Give A Tooth-Friendly Easter Basket!

Did you know that some dentists believe that more teeth are destroyed Easter morning than at any other holiday except Halloween? To address the problem, try putting together a tooth-friendly Easter basket this year.

Americans spend more than $1.5 billion on Easter candy each year, second only to the $1.77 billion spent on Halloween, according to the National Confectioners Association. Americans each year eat the equivalent of 25 pounds of candy per person, plus an additional 2 pounds of gum each.

We all love candy and it's not feasible to recommend that we not give children some candy on the holidays, but plan on making Easter more fun and healthy this year by giving children a tooth-friendly Easter Basket.

You can do this by substituting candy with stickers, stuffed animals, pocket-sized games, coloring books, crayons, books, comic books, magazines, videos, and video games or fun clothing. Sugar-free gummy bears, gum and lollipops also are fun and healthy.

You can also include children's toothpaste, toothbrushes, dental floss and even a tooth trinket. Visit http://www.toothfairytrinkets.com for some great gift ideas. Other good ideas are key chains, baseball cards, flavored lip balm, colorful bandages, flower or vegetable seed packets, sidewalk chalk, sunglasses and colored shoelaces or building blocks.

Don't forget that brushing immediately after eating candy or any food is still the best way to avoid cavities. Parents can help by reducing or completely eliminating hard candy that children suck on or let melt in their mouths.

Tobacco Use and Dental Problems

We already know that smoking is bad for our health. Not surprisingly, it is also the cause of major dental problems. The damage is not only caused by cigarettes...cigars, hookah water pipes and all forms of smokeless tobacco are also major contributors and are cause for concern.

Tobacco increases the risk of oral cancer and gum disease. It also slows the healing process and can damage gum tissue, causing receding gum lines leaving the roots of the teeth exposed, increasing the risk of tooth decay and causing hot/cold sensitivity. Tobacco also causes bad breath and stains on your teeth that cannot be removed with regular brushing.

Quitting smoking is very beneficial to your overall health. If you are thinking about quitting or have already quit and need dental care, please contact your nearest Mortenson Family Dental office today by clicking on the "locations" link on the left side of the page to schedule a consultation and oral cancer screening.

Why Is It So Important To Have Good Dental Care?

Did you know that your gums and your teeth are directly connected to your blood stream? If you get infection in your gums, it will travel throughout your blood vessels and create all kind of havoc on your health. It is so important to have good dental care because it is the first line of protection for good, overall health.

Not convinced? Research has proven that an unhealthy bacteria-filled mouth can also lead to many, many problems throughout the body, such as heart disease, diabetes, infections in the blood stream and low birth weight in babies. What's worse is that in January, 2010 MSN.com reported that researcher Yiping Han, from the department of periodontilogy at Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine discovered the first documented case of a stillbirth caused by an oral bacteria. Copy and paste the link to read the whole story: http://dentistry.about.com/b/2010/01/28/oral-bacteria-linked-to-stillbirth.htm.

And then there is the tragic case of Deamonte Driver, the 12-year-old Maryland boy who died in 2007 because of a dental infection. Deamonte's death drew national attention to the problems of those without access to dental care, prompting calls for change. Copy and paste the link to read the whole story: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/02/AR2007050202539.html.


At Mortenson Family Dental, we can help you have a healthy mouth. Seeing a dentist on a regular basis is very important, as your dentist can tell you what you might be doing wrong when it comes to brushing, or they can help resolve any sort of pain or problems that you might have within your mouth. You should see your dentist every six months to a year in order to get a deep cleaning as well as a full dental exam.

Meet Dr. Wayne

Dr. Mortenson was born and raised in the small town Elfrida, in Southern Arizona. He received a Bachelor's degree from the University of Arizona in agriculture. After working for many years teaching, farming and for Ralston Purina, Dr. Mortenson and his wife Sue decided it was time for a change, and moved the family to Louisville, Kentucky, so that he could attend dental school. The farming bug never left Dr. Mortenson though, and you will still find him most weekends, and any chance he can get, working at his farm in Oldham County. After graduating from The University of Louisville School of Dentistry in 1979, Dr. Mortenson opened his first dental practice in what was then a small town Middletown Kentucky. Dr. Mortenson's kids can remember him anxiously counting the bricks on the outside of his office building in excitement and anticipation as he attempted to determine the building’s size after renting it. That practice has now expanded to twenty-two offices, thanks to Dr. Mortenson’s great vision, and has treated thousands of patients over the years. Patients of Dr. Mortenson say that it is his caring personality and kind nature that make him such a great dentist. When his practice first opened, Dr. Mortenson saw patients and Sue worked at the front desk. With a lot of hard work and determination the Mortensons have built their practice over the years from those first few initial patients to the many thousands they serve today. They have also been privileged to have all four of their children enter the field of dentistry in one way or another. Dr. Mortenson is a qualified member of the Crown Council. He was instrumental in putting together the Mastermind Group, an association of the leading dentists in the country, and recently recognized for its excellence. Dr. Mortenson has received numerous awards for his charitable work including, the Garth Brooks Teammates for kids award.