Certified Dental Assistants Ana and Homa , both passionate about dentistry and assisting with your dental care are an integral part of the team!

To each & every team member that has worked along side me, and our team at Maple Mews Dental, some for many years, I am thankful for their commitment and dedication to Maple Mews Dental.  I am thankful for their passion for dentistry, enabling them to provide you, our patients, with the smile you deserve!

Dr. Beata Rzepka

Time for New Routines & School Lunches!

I hear the school bells.. such a welcoming sound! School time is upon us & it seems like our crazy world has converted even those that didn’t like school.. children, parents & teachers seem excited that school is finally back!

Time for new routines & packing school lunches !

**There is always time to brush & floss .. remember to brush at least 3 times a day and floss regularly

**Don’t rush your brush .. brush each time for at least 2 minutes … use a timer or a favourite song to time your brushing !

**Eat healthy lunches & snacks … crunchy foods like carrots and apples are good for your teeth! Avoid sticky, sugary snacks !

**If you must have a sweet treat, rinse with water after eating the snack !

**Avoid sipping sugary drinks..drink it all at once and drink water after!

As your oral health specialists, our team at Maple Mews Dental reminds you to keep good oral health habits each & every day! We send our best to those of all ages heading to school … those wee ones starting for the first time, elementary & high schoolers, those heading off to college or University and to the teachers too! Have a great school year … and don’t forget to smile!!

If you would like to visit the Maple Mews Dental Team, contact us by phone at 905-632-2442 or email appointments@maplemewsdental.ca

Healthy Habits

With all of the ups and downs in 2020 ; working from home instead of going into the office, kids learning online, in school for awhile and back online again, schedules have been disrupted and constantly changing in the last nine months!  For many, oral care habits, including visiting the dentist and daily oral care have also been disrupted .  January is always a great time to reset and put good habits into place.

A lifetime of healthy habits can keep your smile healthy. Healthy habits can help to prevent dental problems or concerns including gum disease and tooth decay.

Keeping your smile at it’s best includes:

-Eating healthy meals and snacks

-Avoiding sugary snacks and drinks .. replace sugary drinks with water!

– Brush your teeth 2-3 times a day – for 2 minutes each time

– Floss your teeth daily

– Visit the dentist regularly ( ideally at least twice/ year)

Keep your smile happy and healthy in 2021!  Get back on track with your oral care routine and if you haven’t visited the dentist in the last 6 months… schedule a dental visit today!   If you would like to schedule a visit at Maple Mews Dental please contact us by phone at 905-632-2442 or by email

Maple Mews Dental Team

Trick or Treat !

Although Halloween may look a little different this year with family fun events at home instead of trick or treating or fun creative candy tubes or clotheslines to give out candy in the neighbourhood, there will still be candy…lots and lots of candy! Halloween is always a time, like no other when it comes to indulging in extra candy and sweets!

It’s fun to trick or treat and have lots of Halloween treats, but having cavities is not much fun!  The more snacking we do or allow or children to do, the more prone we are to cavities and to damaging our teeth.

Some helpful hints to keep your smile healthy and happy this Halloween from the Maple Mews Dental team are:

• Choose snacks wisely — all the time not just at Halloween
• Remember that soft sticky snacks like toffee are usually not a good choice for your teeth
• Instead of snacking continually eat more sugary snacks and drinks at one time
• After indulging on the few treats , rinse with water, brush and floss
• Replace the sticky sweet snacks with better ones for your overall health and oral health. Choose snacks like yogurt, vegetables and dip, chocolate milk or cheese!
• Brush 3 times a day for 2 minutes
• Parents help your children with brushing and flossing
• Visit your dental regularly

At Maple Mews Dental we LOVE Halloween too! We love your smile and want to help you to make the best choices to keep you smiling! If you have any questions about good snacks to keep a healthy smile , contact us today or talk to us at your next dental visit!

Happy Halloween from the Maple Mews Dental Team!

Your medical health is important to the dental team!

At Maple Mews Dental we cater each dental appointment to our patients specific needs.  We begin each dental hygiene appointment with a medical history update. We are often questioned why we would need to know this information.

Many people are affected by Xerostomia or Dry mouth syndrome and aren’t even aware that they have this condition! Dry mouth is caused when the salivary glands in the mouth don’t make enough saliva to keep your mouth wet. Having proper saliva flow is important because without it you are more likely to develop tooth decay, gum disease, and mouth sores or thrush.

There are many causes of dry mouth most common being medications or a combination of medications. In fact: there are hundreds of medications including over the counter drugs that list dry mouth as a side effect. The most common type of medications with this side effect include drugs used to treat depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, as well as some antihistamines, decongestants, muscle relaxants and pain medications.

Along with medications, many health conditions can also cause dry mouth and directly effect your oral health. These health conditions include diabetes, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, or autoimmune diseases, such as Sjogren’s syndrome or HIV/AIDS.

Patients who are under going Cancer treatments can also expect to suffer from dry mouth. Chemotherapy and radiation can directly affect the salivary glands and cause temporary or permanent decreased saliva production.

Other causes of dry mouth can include the use of tobacco, cannabis, alcohol and recreational drugs. Methamphetamine use can cause severe dry mouth and damage to teeth, this is a condition also known as “meth mouth.”

As Dental Health professionals we have solutions and products that we can suggest that can greatly improve saliva flow and help with dry mouth syndrome.

Next time you are in the dental chair don’t be taken back by us questioning your medications or health history.  By knowing your whole health history, we can better manage your oral care and specialize your homecare to fit your personal needs.

Stephanie Bays, RDH , Maple Mews Dental

DO YOU HAVE DRY MOUTH?

The most common causes of main contributor of dry mouth, which is referred to as Xerostermia are:

• Health conditions including diabetes and stroke
• Alzhimier’s Disease
• Autoimmune Disease
• Anxiety and Depression
• Medications 
• Smoking – tobacco, Vaping and cannabis use
• Drug and /or Alcohol Use
• Dehydration

At Maple Mews Dental our team regularly monitors each patients medical conditions, medications and daily habits.  Why ?  To best assess dental concerns and to assist with diagnosis or reason for the dental issues including dry mouth, periodontal or gum disease and dental decay.

Without a solution to assist with dry mouth,  gum disease or decay will reoccur. Finding a solution or aid that will help increase salivary flow is imperative!   

To address dry mouth temporary remedy’s may include:

• Chewing sugar free gum to stimulate salivary flow
• Avoid mouth rinses with alcohol
• Mouthwash designed for dry mouth – best  containing Xylitol
• Use of a fluoride rinse – to help prevent cavities
• Use of saliva subtitutes including toothpaste, gums, mints, gel  .. such as Biotene

Long term solutions to battling dry mouth include medication changes, addressing medical issues and changing or quitting cetain habits.

If you experience dry mouth or are concerned if your medications , medical conditions or habits may be affecting your oral health , ask a dental professional at Maple Mews Dental.

Maple Mews Dental Team

Should my teeth be loose?

       

While a loose tooth can be an exciting time for a child as they anticipate a visit from the tooth fairy, for an adult a loose tooth is a concern.  In an adult a loose tooth does not occur without a cause.  You may notice the loose or mobile tooth while eating, brushing and flossing or it may initially be diagnosed during a dental visit.

The most common cause of a loose tooth, or teeth in an adult is advanced gum disease.  When bacteria is not removed, it can attack the gums and bone surrounding the teeth, leading to loss of support of the teeth.  Other symptoms of gum disease include bleeding gums, red or swollen gums, and bad breath.   Gum disease is the result of poor dental hygiene including home care.  If you don’t brush and floss regularly and don’t visit the dental hygienist regularly, tartar or calculus builds up causing damage to the tissues surrounding the teeth.  Gum disease IS treatable, however if left untreated the disease can lead to tooth loss.

At Maple Mews Dental our dental hygienists regularly perform a thorough procedure called a Periodontal Examination.  By examining and measuring the pocket depths (the space between the tooth and gum) around each tooth with a dental instrument, gum disease can be detected, diagnosed and treated.

Other causes of loose teeth may include:

• Teeth Grinding
• Injury to the face and mouth
• Broken tooth

Once a diagnosis is made and the cause of the loose tooth is identified, treatment can begin immediately.  Gum disease in early stages can be reversed. Scaling, frequently known as dental cleaning will remove the bacteria and tartar, allowing the tissues around the teeth to heal.  Treatment of gum disease is an ongoing process.  Gum disease at more advanced stages may require gum surgery.

If the cause of loose teeth is grinding or bruxism, it can be treated with tooth splinting, adjusting of the way the teeth close together and or a nightguard or appliance to wear to reduce the damage to the teeth.

Good oral hygiene practices can prevent loose teeth caused by gum disease. Brush 2-3 times daily, floss daily and visit the dental hygienist regularly – at least twice a year! At the first sign of a loose tooth or teeth, do not wait … call the dentist immediately !

Maple Mews Dental Team 

Bad Breath & Your Tongue!

Do you brush and floss faithfully every day and still have bad breath? Are you cleaning your tongue?  Your tongue is the perfect place for bacteria to thrive! Your tongue is rough with grooves, great spots for bacteria to gather!  Bacteria on your tongue can often be the culprit of bad breath.

Your tongue can be simply cleaned by brushing your tongue as part of your regular oral health care routine .  Simply use your toothbrush to brush your tongue after you have brushed your teeth…. Be sure to get the sides and the back . Use reasonable pressure to ensure you are successful in removing the bacteria on the tongue.

Tongue scrapers are a great alternative to using a toothbrush to clean your tongue.  The tongue scraper can be dragged along your tongue from back to front, to pull any bacteria to the front of the tongue.

Cleaning your tongue should be a part of your daily oral care routine. When you brush and floss, clean your tongue too!   Bad breath stinks…. Brush your tongue to win the bad breath battle !! 

Maple Mews Dental Team 

Do Children’s Teeth Matter ?

YES! Children’s teeth , called baby or primary teeth absolutely matter !   Many people think that the “baby or primary” teeth are not important .. they fall out, so how could they be?  When the baby teeth fall out , they are replaced with  permanent or adult teeth … these are more important , or are they?

Let me set the record straight !  All teeth are important! Despite the shorter life span of baby or primary teeth, they serve an important role in each child’s oral health and development.

PROPER CHEWING

• Just as the adult or permanent teeth , the baby teeth are important for chewing and biting. Children need to chew to be able to eat the proper foods to get the proper nutrients to grown

SPACE HOLDERS

• Baby or primary teeth are space holders for the permanent teeth. If the primary teeth are missing, it can cause problems for the adult teeth to develop correctly and in the right place.

SELF-ESTEEM

• Even children can feel self- conscious about missing teeth. It is important to keep the primary teeth healthy to ensure a beautiful smile. Self- esteem issues can start at a young age.

HEALTHY SMILES

• Regular home dental care and regular dental visits are the key to a healthy smile at any age. Tooth problems and dental pain can lead to bigger issues in primary and permanent teeth.

It may be tempting to skip brushing or flossing the baby or primary teeth and to avoid visiting the dentist with small children  ..DON’T !  Remember that the care you give to your children’s smile at a young age, will affect your child’s oral health and development.

The Maple Mews Dental team loves smiles of all ages.  Our team starts seeing children’s smiles from the time teeth begin to erupt, as early as age 1 . If you have questions about your primary or baby teeth, please ask, we are more than happy to educate you about smiles of ages.

Maple Mews Dental Team 

 

 

Baby’s Teeth

The Canadian Dental Association and the Maple Mews Dental team agree that starting with a dental visit as early as Age 1, is a good start to developing a great oral care routine.  Educating our patients, even before a child is born about the development of an infants teeth and an infants oral care is routine practice for our team at Maple Mews Dental.

• It is important to clean an infants gums … Use a cloth to wipe the baby’s mouth . Just like cleaning every other nook and cranny of the infant is important … so is the mouth.
• Most infants will get their first tooth or teeth between age 6 – 12 months
• During teething the gums may be inflamed or swollen and drooling is common
• Plan an infants first dental visit at age 1( One)
• Usually the lower front teeth are the first teeth to develop
• Use a small toothbrush or “finger brush” to clean your infants teeth
• Most primary or baby teeth are developed by age 3
• Toothpaste is not needed at this early age – just water and the brush
• If you have any concerns call the dental office for a dental visit

Oral care and teething for infants can be challenging .  The earlier an oral care routine is developed , the easier it is for the child and parent.  Ask our team at your next visit, or give us a call at 905-632-2442, the Maple Mews Dental team is happy to answer your questions .