Thursday, December 17, 2015

Healthy Smile Series ~ What excites us? Perioscope, the non-surgical solution.

We are dental nerds, we understand, but this is the stuff that excites us.....

BEFORE Perioscope treatment. 


If you look at this x-ray you can see a dark gray area in the center. This is an area missing bone. The measurement from the gum line to the top of the bone was 12 millimeters. Dental bone is the foundation for your teeth. If the bone is not healthy your tooth is going to be just held in place by gum tissue and eventually become loose.

AFTER Perioscope Treatment

This is the same area is less gray. This shows us there is more bone. The measurement from the gum line to the top of the bone is now 5 millimeters! This area is healing because it was treated with endoscopic debridement (deep cleaned with our perioscope, a NON-surgical procedure using a micro camera that lets us see below the gumline.) a prescription of antibiotic and direct placement of Arestin, a topical antibiotic paste that is placed in the gum pocket.

Do you suffer from bone loss, loose teeth, a troublesome area that catches food and becomes painful? Perioscope treatment may be right for you. Schedule your evaluation today with our dental team and learn what treatment may be right for you. 

Nylaan Dental  #nylaandental 



Thursday, December 10, 2015

Healthy Smile Series ~ Tooth Whitening Gum .. truth or hype ?

Who isn't looking for a brighter, whiter smile?

The Claim is that chewing a couple of pieces of gum after eating and drinking may help remove stains for a whiter smile.

The Truth is that gum will not brighten your teeth, but it may slow down the accumulation of stains or wash away stain-causing food particles. Some "whitening" gums contain ingredients like baking soda, a soft abrasive that polishes the teeth.

However, this is not how gum gets most of the job done, because it does not touch the outer parts of your teeth very much. Mostly the chewing surfaces, like your molars, are in contact with the gum.

ANY gum might prevent stains to a certain degree because chewing gum boosts your saliva flow. The saliva flow helps to clean food particles from your mouth and slow the accumulation of stains.

Schedule your appointment today. 
A good option is a sugar-free gum, so you will not be trading whitening for tooth decay.

Brian S. Nylaan, D.D.S. 
The Best option is a sugar-free gum sweetened with Xylitol. Xylitol is a natural substance that can be found in a variety of fruits and vegetables.  It can reduce tooth decay and cavities by as much as 70%.

All in all chewing gum can reduce some stain and keep your mouth healthy by increasing saliva flow. It can also freshen your breath, but it should never take the place of brushing and flossing your teeth. If a whiter, brighter smile is your goal contact our dental office. We can let you know which form of whitening is your best option.

Thursday, December 3, 2015

Healthy Smile Series ~ Who takes care of the dental professionals teeth?

Have you ever wondered how we take care of our teeth ? 

Who cleans our teeth and places our restorations? 

Here are the answers:

Kelli cleaning Dr. Nylaan's teeth
Our expert hygiene team takes great care of our teeth and each others. It is a little tricky scheduling appointments for ourselves, because our patient care always come first. We understand the importance of great dental care on our overall health, so we make it work. Of course, Dr. Nylaan places our restorations and he has not had a cavity since he was a youngster. 

Because we understand the importance of our dental health we all have favorite products and tools to keep our teeth as healthy as possible. These are our favorite products..... 


Tara, Registered Dental Hygienist
Tara's bathroom counter
 I use a Sonicare toothbrush because it is the best toothbrush on the market-gives your teeth & gums the best possible cleaning! I use Pronamel toothpaste because it is the least abrasive paste out there so it doesn't damage your teeth and also helps with sensitivity. Lastly, I use Colgate Enamel Health mouth wash because it is alcohol-free (doesn't give you dry mouth) and has a Fluoride component. ~Tara



Kelli, Registered Dental Hygienist
Kelli's bathroom counter

I love my Sonicare Flexcare! It gives me a superior clean versus a manual toothbrush. It has a sensor on it that warns me if I'm brushing too hard so I always know that I'm using the right pressure. I use Colgate total toothpaste because of the added ingredient triclosan that helps prevent gingivitis. I have MI paste that I use before I whiten my teeth. It works great to lower sensitivity and strengthens enamel. ~ Kelli


Shauna, Registered Dental Hygienist


Shauna's bathroom counter












The items shown in the photo are the home care items that I love! The Sonicare electric toothbrush is among the best for the removal of bacteria that can cause infection and disease in our mouths. The plaque and bacteria cannot withstand the ultrasonic vibrations making the Sonicare very effective for plaque removal. The timer is handy as it ensures that I am brushing for two minutes, and buzzes every 30 seconds to let me know to move on to the next area. The orange manual toothbrush pictured here is also a favorite of mine. Some people are unable to tolerate an electric toothbrush, so this manual toothbrush is a great option. The way the bristles are shaped allows it to safely remove plaque and bacteria from underneath the gum tissues, more so than other manual toothbrushes that are available. As for toothpaste, I prefer Colgate Total because of its antibacterial properties and I like the way it makes my mouth feel after brushing. Another toothpaste that I often recommend is Sensodyne Pronamel. It is a great family toothpaste in that it can help with sensitivity or if you are prone to decay issues. Sensodyne products are also among the least abrasive toothpastes you can buy. Finally, flossing of course is the gold standard for cleaning in between teeth. However, flossing is not an option for some people due to dexterity issues or not being able to get their hands in the back of their mouths. And some people just don't like to floss. That's ok!! This is where the Waterpik is a great alternative! It is a pressurized water spray that massages the gum tissue while flushing plaque and bacteria away. It has a large handle making it easy to hold on to. Once you get the hang of directing the water that's coming out of your mouth into the sink, it is a breeze to use. I use it every other day, alternating with floss, and my gum tissues continue to stay healthy and infection free. ~ Shauna


Elizabeth, Registered Dental Assistant
Elizabeth's bathroom counter

 In our house we use Sonicare because they do a better job of removing plaque and keeping sensitivity down. Also both the adult and child Sonicare ensure we brush for two mins without an extra timer. We use the water pick which removes plaque from places our brush can’t reach and does a better job than floss in my opinion. We do have regular floss though because everyone should! I like Colgate total it makes my mouth feel clean and has helped with sensitivity my husband likes Pronamel (we are out right now) and Carson picks his toothpaste by picture i just make sure it is ADA approved and has fluoride. The MI paste is to reduce demineralization and add in extra fluoride to help with sensitivity. ~ Elizabeth


Julie, Dental Assistant
Julie's bathroom counter
 These are some of the tools my family uses to keep our teeth and gums healthy. We love Sonicare because of the timer that makes sure we brush for 2 minutes. We have 2 of them and can change heads and sterilize in the side compartment. That is great when a family member is sick. MI paste to help any sensitive areas and floss is a must! ~ Julie

Kris, Certified Dental Assistant,
Registered Dental Assistant,
Office Administrator
Kris' bathroom counter
 I love the clean feeling in my mouth after using my Sonicare. The timer helps me brush for the entire 2 minutes and the ultrasonic motion cleans all my teeth incredibly well. The MI Paste Plus helps replace any lost calcium and adds fluoride to reduce sensitivity and help to keep my teeth strong and healthy. Our latest find is the FluoriMax toothpaste. It has a light minty flavor and extra fluoride. I hate to admit it, but as I get older my teeth become more sensitive. The FluoriMax, MI Paste Plus and Sonicare help to keep my teeth healthy and my sensitivity to a minimum. The Waterpik is awesome for removing plaque above and below the gum line. It is great for all the hard to reach places. 

**Note** Our office can special order Sonicare Diamond Clean and Waterpik waterflossers in special colors if you would like something other than the standard white. ~Kris
 
Dr. Nylaan 
Dr. Nylaan's travel bag 
 Lastly, Dr. Nylaan travels with his favorite dental tools. Pronamel keeps his enamel (the outer layer of your teeth) strong and healthy. MI Paste Plus also helps to strengthen enamel by rebuilding the tooth's calcium and adding the extra protection of fluoride. A manual toothbrush is in his dental bag while a Sonicare Diamond Clean sits on the home counter keeping his smile bright and healthy. 










To learn more about caring for your smile or our dental office visit our website www.NylaanDental.com or call our office 616-361-7317.

Thursday, October 29, 2015

Healthy Smile Series ~ What can you do with all that Halloween Candy?

Your children did their Trick or Treating all over town and now you need a "trick" to make all that candy disappear before it goes to their, or your, waistline; causes a bellyache or tooth decay. 

We have the answer.... 

Our dental office is holding our fifth annual Halloween Candy buy back


Our tooth fairy will be giving  $ 1 gold coins for every pound of candy that is donated.

The Halloween Candy Buy Back event will be held Monday, November 2nd  4 - 6:00 pm at our dental office. 5011 Plainfield Ave NE, Grand Rapids MI 


The candy collected will be sent to the troops in the Middle East through the Operation Gratitude program.

Every child attending our event received a new toothbrush and other fun treats as well as those shiny $ 1 coins.


Our office collects over 300 pounds of candy annually. More than 1300 pounds of candy has been collected by our dental office since we began working with Operation Gratitude.


Operation Gratitude  puts together care packages for the troops to put smiles on their faces and UPS has generously helped ship the candy to Operation Gratitude free of charge!  


We love the opportunity to show our Veterans that we haven't forgotten about them! 

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Healthy Smile Series ~ Try these healthy tricks for your Halloween treats

Some parents cringe this time of year anticipating the freakish amount of candy their little goblins will bring home Halloween night.  



Parents, fear no more, there are tricks to these treats and even alternatives to pass out without fear of scaring children away.
1 Don’t skip dinner.
Halloween night can be busy, especially when it falls on a weeknight. Make time to serve a nutritious meal before breaking out the candy.
2 Diversify. Let’s face it, left to their own devices; kids will go to every door in the neighborhood to collect as much candy as their bag will hold. Encourage kids to spend a good portion of the night passing out candy at home. This will shorten the amount of time they are out collecting candy of their own and ultimately, limit the amount of candy they bring home.Encourage kids to take just one piece of candy at each house and use that rule at your own as well.
3 Manage the stash.
Once the kids bring their candy home, have your kiddos go through and pick out their absolute favorites. Get rid of the rest right away by bringing it to work, or giving it to a church or a donation center. Remember, it’s candy, not broccoli, so if it is in the house, someone is likely to eat it— whether they like it or not. Think about what candies can be set aside for later. For example, chocolate bars can easily be frozen, so the kids can have them as occasional treats later rather than gorging all at once.
4 Offer a trade. Consider collecting alternative items at home such as Halloween pencils, erasers, stickers or temporary tattoos. Allow your child to trade their Halloween candy for non-candy items.
These are some great ways to cut down on your child's candy consumption, but we have an even better idea.....

5. Donate your candy to Operation Gratitude through the Halloween Candy Buy Back  program. 
Operation Gratitude places the donated candy in the care packages that they distribute to the troops. These care packages are a great way to brighten a soldier's day and bring a smile to their face.  
Visit our dental office during our fifth annual Halloween Candy Buy Back with your donation and you will receive $1 for every pound of candy donated.  
MAKE A STATEMENT 
You may be wondering what could I possibly pass out besides candy? So glad you asked, how about one of these alternatives?:
•Bubbles.
•Vampire teeth.
•Rubber snakes, spiders, or other creepy
crawlies.
•Glow bracelets.
•Crazy straws.
•Toothbrushes
For those of you who are not ready to part ways with handing out candy. Here are some healthier suggestions to keep in mind this Halloween season:
Non-Chocolate alternatives: Consider lower calorie, non-chocolate candies, such as Jolly Ranchers, which only contain about 23 calories per candy and are longer lasting than most of their chocolate counterparts. Mike and Ike candies are also a better choice. They only contain 50 calories and 0 grams of fat, and the best part is the box holds multiple little candies for you to enjoy!
Sugar-free bubble gum:
This fun candy will keep your kids distracted as they chew away and blow bubbles.
Dark Chocolate: If you do go for chocolate, try this type which is rich in antioxidants. Also, dark chocolate generally has less sugar and is lower in carbs than milk chocolate.
Give some of these tricks a shot, and you won’t be as frightened by your child’s sugar intake this Halloween season.


Reference:
Nylaan Dental Team 
Grand Rapids Press
Brooke DeBeck
Grand Valley Health Plan nutritionist

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Healthy Smile Series ~ The World Looks Beautiful when you SMILE !

The world always looks beautiful if you are smiling. Smiling is the great way to keep yourself stands out happy and effectively helping your body to perform better. Smile has no language but everyone smiles in the same language. Smiling makes your face beautiful because I have not seen a smiling face that is not beautiful. Smile is very important o improve your stress level, your health and your attractiveness, of course. If you want o live longer and want to be happy, smile is the only way to make it. Smiling is at the root of who we are as human beings. In fact, it's the very first thing parents take pride in when they monitor their infant's development. 

Smile is a Symbol of Our Love to Others

Smiling is a representation of our willingness, affection and our openness to others. Look at a new born baby. It communicates verbally and physically long before and feels the impact of smile at once and responded it always. There have been researches and studies that shows that even if a person gives a fake smile to others, such chemicals are automatically released in his brain that are normally present when he is actually happy and smile with sincerity. In other words, you feel yourself good when you smile and smiling also makes you more attractive for other people. Smile is actually the same thing as an expression of fear and that’s the reason why it is gracious to smile at strangers. You are showing them that you ma be a bit afraid of them but not a threat to them.
Now you can understand that why it is less socially acceptable for women to refrain from smiling than it is for men, and why women often smile wider than men do just because you are making yourself a bit easy for others when you smile, and women are normally soft vulnerable ones. In this article, I am going to express my most important facts about smiling. They are 15 for me, but may be more than it to you. I hope you will enjoy while reading these facts and contribute more in them with your comments.

1. Smiling Makes Us Attractive 

Your face is public property and it should give always smile at everyone. An unpleasant face can destroy the other’s mood and why should we allow us to inflict our stress to others. Just imagine how much beautiful would the world be if we all smiled at each other? ~~~~~~~~ Smile right now. 
We love to those people who give smile to us. There is an attraction factor. We want to know a smiling person and figure out what is so good. Frowns, scowls and grimaces all push people away -- but a smile draws them in .Avoid such smile aging habits to keep your smile always looking great.

2. Smiling Changes Our Mood

Any time when you are feeling down, try to put a smile on your face. I am 100 % sure that your mood will change and you feel better. Smiling can trick the body into helping you change your mood.

3. Smiling Is Transmittable

When you are smiling, not only your will feel happy but also it changes the moods of others and make things beautiful. With smiling face, you can bring happiness with them. Smile gives you immense attractions from others.

4. Smiling Reduces Stress 

With smile, you can throw your stress away from your face. Smiling helps you to prevent you from looking tired, overwhelmed and worn down. In extreme stress, just you need to put a smile on your face and immediately your stress should will be reduces and you will then in a better position to perform your duties.

5. Smiling Improves Your Immune System

Oh, smiling also makes your immune system to function better. While smiling, your immune function system improves because you feel relaxed and thus prevent you from the colds and flu. So smiling can also helpful to keep you away from medicines. That’s great.

6. Smiling Reduces Your Blood Pressure 

There is a great reduction in your blood pressure when you smile. So try to smile if you have a blood pressure monitoring system at home. Take a reading and sit for while. After then, smile for at least one minute and then again check reading while still smile at your face. ````` Oh My God! Huge difference!

7. Smiling is a Natural Drug

Researches have proved that smiling is a natural medications and it releases endorphins, serotonin and natural pain killers. With the use of these three, you feel better but with smile, you don’t need to use them because Smiling is a natural drug.

  8. Smiling Makes You Beautiful and You Look Younger

The muscles we use to smile lift the face, making a person appear younger. Don't go for a face lift, just try smiling your way through the day -- you'll look younger and feel better.

9. Smiling Makes You Seem Successful

The more you smile, the more you will look confident and more likely to be promoted. Put a sweet smile at business meetings and appointments and you will feel people will react to you differently. Of course, you will be more likely to be approached. 

10. Smiling Helps You Stay Positive

Try this amazing test. Smile and then try to think something negative without losing your smile. You will feel it’s hard for you to think negative while smiling. This is because when we smile, a message is send to whole body that “Life is beautiful!” So stay away from depression, worry and stress by smiling.

11 Smiling is linked with Heart and Wisdom

Smiling is linked to the heart and to wisdom. What does this all mean? The wisdom of a human being begins with thoughts in the heart, but if it remains there the wisdom is self-serving. In order for that wisdom to make the world a better place it needs to be expressed through the mouth. When we open our mouths and speak we share ourselves with the world. Smiling is a symbol of our willingness to open ourselves up to others.

  12. Smile reflects our Caring to Others 

When we greet someone, we are supposed to smile at them. Smiling exhibits our kindness and openness to relate to another person. When I frown I close my mouth tightly; I hide my teeth. I am saying that I do not wish to open myself or my wisdom up to anyone. But when I smile, I say to my fellow man, "Yes, I want to get to know you. I want to share my wisdom, my insights, and my personal contributions to this world with you. I am showing you my teeth, the window to my world and my wisdom, and I want you to partake in what I have to offer." A smile is the light in your window that tells others that there is a caring, sharing person inside.

13. Smiling is Funny!

One of the most common times we smile is when something is funny to us. Whether it is Jim Carrey, Eddie Murphy, or any other comedian, most times we laugh because we find humor in something. The job of most comedians is to make us laugh, which is sort of an art. By creating things that are funny, many of us laugh our socks off, which first bring across our faces a big smile.

14. Smiling is out of the Ordinary

Although many times we smile when things are funny to us, other times we smile when we find things extremely ridiculous or out of the ordinary. There comes a turning point when something seems so out of the wall that we must smile. That doesn't mean it is a good or bad thing, but so off-the-wall that we must smile at its shocking ness. Go to any magic show, and you may find individuals smiling at the tricks. Likewise, watch someone tell an obvious lie and you may find individuals smiling at its ridiculousness.

15. Smiling is Welcoming

In almost any restaurant, or one where it involves customer service, you will find the workers smiling. It is their job to welcome you and to make you feel welcome. For this reason they must smile. It is not only done because we 'must' smile but also because the person wants and likes you. Babies do this all the time. Try to pick it up and if it likes you it will smile, but if it does not, it will cry for its mother. When we smile to welcome someone it is because we like them as well.

Final Thoughts 


Contact our office for your Healthy Smile appointment. wwwNylaanDental.com
So the final though is that smiling is the most beautiful and expressible thing done by any human. Most of the times it is at once but many times it is not. In either case, Smiling is such a thing that makes us to feel good about others and ourselves too. Each time you smile, you feel a sense of pleasure, enjoyment and happiness. So be happy and smile!
Reference - Capella University 


Thursday, September 17, 2015

Healthy Smile Series ~ Five reasons to smile !

So much more than than a pair of upturned lips, the smile is the most scientifically studied human facial expression. 

Here, Five facts that may make you, well, you know.

1. People with big grins live longer. In a study published last year, researchers pored over an old issue of the Baseball Register, analyzing photos of 230 players. They found that on average, the guys with bright, big mouthed beams lived 4.9 years longer than the players with partial smiles, and 7 years longer than the players who showed no grin at all. We can't credit wide smiles for long life spans, of course, but smiles reveal positive feelings, and positive feelings are linked to well-being. 


2. Smiles exert subliminal powers. When study subjects are shown an image of a smiling face for just four milliseconds—a flash so quick, the viewers don't consciously register the image—they experience a mini emotional high. Compared with control groups, the smile-viewers perceive the world in a better light: To them, boring material is more interesting, neutral images look more positive, even bland drinks seem tastier.

3. There are three degrees of happiness... An article in the British Medical Journal reported that it is indeed possible to spread the love: Within social networks, when one person is happy, the feeling migrates to two people beyond her. So if you smile, a friend of a friend is more likely to smile, too.

4...and two types of smiles. Genuine smiles and fake smiles are governed by two separate neural pathways. We know this is true because people with damage to a certain part of the brain can still break into a spontaneous grin even though they're unable to smile at will. Scientists speculate that our ancestors evolved the neural circuitry to force smiles because it was evolutionary advantageous to mask their fear and fury.  


5. To spot a faker, check the eyes. When someone smiles out of genuine delight, a facial muscle called the orbicularis oculi involuntarily contracts, crinkling the skin around the eyes. Most of us are incapable of deliberately moving this muscle, which means that when a person fakes a smile, her orbicularis oculi likely won't budge.


Reference: Oprah.com



Thursday, September 10, 2015

Healthy Smile Series ~ Laser Dentistry - what is the buzz all about?

Brian S. Nylaan, D.D.S.
So I must admit at my last dental cleaning Dr. Brian found a cavity. Oh no - how could this happen?? I work in the dental profession. I brush, I floss. I have some acid re-flux - another great part of getting older; Not !

No one wants to have a cavity filled. Everyone flashes back to the dental drill, the fat lip, the sound of the dental drill, all the terrible things we remember from our dental visits as a child.

So much has changed in the dental profession. In our office we have electric handpieces. There is a lot less noise. This handpiece does not generate as much heat, so less cold water is needed. Bottom line is it is a lot more comfortable.

This is my tooth after having
the restoration placed.
Our office also uses Single Tooth Anesthesia (STA). This way we can numb only the tooth being worked on instead of numbing your lip, tongue and cheek. We also have Oraverse. This reverses the effect of the dental anesthesia, so you can have your entire area numbed, and we can reverse the numbing after your treatment, so the fat lip and cheek feeling goes away much more quickly.

Today I had my tooth fixed with the dental laser. Oh my goodness. While I would not recommend getting a cavity, if you need to have a cavity restored, laser dentistry is definitely the way to go. There is still a handpiece being used, but there is no noise and no heat. The laser evaporates the diseased tooth structure which is then replaced with a fluoride emitting tooth colored resin. If you looked at my tooth, you would not be able to tell I had a restoration placed today. I do not have a numb lip, so no droopy smile, no slurred speech.

If you would like to see S.T.A. in action watch our video. To schedule your appointment contact our office and experience our expert care and new dental technology for yourself. After all, don't you deserve the best dental care that is available?

We believe that you do deserve to have excellent dental care in a warm caring environment. ~ Kris
Kris ~ Office Administrator

         
www.NylaanDental.com


Thursday, September 3, 2015

Healthy Smile Series: Waterpik's Water Flosser



A water flosser using warm water, the jet tip and  the pulsating action of the device will provide a gentle flushing out of food and debris. This is going to do a couple of important things for you. 

One, your tissue is going to start heal and become less sensitive. This will allow you to brush more effectively, or add a power toothbrush.


There should be a significant reduction in both bleeding and gingivitis. Not only will the water flosser be able to flush out food and debris in areas nearly inaccessible to other self-care devices, it will reduce plaque and keep gingivitis at bay.


In a recent study those who used the water flosser removed three times as much plaque as those who used string floss and five times as much as those who only used a toothbrush. 

The water flosser users also had a better reduction in bleeding, 26% better than floss, and 53% better than brushing alone. 

Schedule your dental visit.

Reference: Dentistry IQ

Thursday, August 27, 2015

Healthy Smile Series: Denture Care

Contrary to popular belief, losing your teeth is NOT a natural part of aging anymore.

Disease and trauma are the main causes of tooth loss, and while trauma may be beyond your control, you can prevent disease in your teeth and gums with proper habits and teeth can be replaced with dental implants.

Your teeth CAN last for your entire lifetime.

If things do not go as planned and you do find yourself with dentures, good oral hygiene is still important.

Plaque builds up on your dentures like natural teeth and can damage the surrounding gum tissues and cause bad breath. Brush your dentures and your gums as often as you would your natural teeth.

Even if you have full dentures you should visit a dental professional on a regular basis to ensure that your dentures fit as they should and that your gum tissues are healthy.

Brought to you by Nylaan Dental