Now that you have that bit of fun trivia in your pocket (you’re welcome!), please take a moment to enter our EASTER COLORING CONTEST. Print out the friendly, dentally hygienic bunny, color him, and bring him to our office. There are four age divisions: 1-2yrs, 3-5yrs, 6-8yrs, 9-12yrs. Get your entries to us by Thursday, March 28th. Happy Easter from Smiles Dental!

Smiles Dental is proud to announce their nomination to be on the 2013 Inc. 500|5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in the US. This prestigious nomination is based on Smile Dental’s impressive growth in revenue. We have all of our loyal and beloved patients and employees to thank for this honor.

In mid-July, honorees who’ve made the 2013 list will be notified. In August, if Smiles Dental makes the list, our ranking will be announced. In October, Inc. holds The 2013 Inc. 500|5000 Conference and Awards Ceremony. The process has been an exciting one so far. We’ll of course make an announcement if and when we make the list, and our ranking is announced.

We’re so happy our application was accepted, and proud of all of our accomplishments. December 2012 saw our 6th consecutive win in the Longview office for the “The Daily News” Readers’ Choice Awards. In November of 2011, the Vancouver office won “The Columbian” award for “Best Dental Office” according to readers, for the fifth year in a row. It has been very gratifying to have our hard work get noticed.

It’s undeniable that our growth in recent years has been notable. With offices in Longview, Ridgefield, Hazel Dell, Vancouver, Tumwater, Salem, and Eugene, Smiles Dental is leaving its mark in the dental communities in SW Washington and NW Oregon. As anyone who lives in these regions can see, it’s not just Smiles Dental who’s seeing growth around here.

Of course a nomination doesn’t guarantee us a spot on the list. Just having been nominated, and growing as much as we have, is definitely a point of pride for all of us at Smiles Dental. We’re eternally grateful to our staff and patients, who have helped earn us our loyal following. Hopefully you’ll be hearing about our spot on the list soon.

Whenever you use a credit card to pay for a purchase, the merchant must pay the credit card company a service fee, which usually ranges from 1.5 to 3 percent of the total amount of the purchase. This new agreement now allows merchants to recoup that cost by adding a service fee to any purchase made with either a Visa or Mastercard.

At Smiles Dental, we understand the financial hardship charging an additional service fee could place on our patients. That’s why we have decided against charging our patients any additional fees for using a credit card as their preferred form of payment.

Our commitment remains to provide patients with affordable dental care that helps to maintain and improve their oral health. As a Smiles Dental patient, you can always trust that your best interests will always remain our number one priority, and that you’ll never need to pay more for dental services you receive than necessary.

Have you ever wondered if dental implants are right for you? Do you have questions regarding how this procedure could change your life?

The dentists and staff at Smiles Dental strive to offer the best education regarding dental options that fit your personal needs. If you’ve ever wondered about the value of dental implants, join us for one of our free dental implant seminars this spring.

Hosted by Dr. Jason Peacock, DDS and Kirsten Johnson, CDA, RDA, these seminars offer answers to the most common questions about dental implants, including invaluable question and answer sessions.

Dates of the free dental implant seminars include:

• February 27th
• March 27th
• April 24th

Each seminar session begins at 5:30 p.m. at South Sound Manor, 455 North St SE in Tumwater.

While helpful to many of our patients, seating is limited for each of these seminars. Call 360-352-7140 to reserve your seat TODAY!

#1 – Resolve to Get a New Toothbrush

If you take good care of your teeth, than it might be time to evaluate the health of your toothbrush. Traditional toothbrushes tend to wear out over a period of about three months. If your toothbrush is looking worn out, head to the store or to one of our Smiles Dental location for an appointment and receive a brand new toothbrush.

It’s important to consider, however, that your toothbrush may not need to be changed if you use a newer electric toothbrush. These tend to last longer than three months, and may not require replacement for a little longer.

#2 – Resolve to Make Flossing Fun!

Flossing tends to be on the bottom of the list when it comes to New Year’s resolutions. Dentists at Smiles Dental can help make flossing more fun and simple than you might think.

First, choose a floss that works for you. There are different kinds of dental floss, including unwaxed and woven, that may be ideal for the spacing between your teeth. This is an important consideration, since if the floss isn’t comfortable for you to use, you won’t use it on a daily basis.

Choose a flavor of floss that you prefer – such as mint or cinnamon – and get a few different packages of dental floss to leave in your car and by your phone. This will help remind you to floss on a regular basis.

#3 – Resolve to Cut Out Sugar

We are surrounded by sugar over the holidays, and it’s imperative to cut down on the amount of sugar you drink and eat once the new year begins. Start with cutting out sugary drinks, replacing them with a lot of water throughout the day.

Eliminate sweets from your diet each day, instead eating a variety of lean meats, fruits and vegetables. Be aware that you may have cravings for sugary foods and drinks, but if you persevere through them, they should go away fairly quickly. These changes will not only help your smile, but will benefit your overall health!

#4 – Resolve to Sleep Soundly

The value placed on a good night’s sleep is priceless, especially when it comes to the contribution sleep makes to your overall health. Sleeping more will help you feel better, eat less overall calories, and reduce stress.

Take advantage of the long nights to go to bed early and get a full night’s sleep. Calm down your body and brain before heading to bed with herbal tea and a good book. Building this habit into your new year will help you feel better, giving you a chance to show off your beautiful smile!

After receiving all of these awards, there’s only one thing we can say…….

THANK YOU!

Your kindness means the world to us.

$551.00 in 6 hours!

In general, it’s wise to say goodbye to your wisdom teeth when:

• The teeth only partially emerge. Partial emergence can leave a space surrounding the tooth where bacteria can thrive, and lead to an infection, tooth pain, swelling, stiffness of the jaw, and illness.
• An improperly aligned tooth could inflict damage to nearby teeth.
• A cyst forms, damaging adjacent organic matter such as tooth roots and bone.

Asking about the position of your wisdom teeth with your dentist during a cleaning or checkup will give you an idea whether they will require removal. If you experience any pain, swelling or tenderness related to the growth of your wisdom teeth, schedule an appointment with your dentist to determine the seriousness of the problem. If the problems necessitate the removal of the tooth, you may need to schedule an additional appointment. Your dentist may elect to remove all of your wisdom teeth during the same appointment.

Fortunately, tooth extractions are a relatively minor out patient procedure. First, the dentist will numb the surrounding area to easy any discomfort. Once the area is numb, the dentist will remove the tooth with the use of forceps, and stitch the area together if necessary. If the wisdom tooth is only partially visible, the dentist may need to cut open and pull back the gums to gain access to the tooth. After the extraction, you’ll need to bite down on a piece of gauze for roughly 20 to 30 minutes to allow the blood to clot.

When at home following the procedure, your dentist will instruct you to only eat soft and cool foods for the next couple of days. Avoid smoking, drinking out of a straw, or spitting until the wound begins to heal as each of these activities could cause the clot to become dislodged from the hole your tooth previously occupied. Rinsing your mouth with warm salt water will help keep the wound clean and bacteria free. The majority of swelling and bleeding caused by the extraction will subside after a couple of days.

In most cases, your stitches will dissolve within a few weeks, but sometimes your dentist may need to remove them. Over-the-counter pain medications will help easy any discomfort you feel following most routine extractions, but the surgical removal of a tooth may require your dentist to prescribe you a painkiller. While an infection can set in following a tooth removal, individuals with a healthy immune system have little to worry about. If you have questions about having your wisdom teeth removed, or post procedure cars, be sure to ask your dentist.

Thank you to all our patients who voted for us. Smiles also won best Customer Service for the third year in a row. We are committed to providing our patients with the ultimate in service and patient care and the community recognizes our efforts.

A new accolade this year is best Website. We completed an overhaul of our website last year to make it more informational and helpful to our patients and those looking for a dentist. It’s a great place to learn what we do and why we believe in changing our patients’ smiles and lives.

Over the past several months, we have worked with Dr. Nicholas Caba on the process of transferring ownership of Salem Dental Center to Smiles. We are pleased to have the opportunity to work with Dr. Caba as well as Dr. Timothy Harbolt, who has practiced in the Salem area for over 15 years.

On October 3rd, Dr. Caba and the team saw their first patients as Smiles Dental. We are excited to make this announcement and to have the opportunity to bring another wonderful dental practice into our group!