Nervous about your next dental visit?

Nitrous Oxide - Laughing Gas

If you’re a little nervous or anxious about your dental appointment, you don’t have to be!  We offer nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, to any of our patients who want to try it.  There is no fee for this, we just want you to be as comfortable as possible!

What is it?  Nitrous oxide is a gas which you can breathe in and out. It is colorless, sweet smelling, and non-irritating.  The best part is that it means safer, quicker, and more comfortable dental care for you!

Nitrous oxide allows you to relax, which can greatly reduce the fear, nervousness, and tension associated with dental procedures. You do, however, remain in complete control.  You are fully conscious and can follow directions easily.  While you may not burst out laughing, you should feel very relaxed and comfortable.

It works very fast!  Nitrous oxide reaches the brain in about 20 seconds, and it only takes about 2-3 minutes to completely relax.

The amount of sedation can be changed very easily, by turning the amount of nitrous up or down.  The effects are almost instantaneous.  Other forms of sedation have more of a fixed duration of time because the effects of pills or IV sedation have a specific amount of time needed to run their course.  Nitrous can be administered only when needed and turned off as soon as the procedure is done.

When we do turn off the nitrous, we will then switch it to all oxygen.  The nitrous dissipates very quickly and you are able to go right back to your daily activities, such as work or school.  

We're giving away an Apple iPad!

Yes, you read correctly, we are giving away an iPad to ONE lucky patient.

We will be holding a drawing on October 1st for this fantastic prize to be won by one of our patients.

How do you enter?

Well, it's actually very easy!  All you have to do is tell a friend or family member about our office and have them schedule an appointment.  When they come in for their new patient appointment, you will be entered into the drawing!  Just make sure they give us your name so we know who to thank!

When you refer a second patient to our office, your name will be put in two additional times.  For the third patient, three additional times, etc.

And that's not all!  We appreciate your referrals so much that you will also receive a special thank you gift from our office as well!

Chewing Your Baby's Food?

Some of you may have seen the Today show feature on Alicia Silverstone chewing food and then transferring it to her child.  (Video below)


Other than just plain being gross, it's not good for the child's teeth!


Evidence has proven that the transmission of saliva from a parent to child, between spouses, etc. can be harmful to their teeth!  Parents with active tooth decay can pass the Streptococcus mutans bacteria through their saliva and give their children cavities!


Dentists and other healthcare professionals advise against sharing utensils, kissing your child on the lips, and even blowing on their food.


For more info on this, read this article on how Mom's kiss can spread cavities. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35989527/ns/health-oral_health/t/moms-kiss-can-spread-cavities-baby/#.T3MVCWFNATY

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Free Oral Cancer Screening Day!

We're doing it again!  Our third annual oral cancer screening day will be held on Friday, April 13 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Everyone is welcome, and you don't even need an appointment!

The office of Hudsonville Dental Associates has partnered with The Oral Cancer Foundation in honor of Oral Cancer Awareness Month and will be offering free oral cancer screenings on April 13 to the public.  Oral cancer has existed outside the understanding of much of the public, yet 37,000 Americans will be newly diagnosed this year alone. We would like to invite everyone to our office to get a free oral cancer screening in an effort to raise awareness for this silent killer.

These screenings are more important now than ever because oral cancer is on the rise. There are two distinct pathways by which most people come to oral cancer. One is through the use of tobacco and alcohol, a long term historic problem and cause, and the other is through the exposure to the HPV-16 virus, which is now the leading cause of oral cancers in the US. Today, we are seeing young, non-smoking individuals as the fastest growing segment of the oral cancer population. When found early, oral cancers have an 80% survival rate. Unfortunately, the majorities are found as late stage cancers and this accounts for the very high death rate of about 45% at five years from diagnosis. Late stage diagnosis is not occurring because these cancers are hard to discover, it is because of a lack of public awareness and a lack of a national program for opportunistic screenings.

Oral cancer is not a rare disease. It kills one person every hour of every day in the US, and 100 new individuals will be diagnosed each day with oral cancer. These staggering statistics make these free events crucial, as awareness of the disease and its risk factors in the US population is so low. Please don’t miss out on this opportunity for a free oral cancer screening. 

For more information, visit our website at: http://www.hudsonvilledental.com/leftmenu/oral-cancer-screening-event/

Evidence Based Dentistry Seminar

Dr. Dykstra was recently part of a select group of 100 dentists and educators at a recent conference on Evidence Based Dentistry held at the American Dental Association Headquarters in Chicago. 

Evidence Based Dentistry in summary is choosing the best diagnostic methodologies, clinical treatment options, and dental materials based on the latest and highest level of scientific evidence, not tradition, manufacturers' recommendations, or the way things always have been done.

This latest relevant evidence is then combined with the dentist's clinical experience and expertise and the patient's preferences and needs to achieve the best treatment and outcome for the patient.

The two main objectives achieved were learning how to look at all the historical and present information analytically and disseminating this information to dental colleagues.

EBD is a method to stay up to date on the current science.

 The ADA definition:  Evidence-based dentistry (EBD) is an  approach to oral health care that requires the judicious integration of systematic assessments of clinically relevant scientific evidence, relating to the patient’s oral and medical condition and history, with the dentist’s clinical expertise and the patient’s treatment needs and preferences.

Stem Cells from Teeth?

Did you know that saving stem cells from teeth could possibly help to protect your family's health?

New methods are developing to preserve your teeth so the stem cells can be used later.

So far, dental stem cells have successfully been used to regrow jaw bone and to treat periodontal disease.
Researchers and doctors are working in the regenerative medicine arena with the goal of improving treatment or therapies for:
1. Tooth loss and periodontal disease
2. Skeletal bone loss/fractures
3. Muscular Dystrophy
4. Parkinson's Disease
5. Spinal Cord Injury
6. Type 1 Diabetes
7. Stroke
8. Alzheimers
9. Heart attacks
10. Diabetes

Want to learn more?  Visit us online at www.hudsonvilledental.com or www.store-a-tooth.com

Healthy Habits for Kids can Affect School Performance!

Healthy Teeth & Healthy Habits Can Improve School Performance

Quick Tips for Parents:

1. Limit your child’s access to sugary drinks.
2. Provide your child with healthy snacks and limit the number of snacks.
3. Ensure that your child brushes and flosses regularly and visits the dentist twice a year.
4. Ask your school what kind of snacks and drinks are provided and encourage them to offer healthy alternatives.
5. Make sure your child gets adequate physical activity.
6. Make sure your child has a healthy breakfast to start the day right.
7. Set a positive example yourself!