Scare Away Tooth Decay

Cooper City DentistHalloween is just around the corner, and everyone, both kids and adults, are excited to indulge in sweet treats. Although Trick-or-Treating may be a fun activity, don’t forget to consider the impact it has on your oral health.

As you check the candy loot, remove some of the following tooth decaying culprits from the stash:

  1. Candy Corn: This bite size candy seems harmless. However, some of us grab it by the handful. Candy corn contains a high amount of sugar and can often lead to tooth decay.   If you’re not careful, you could end up eating an entire bag.
  1. Chewy Sweets: Gummy candies and taffy can be difficult for children and adults to resist, but they are a serious source of tooth decay. It often gets stuck in the crevices between teeth, making it difficult to remove.
  1. Sour Treats: Sour candies, such as Warheads, Sour Patch Kids and Sour Skittles, have high acid levels that can break down tooth enamel quickly. The good news is that saliva slowly helps to restore the natural balance of acid in the mouth. It is recommended to wait 30 minutes to brush your teeth after consuming sour candies. Otherwise, you will be brushing acid onto more tooth surfaces, increasing erosive action.
  1. Hard Candy: Any candy that stays in your mouth for an extended period of time is more harmful for your teeth than candy that is quickly consumed. Examples of these candies include lollipops, Gobstobbers and Jolly Ranchers. Hard candy lowers the pH in your mouth, creating a more acidic environment that is more conducive to enamel erosion and decay.
  1. Caramel Chocolate: Candies, such as Milky Ways and Twix, contain caramel, a gooey substance that sticks to your teeth and is hard to rinse out when you get a drink or from the saliva in your mouth. That means that more harmful bacteria and acids grow, which put your teeth at an increased risk of decay.

By encouraging good oral hygiene, Halloween can be a fun, cavity-free holiday! If you forgot to schedule your last six-month check-up, now’s a good time to get back on track and contact us at Stirling Dental, Inc. We also encourage you to schedule an extra post-Halloween dental cleaning to ensure healthy teeth after eating all that candy!

Oral Cancer Screenings at Our Cooper City Dental Office

Dentist in Cooper City, FL

Hello, my name is Virginia Medina, one of the dental hygienists here at Stirling Dental. Let me share with you some very important information about oral cancer. Every hour of every day in America, someone dies of oral cancer. The 5 year survival rate is only 50%, accounting for 8,000 deaths each year. The good news is that if diagnosed early, the survival rate is 80-90%. Some of the risk factors of oral cancer include tobacco use, excessive or frequent alcohol consumption, a compromised immune system, a history of cancer and the HPV Human Papillomavirus.

Oral cancer has been on the rise for patients of the ages 18 to 30 years with no history of smoking or alcohol use. An estimated 25% os patients with oral cancer have no known risk factors. At our office, we offer a 2-3 minute, simple, easy screening that can potentially save your life. This new technology is called VelScope and I am demonstrating here the system. We encourages all of our patents to do the screening at least once per year. So the next time you visit our office, make sure you ask for VelScope and one of our team members will be glad to answer any of your questions.

Remember, early detection of oral cancer can make the difference when it comes to surviving the decease.

 

To schedule an appointment with our Cooper City dentist, please contact us.

10 Dental Facts from Our Dentist in Cooper City

Did you know that once a tooth gets knocked out, it starts to die within 15 minutes?  If you put it in milk or hold it in your mouth, it will survive longer!

Take a look at some of these interesting dental facts. Contact our dentist in Cooper City for more information or to schedule an appointment.

Dentist in Cooper City

Cooper City Dentist | Healthy Lunch Ideas for Both Children and Adults

Dentist Cooper City FLSeptember is Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. It is also a time when our schedules become busy with school, after-school activities, work and social gatherings. When short on time it can be tempting to buy convenient lunch foods, which at times lack nutritional value. We’ve put together a list of healthy lunch and snack foods to promote oral and overall health of our community.

Apples & Pears

Firm, crunchy fruits are high in water content. This dilutes the effects of the sugar they contain and help to stimulate saliva production, making them excellent for oral health.

Water & Milk

Water and milk are far better choices than sugary juices and sports drinks, which contribute to decay. If you choose to allow sugary drinks, save them for an after school snack and encourage brushing after consumption.

Cheeses & Nuts

The calcium and phosphorus found in these foods help to re-mineralize teeth by strengthening the tooth’s enamel.

Carrots & Broccoli

Replace a bag of chips with colorful vegetables and a low-fat dip. This will encourage your children to make a habit of snacking healthy and help them to get the vital vitamins and nutrients needed for oral and overall health.

Childhood obesity and childhood caries are of the most common ailments effecting American children today. Help your children by making healthy food available every day.

We welcome both children and adults of all ages to our dental practice. Don’t forget to make brushing and flossing an important part of your child’s routine, as well as regular visits to our Cooper City dental office.

Meet Our Cooper City Dentist, Dr. Sandra Miller-Sheriff!

Hi! Welcome to Stirling Dental. I am Sandra Miller-Sheriff. I am a general dentist here at Stirling Dental, and I have been practicing for over 25 years. I am a graduate of University of Florida (Go Gators!) and in our practice, our team strives to give our patients the ultimate dental experience. From your first phone call all the way to your checkout, and everything in between. Here at Stirling Dental, we offer all phases of general dentistry. And we also offer special care in periodontics and implants. Over the years, the best part of my practice, the journey, has been the relationships that I have built with my patients over the years, their families, their children. Go ahead. Give us a call.

Contact our dentist in Cooper City to schedule your next dental appointment!

Meet Our Cooper City Dentist, Dr. Elizabeth Ziadie!

Hi, my name is Dr. Elizabeth Ziadie. I graduated from Howard University College of Dentistry and I have been practicing dentistry for 26 years now. I love my job here at Stirling Dental and I love helping people. I enjoy all phases of dentistry but my passion is cosmetics. It is very rewarding for me to make a difference in someone’s life by making them feel better about their smile. Folks often say “if you look good, then you feel good.” I have found that to be so true. Here at Stirling Dental, our focus is creating beautiful, healthy smiles. Every move we make is designed to give you a wonderful experience and improve your well-being.

Connect with us on our website at stirlingdentalinc.com and on Facebook. Come see us soon and experience the experience. We look forward to seeing you soon.

An Important Reminder from Our Cooper City Dentist

Dentist Cooper City FLWhat’s on your checklist this month?

As school starts, we’re reminded of all of the exciting change taking place in the lives of our children. It’s a busy time, filled with obligations. Your checklist seems endless with your “to-do’s” before that monumental first day of class.

Your children are excited about who will be in their class, wondering about their new teacher and interested in extra curricular activities—it’s no surprise that your dental appointments seem to be the last thing on the list.

Did you know?

Untreated dental caries can lead to pain, weight loss, missed school days, poor appearance, decreased self-esteem and, in severe cases, even death. Dental disease is preventable, yet dental care is the most common unmet health treatment need in children.

What can you do?

We strongly advise scheduling your appointments and your children’s appointments months in advance. This allows you to prioritize care, and shows your children that their health is important—even when their lives are busy. Let’s face it; before we know it, the holidays will be upon us.

We look forward to seeing you and your family soon and wish you luck as you embark on the exciting new school year. Contact our Cooper City dentist as soon as possible to schedule an appointment.

Dental Facts to Sink Your Teeth Into

Did you know that about 75% of the United States population suffers from some stage of periodontal gum disease?  Take a look at some interesting dental facts that you can sink your teeth into.

For more information about you teeth, contact our Cooper City dentist.

 

Dentist in Cooper City

Am I a candidate for dental implants?

Cooper City FL DentistAt Stirling Dental, Inc, we offer dental implants as a long-term solution for tooth loss. Dental implants resemble natural teeth and can completely restore your smile and substantially improve your oral health.

They also have the same, dependable foundation as natural tooth roots.

If you are missing one or more teeth, you may want to consider dental implants. They are the most long-lasting and effective solution to replace your missing teeth. With permanently placed implants, you will no longer have to experience discomfort in chewing, laughing or speaking.

An ideal dental implant candidate should have the following:

  • Healthy teeth and gums
  • A commitment to optimal care of the implanted teeth and surrounding gums
  • Sufficient bone density to support the dental implant
  • Are non-smokers or are willing to stop smoking during the dental implant process

Our team will discuss tooth replacement options with you to help you make the most informed decisions. We utilize modern technology to minimize any discomfort associated with receiving a dental implant. This allows for a very relaxed and comfortable experience, for even the most fearful patients.

The doctors at Stirling Dental, Inc and team are committed to helping you achieve and maintain a beautiful, healthy smile.