To get that smile to sparkle this season, you can do one of three things:
• Have a dentist do your bleaching
• Bleach your teeth at home
• Use a teeth-whitening toothpaste

Using over the counter teeth whitening products has its benefits – namely, it’s cheaper. But it’s not for everyone, and it doesn’t always work. It’s easy to get lost in a see of advertisements and develop frustration about which products to trust.

Fortunately, the American Dental Association provides a helpful webpage to arm you with the facts about bleaching, and to educate you about your options.

It all starts with a consultation with your dentist. The ADA provides some good basics on how you should prepare for that session:
“[Your dentist] can tell you whether whitening procedures would be effective for you. Whiteners may not correct all types of discoloration. For example, yellow-ish hued teeth will probably bleach well, brownish-colored teeth may bleach less well, and grayish-hued teeth may not bleach well at all. Likewise, bleaching may not enhance your smile if you have had bonding or tooth-colored fillings placed in your front teeth. The whitener will not affect the color of these materials, and they will stand out in your newly whitened smile. In these cases, you may want to investigate other options, like porcelain veneers or dental bonding.”

To be safe and ensure lasting results, talk to our team about handling your cosmetic bleaching. We make custom trays that fit your mouth perfectly. With our safe, prescription strength whitening gel, you will notice a brighter smile even after the first application.

You’ll benefit from a fresh new smile in a number of ways – most importantly, you’ll develop more self confidence, and – if we do our job well – a renewed energy toward keeping those teeth sparkling clean all year long.

For more on the services we provide at the Smile Center, visit our website. And for updates and special offers, please “like” us on Facebook.

Happy holidays!

Of course, here at the Grand Traverse Smile Center, we can’t pass up the opportunity to promote good dental health – even when Christmas shopping. As you think about gifts for the littlest dental patients on your list, why not make learning about teeth fun (and maybe even a little funny) with some of our favorite dental-related kids’ books?

5. Going to the Dentist by Anne Civardi

Great for toddlers and preschoolers, this book helps little ones know what to expect during that first trip to the Smile Center! Bonus: Finding the duck hidden throughout the book.

4. The Tooth Book by Dr. Seuss

Nothing tops Dr. Seuss when it comes to entertaining and silly children’s books, but this book truly helps kids learn about the importance of teeth (and have fun doing it). Probably best for preschoolers or kindergarteners, it answers a range of questions, from what kinds of animals have teeth to why they are needed.

3. George Washington’s Teeth by Deborah Chandra, Madeleine Comora and Brock Cole

This book is great for the little history buff on your list, spilling all the details about the Father of Our Country’s worst-kept secret: horrible teeth! To wit: from the age of 24 years old, George Washington lost one tooth per year. Yikes! Great for elementary school-aged readers.

2. You Think It’s Easy Being the Tooth Fairy? By Sheri Bell-Rehwoldt

This hilarious read will keep you and your kids laughing for a long time. Appropriate for kids in their Tooth Fairy prime, the book gives the scoop on the not-so-glamorous side of the Winged One’s famous work. As an Amazon.com rater wrote: “it takes sweat and muscles, a keen eye, and agility to avoid the perils of the job!”

1. Open Wide: Tooth School Inside by Laurie Keller

A great book for the whole family – and, I’ll admit, my personal favorite. “Open Wide” gives young children an inside look – literally – at teeth and keeps them laughing while – surprise! – teaching a lesson about proper dental care. You and your kids will want to read this one over and over.

So there you have it – our top 5 for your holiday shopping convenience, which include favorites for a variety of ages and interests. Obviously this list is by no means exhaustive. Got a favorite tooth-related book? We’d love to know about it. Let us know in the comments or share on our Facebook page.

And happy reading!

(NOTE: This person is not me, nor are the assistants anyone on my staff, but aren't stock photos funny?)

Happy Friday! Are you ready for the weekend? I’ve always believed that there’s nothing better than kicking back and relaxing after a productive week serving my patients.

On that note, if you’ve been in for a visit lately, you’ve surely noticed some new faces in our office. Here’s an update on the terrific new Smile Center staff members who’ve joined our team in recent months. (And if you missed my previous post about the “old-timers,” you can check it out here.)

Carol is our dental assistant; she came aboard last spring. She’s passionate about her family and her faith, and she enjoys Zumba. She does a fabulous job playing the Tooth Fairy during Dental Health Week.

We also have three new hygienists:

Bridget started working at the Smile Center this summer. She has a beautiful daughter and loves bow and rifle hunting, as well as Alabama football (although I am working on converting her to maize and blue).

Debbie, who joined the team this fall, is a huge animal lover. (She fits in well on our staff!) She also loves gardening, spending time outdoors, and traveling.

Kristen, who also started work here in the fall, has a two year old son and is expecting another child in May. She enjoys cooking and baking.

These four ladies round out a phenomenal team at the Smile Center, a group of skilled experts who help me provide the excellent service our patients have come to expect.

For more on our staff, our services, and exclusive specials, be sure to “like” the Grand Traverse Smile Center Facebook page.

Regular visits to your dentist can help you identify whether you’re a candidate for diabetes, which affects 25.8 million people in this country, or roughly 8 percent of Americans. One look inside your mouth can help your dentist identify a number of diseases, including gum disease, which is linked to diabetes. As the American Diabetes Association explains, poor blood glucose control (a hallmark of diabetes) makes gum problems (including gum disease) more likely. And gum disease can make diabetes harder to control. A vicious cycle!

(Going on a little bit of a tangent here, did you know that your spit can also help doctors identify diabetes, as well as other diseases? As Science News points out: “studies show that diseases such as breast cancer, type 2 diabetes and Alzheimer’s leave specific and identifiable signatures in saliva. Such biomarkers have also been found for Sjögren syndrome, an autoimmune condition that affects production of tears and saliva. And proteins known to be related to heart activity, including a handful whose levels are elevated during a heart attack, have also shown up in spittle.”)

So what does this all mean?

If you know you have diabetes, let me know at your next checkup so I can tailor your care accordingly. And if you don’t know whether you are diabetic, take this opportunity to become more vigilant about maintaining oral hygiene. In particular, keep on the lookout for gum disease, especially since it isn’t always painful.

The ADA offers warning signs to watch for:

For more information, visit the American Diabetes Association web site or the Mayo Clinic’s helpful guide to diabetes and dental care.

As you can imagine, the annual trick-or-treat haul can bring your kids plenty of problems to keep a dentist busy, from broken teeth to tooth decay and other side effects of a lackadaisical approach to dental care.

But as a dad myself, I can’t stand to see unhealthy teeth. I don’t want your child to wind up in my dental chair any more than you do. The longer you can protect and preserve your children’s teeth, the better off they will be.

Starting healthy dental habits early, like regular brushing and flossing, sets your child on the path for a healthy adulthood.  What’s more, having healthy teeth keeps kids on the right track in school. (Poor oral health has been linked to increased school absences and difficulty concentrating and learning.)

For more information about keeping your smile healthy, just ask next time you are in the office!

And, getting back to the topic at hand: Want to know one way to guarantee no cavities this Halloween? Give away your candy! There are a number of groups that coordinate candy care packages to our troops abroad. Who better to treat this holiday season than America’s men and women in uniform?

You can pack up that Halloween candy and mail it to our soldiers via any of the following organizations:

Operation Gratitude

Soldiers’ Angels

Operation Shoebox

Treats for Troops

Have a happy, healthy Halloween!

The people who make me look good while keeping the trains running on time.

Happy Friday! Just wrapping up another productive week in the office, which reminds me that I should let you know a bit more about my amazing and talented staff (whose “official” bios can be found on my website).

I’ll be introducing some new staff members in my next blog post. For now, here’s a bit of fun stuff about the “old-timers:”

Robin serves as my assistant and has been working in dentistry for 25 years. She grew up in the Upper Peninsula on Cranberry Farm and she’s currently the proud owner of a 20 lb (yep, you read that right) Maine Coon cat named Leo.

Rebecca (Reba) is my scheduling and billing coordinator. Her interests include volunteering for her kids’ events and activities, visiting her new puppy Sadie during lunchtime, and chatting with patients in the reception area.

Audrey and Angie are my hygienists. Audrey is 100% Polish and enjoys spending time with her one year old daughter, Christine, who just learned how to walk! She also has a 10 year old Akida dog. (Which one is the bigger handful, I wonder?) Angie serves as Back Blocker on the Toxic Cherries roller derby team (more on them later)! She never shies away from adventure and loves skydiving, roller coasters, and learning to ride her Street Bike crotch rocket motorcycle.

I feel grateful to have a team that provides such excellent care to our patients and keeps the trains running on time (and the smiles shining!) here at the Smile Center.

TO BE CONTINUED …

(For more on our staff, our services, and exclusive specials, be sure to “like” our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/GTSmileCenter.)

Nevertheless, a bit of introduction may be in order. So … hello! I’m Dr. Ryan Paulson of the Grand Traverse Smile Center. My staff and I take pride in providing exceptional, comprehensive dental care for the whole family – from toddlers to grandparents. In fact, we’ve been taking care of families here in Traverse City for the past eight years. Here’s more about my background.

I love treating families, especially children – my wife Kate and I have four of our own! When I’m not working, I enjoy spending time with my wife and kids and getting into the great outdoors – whether that involves hiking, bicycling, skiing, camping, or visiting our amazing national parks. In fact, here is a picture my wife took of me on a recent trip to Bryce Canyon National Park:

(Aren’t you glad Kate’s not in the photography business? Just kidding, honey!)

But I digress…

So I’m dusting off the old website and, starting this month, I’ll be blogging here every week to help you learn more about my work, the services we offer at the Smile Center, and most importantly – the benefits of healthy teeth!

As an example: did you know that protecting yourself from gum disease can help you fend off other serious health problems, from diabetes to heart attacks? It’s true. In my blog I’ll share related health tips and insights on how improved dental health can impact your entire well-being.

I’m also here to answer your questions, so please ask them! You can post questions in the comments section below, or email me at info@gtsmilecenter.com. And remember that you can always contact my office for assistance during business hours at 231-935-4872.

Finally, a request: Please “like” the Grand Traverse Smile Center on Facebook to receive daily news and updates and access Facebook-only specials from our office.

Thanks for keeping in touch. I look forward to hearing from you!