Kids of all ages, from toddler to teen, need to get a good foundation at home from the start of good dental hygiene practices. Then they need constant reinforcement! Considering that only 50% of the American population see a dentist regularly, every once of dental hygiene can only help.

Simply just handing a tooth brush to a kids that doesn’t like to brush is not going to be enough. One of the first things you can do is teach your child about their teeth.

By explaining to them the different job each tooth has is why they all different shapes and different jobs, can help the understand the importance of good dental hygiene. Your child may already notice that his teeth are different types.

Our experienced staff here at Reflection Dental Care suggest you start by explaining the four different types of teeth, where they are located and what their job is, such as the INCISORS. They are eight of them with four on the top and four on the bottom and located in the front of the mouth. These eight teeth are what cuts the food you bite into with their chisel-shape.

Next to the Incisors are the CUSPIDS. These teeth tear the food down with pointed edges.

The tooth next to the Cuspids are the four BICUSPIDS. These four teeth crush and tear the food even more.

The last teeth in the back of the mouth are MOLARS. There are 12 of them. Each side has three on top and three on bottom. These teeth have wide surfaces and grind the food that you have bit off. They are used for chewing action.

Reflection Dental Group can offer the parents of our younger patients tips that we feel will assist you in getting your child started on the road to good dental hygiene and practice. Just ask one of our Dental Hygienist or the Dentist to help you with this area at your next visit.

At Reflection Dental Group, we have tips and tricks that will help you be creative in getting your child to brush regularly! We not only want to be a part of the team in keeping yours and your children teeth healthy, we also want to educate you both as well. Next time you make your appointment, let us know that you are needing some help at home in getting your child to brush.

Can you just imagine how nasty smelling you would get if you didn’t wash behind your ears, between your toes or under your armpits? It’s just gross thinking about it! Well, when you don’t get that food out in-between your teeth, there’s nasty bacteria and germs left there to build up and start causing problems, like cavities and gum disease. Just because you don’t see it doesn’t mean there isn’t food there either.

There are so many excuses that people give us at Reflections Dental Care for not flossing. From as basic and logical sounding that their hands don’t fit in their mouth or it makes their gums bleed to as silly as it splashes food specks on the mirror.

While you may keep your regular appointments for check ups and cleaning here at Reflections Dental Care, that doesn’t mean that you get by without flossing! You most likely keep eating during those 6 months in between your visits here, so that means that food is getting left behind. If you are one those lucky one that has gone a couple of years without a cavity, that daily flossing is just as important as daily brushing if not more important.

When you had your last dental cleaning here at Reflections Dental Care, did the Dental Hygienist have a difficult time getting in-between your teeth with the floss? Did your gums bleed? If the Dental Hygienist gave you lots of floss samples, use it! Even if you left here with your gums and teeth feeling clean and good, remember, it doesn’t take much for things to turn bad.

So what happens if you don’t floss regularly? The alternative is a painful and expensive deep cleaning. When we find plaque under the gum line, a deep cleaning is the next step. A deep cleaning consist of the Dental Hygienist scraping the plaque off the root of your teeth. This is invasive and not to mention uncomfortable for most people.

You can avoid deep cleaning by making the commitment to floss daily in addition to brushing. Twice a day is the recommendation from our staff here at Reflections Dental Care. Excuse yourself after lunch and go to the restroom to floss. Then floss again before you go to bed. Brushing and flossing before bed will make sure that nasty bacteria isn’t left behind to grow and create problems while you sleep.

Make sure you are doing you part of the team work to keep your teeth healthy and your smile bright! Brush, floss and keep those appointments on schedule here at Reflections Dental Care. The most dental experience under one roof is right here for you!

Inflammation is a defensive immune system reaction to substances like bacteria and viruses. An overactive immune system is called Rheumatoid Arthritis which mistakenly triggers inflammation even though there isn’t any bacteria or viruses detected. Thus inflammation happens and the joints become painful, stiff and swollen.

Experts aren’t sure exactly just how gum disease and Rheumatoid Arthritis are connected, but both of these diseases have inflammation. Some experts believe that the immune system is induced by mouth infection and inflammation and there by a chain of events are started where inflammation originates at the site of joints or arthritis.

With these recent studies in mind, some doctors feel that by curbing inflammation by way of better dental care could reduce incidences and less the severity of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Results from another study there was evidence that when patients with a critical rheumatoid arthritis and gum disease, not only did the severity of the RA lessen, but their gum disease cleared up as well.

Gum disease can range from swollen, tender gums of gingivitis to more serious disease such as periodontitis when the inflammation affects the bone that supports the teeth and the tissue surrounding the teeth. Some patients with RA have been known to develop an autoimmune disease of the glands, called Sjogren’s syndrome, which causes dry mouth and increased tooth decay.

By patients with gingivitis keeping their twice a year cleanings at Reflections Dental Care and a good at home dental regiment, the disease can be reversed. When a patient is diagnosed with periodontist, a more severe gum disease, more extensive treatment is required. For Rheumatoid Arthritis patients, maintaining good oral hygiene at home can be difficult. Since the joints in their hands are affected by the disease, brushing and flossing can be difficult.

Reflections Dental Care follows The American Dental Association suggestions for their patients with RA such as redesign their toothbrush by adding a tennis ball or bicycle handle to the end, this will allow them to have a better grip. When it comes to flossing, try different types of floss such as floss holders, floss picks, or threaders. Using toothpaste in a pump instead of a tube is easier for RA patients and when choosing a mouthwash, select one that has fluoride to help protect your teeth from cavities.

By all means, if you use any form of tobacco, stop immediately when you have been diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis or gum disease. Whether or not you have Rheumatoid Arthritis, all our patients at Reflections Dental Care are encouraged to avoid this habit as it is a big factor in the development of gum disease. For patients with RA, it can interfere with your treatments as well.

Once you have been diagnosed to have Rheumatoid Arthritis by your medical doctor, let us know at Reflections Dental Care. We can work with you by scheduling shorter visits in the chair and set them later in the day , as most RA patients joints loosen up as the day progresses. Don’t be afraid to request a leg or neck pillow to give you better support and make the sitting in the chair more comfortable.

For everyone, regular visits to us at Reflections Dental Care are important. For those patients that have been diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis though, it’s even more important to keep your appointments. Your beautiful smile is our number one priority!

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF
May 1 to May 6
Civic Center Music Hall

The Tony® Award-winning musical that has captured the hearts of people all over the world with its universal appeal, embarks on its North American Tour. Based on the stories of Sholom Aleichem, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF Sunrise, Sunset,” FIDDLER ON THE ROOF No other musical has so magically woven music, dance, poignancy and laughter into such an electrifying and unforgettable experience.

FREE ADMISSION DAY
May 5
Gaylord-Pickens Oklahoma Heritage Museum
Celebrate the Museum’s 5th Anniversary with family-friendly activities, discounts in the Museum Store and much more.

LAS VEGAS 51S VS. OKC REDHAWKS
May 8 to May 11
Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark

TUCSON PADRES VS. OKC REDHAWKS
May 12 to May 15
Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark

MOTHER’S DAY BRUNCH
May 13
National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum
Enjoy this special buffet hosted by the Museum’s Dining on Persimmon Hill restaurant in the grand Sam Noble Special Events Center. Museum admission included. Reservations required

THE OKLAHOMA CITY HOME REMODELING SHOW
May 15 to May 17
State Fair Park

DISTRACTED
May 18 to June 9
Carpenter Square Theatre
What’s wrong with nine-year-old Jesse? He can’t sit still, he curses, he raps, and you can’t get him into–out of pajamas. His teacher thinks it’s Attention Deficit Disorder. Dad says, “He’s just a boy!” And Mama’s on a quest for answers. Is Jesse dysfunctional, or just different?

JEAN-YVES THIBAUDE
May 19, 2012
Civic Center Music Hall

Hailed as “one of the best pianists in the world,” Jean-Yves Thibaudet continues to captivate audiences around the world with his thrilling performances, profound artistry, poetic musicality and dazzling technical prowess

ALL FIRED UP
May 20
Civic Center Music Hall

Presenting the “Hosedown: A Firefighter Fable” in a thrilling concert with fire dancers, firefighters and lots of sizzling music.

PHILLIPS 66 BIG 12 BASEBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
May 23 – May 27
Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark

22ND ANNUAL CHUCK WAGON GATHERING & CHILDREN’S COWBOY FESITVAL
May 26 to May 27
National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum

Visitors to the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum enjoy family entertainment at its finest during the annual Chuck Wagon Gathering & Children’s Cowboy Festival. On Memorial Day weekend, authentic chuck wagon crews prepare delicious cowboy favorites for folks to sample, like biscuits and stew, beans and cobblers.

PASEO ARTS FESTIVAL
May 26 to May 27
Paseo Arts District

OQHA REDBUD SPECTACULAR
May 30 to June 10
Oklahoma History Center

So, after their examination, the doctors here at Reflections Dental Care have presented a dental treatment plan to correct and repair those teeth. Your first reaction may be that since they baby teeth, are they all that important to fix? After all, they’re going to be coming out soon, right?

Well, yes, their baby teeth are going to be coming out in the near future. However, their baby teeth are important now to those permanent teeth that will be coming in later. Baby teeth hold a place and guide the permanent teeth as they start to break through.

This means that if your youngster’s baby teeth are coming in crooked, or one falls out and the others nearby drift into the space left by it, that the adult teeth will grow in in the wrong position. So should your child lose a baby tooth sooner than they should, make an appointment with us at Reflections Dental Care immediately. After examination, we may recommend your child be fitted for a space maintainer that will keep their other teeth from drifting into the space that is other adult teeth will need.

What about cavities? If the baby tooth will be coming out soon, why have the cavity filled? When a baby tooth is left to decay, it is very possible that the adult tooth will be more prone to have a cavity as well. Teeth with cavities should be cared for immediately. First of all, you don’t want to see your child in pain and should the decayed too become abscess, your child could end up in the hospital.

Not only do baby teeth provide the position guidance of permanent teeth, but they are also needed for your child’s speech to develop as well. Healthy, properly aligned baby teeth are important for young children to form words and talk clearly enough to be understood.

Chipped, cracked, crooked or decayed teeth will affect your child’s smile as well as their confidence and sense of self-esteem. When your child’s chewing is painful and uncomfortable for them, they are going to be careful of what they are eating and this could affect the nutrition they consume.

Fix any issues they have with their baby teeth growing in incorrectly, don’t make the mistake and ignore it. Do everything you can to prevent cavities early on by limiting sugary snacks and teaching them good dental hygiene that includes brushing, flossing and regular dental check-ups at Reflections Dental Care.

Reflections Dental Care is here to help you ensure that your child’s baby teeth are healthy and lead into healthy permanent teeth so they will have that beautiful, healthy smile you always pictured them having.

Have you ever used your teeth in place of scissors or a knife. They are strong but using them to cut through string, pull tags off clothing or open packages can be damaging to them. The plastic string that hold price tags on – pulling those off with your teeth can leave a divot on a tooth and the next think you know you have an appointment with Reflections Dental Care to repair cracked and fractured teeth later.

Toothpicks can be a great substitute for dental floss if used properly. However, if you are determined and just keep at it picking a piece of food, you could damage your gums. Worse yet, add to the problem and break a piece of the toothpick off between your teeth, adding to the problem. Here at Reflections Dental Care we recommend the use of rounded toothpicks, use them with care and do not chew on them!

Do you pick and drink from a glass without knowing where it’s been? Use this same rule about chewing on pens or pencils too. Chewing on writing instruments is a habit for many people when they are concentrating. This also can lead to fractured teeth and extensive dental repairs. So if you have a need to chew when concentrating, Reflections Dental Care team would prefer you find a sugarless gum instead!

At your next visit to see us Reflections Dental Care, we’ll know when we examine your teeth, but go ahead and admit it if you have one of these nasty habits. We can discuss some options to help you break these bad habits before they break your teeth!

When you eat, the debris from food can accumulate in between teeth and gum lines and a Waterpik reaches spaces between gums and teeth that the toothbrush and even floss can miss. A Waterpik knocks that debris out with high pressured water stream and is an extra step of keeping your mouth clean and fresh as well as reduce the chance of cavities, plaque and other dental complications.

Waterpik is fun to use and more people will use a Waterpik compared to flossing because of that. The device fits in the fingers easily and can be turned inside mouth without any fear of getting stuck between your teeth. For many, the Waterpik motivates people to clean their mouth daily, rather than skip cleaning due to laziness. While here at Reflections Dental Care we encourage you to continue twice a day brushing and flossing the old way, a Waterpik is better than nothing at all.

You can reduce the strength of water in a Waterpik if you are experiencing tooth sensitivity or increase the strength if there is something stuck between your gums and teeth. Waterpik Water Flossers are good for treating gum diseases, Using Waterpik Water Flossers can help individuals get strong and healthy gums that they always wanted.

Flossing becomes difficult for those wearing braces. Waterpik on the other hand offers huge respite to those wearing braces. Crowns, implants, veneers and other dental fixtures increase the risk of getting plaque or food stuck inside teeth allowing bacteria to grow if not rinsed properly. You can effectively get your teeth and gums cleaned with Waterpik and do not stay under the fear of damage.

Waterpik products are available in various online stores, selecting one that will suit your individual needs. It is advised by Reflections Dental Care to follow the necessary tips and techniques suggested by the manufacturer.

If you aren’t sure of which Waterpik model is best for you and your family, your next visit to Reflections Dental Care ask us for a recommendation. We want to see your smiling face here just as often, but if a Waterpik sounds like something you may use more readily than flossing, we’re glad to give you guidance in selecting one.

To fit in and be one of the crowd, often times means getting tattoos, wild hair colors and hair styles or body piercing. One of the most common body piercings is the cheeks, lips or tongue. While these piercings are in vogue and by teenagers opinion, cool, do you have any idea how unsafe these piercings are to one’s health?

The risks involved with oral piercings are numerous. Just off the top of the list are chipped or cracked teeth. Then the more serious problems that can occur are blood clots and blood poisoning. Blood clots and blood poisoning can lead to brain abscess, heart infections, receding gums, scar tissue or trigeminal neuralgia (nerve disorders).

The human mouth holds millions of bacterium, and infection from that bacteria is the most common complication from having an oral piercing such as on the tongue. It is not unheard of for your tongue to swell so much that your airway is cut off.

Other symptoms that are common after having any part of your oral area pierced is infection, gum injury, saliva increased and overall pain. If the needle hits a blood vessel or nerve bundle, anyh the bleeding can be challenging to control not to mention the permanent nerve damage that may result from blood vessels or nerve bundles being punctured by the needle.

At Reflections Dental Care, we understand that teens want to fit in during these non-fitting years of maturing. We’ve all been through it, even the kids that you thought were the coolest, all together kid, has their own insecurities.

However, when you teen comes to you about getting a body piercing in the oral area – don’t use the same old line “If everyone else is jumping off a cliff, are you going to?”. Explain these possible complication with them and if like most teens, they aren’t listening to mom or dad, when you make their next appointment with us, let the nurse know about this new fade your teen wants to indulge in. Our staff at Reflections Dental Care will discuss this decision with them and talk to them about the dangers and possible complications as well as the decisions they make today today can affect them later in life.

We will explain why they need to leave the bling out of their mouth. Your child’s dental health is our concern just as it is yours!

JULIE HEFFERNAN:INFINITE WORK IN PROGRESS
February 16 – May 16
Oklahoma City Museum of Art

Hefferman’s lush self-portraiture utilizes a myriad of art historical references to present a sensual interior narrative, a self-allegory whose half-hidden politicall agenda is the literal background of the paintings. The dark, Grimm fairy tale-like undercurrent transforms her aritocratic, operatic portraits into a contempory vanitas or memento mori, acting as both a stylized fantasy and a Bosch-like warning.

SPRING AWAKENINGS
March 28 – April 14
Lyric Theatre

Rated for strong language and sexually explicit scenes. This coming-of-age indie rock musical, adapted from the controversial 1891 german play by Frank Wedekind, explores the intimate journey from adolescence to adulthood with unforgettable poinancy and passion.

THESE SHINING LIVES
April 01 – April 22
Carpenter Square Theatre

Based on the true story of the women who worked for the Radium Dial Company in the 1920s and 1930s, this chronicles the strength and determination of women considered expendable in their day, exploring their true story of survival in it’s most trancendent sense, as they refuse to allow the company that stole their health to kill their spirits–or endanger the lives of those who came after them.

WILL JAMES: THE A.P. HAYS COLLECTION
January 01 – October 01
National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum

Will James’ tales and drawings of cowboy life have delighted generations of readers. This traveling collection, owned and curated by Abe Hays, explores the works that exposed readers to the everyday world of the working cowboy and how James positively-influenced the American perception of the West in the early 20th century.

MIRADAS:ANCIENT ROOTS IN MODERN & CONTEMPORARY MEXICAN ART
February 14 – May 04
City Arts Center

Celebrating and examining works by artists on both sides of the Mexican and Mexican-American border, this exhibition reveals the social ideas and educational theories taken up by modern Mexican artists at the end of the Mexican Revolution. This unique survey of over 90 works includes paintings, prints and photographs created over the past 80 years.

BELLA FLECK & THE FLECKTONES
April 10 – April 10
Rose State College

Groundbreaking banjoist/composer/bandleader Béla Fleck has reconvened the original Béla Fleck & The Flecktones’, the extraordinary initial line-up of his incredible combo.
Far from being a wistful trip back in time, the album sees the Grammy Award-winning quartet creating some of the most forward thinking music of their long, storied career.

AROUND THE WORLD IN EIGHTY DAYS
April 12 – May 06
Jewel Box Theatre

Fearless adventurer Phileas Fogg and his faithful manservent race to beat the clock. This wacky comedy has five actors playing 39 characters as they travel seven continents with stampeding elephants, raging typhoons and runaway trains.

SOUTHERN PLAINS FARM SHOW
April 15 – April 21
State Fair Park

SOUTHWEST STREET ROD NATIONALS
April 13 – April 15
State Fair Park

WOMEN OF JOY
April 13 – April 15
State Fair Park

60TH ANNIVERSITY SEASON :SWEENEY TODD
April 21 – April 22
Oklahoma City University

THE WIZARD OF OZ
April 20 – April 22
Civic Center Music Hall

FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS
April 24 – April 29
Myriad Botanical Gardens & Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory

MISS NELSON IS MISSING
April 27, 2012 – May 30
Oklahoma Children’s Theatre

Miss Nelson can’t control her crazy classroom because she’s just too nice. But when she disappears, her replacement is the hard-as-nails, detention-loving, recess-canceling substitute teacher Viola Swamp! The kids suddenly realize how much they miss Miss Nelson and they’ll do anything, including hiring a private eye, to solve the mystery of her disappearance and bring her back. 

OKC MEMORIAL MARATHON
April 29
Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum

22ND ANNUAL CHUCK WAGON GATHERING & CHILDREN’S COWBOY FESTIVAL
April 26 – May 27
National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum

Two days of mouth-watering campfire cooked foods, children’s educational hands-on activities, Western stage entertainment and stagecoach and pony rides await visitors to the Museum’s largest outdoor event

One pair was made of a variety of things such as gold, ivory, lead as well as animal and human teeth too. It is believed by those who have studied this great man and his history of dental care, those animal teeth were either donkey or horse teeth! Can you imagine?!

His other set of dentures were made of gold and hippopotamus ivory especially for George Washington by a prominent American dentist. They had springs to help them open and bolt held them together. Gives the term ‘metal mouth’ a whole new meaning!

While George Washington had two sets of dentures, he didn’t have the option of coming to Reflection Dental Care! If you need help with your dentures, or are in need of any other dental care, give us a call at Reflections Dental Care today and make an appointment. We look forward to serving you and your family.