Have you scheduled your child's back to school dental exam?

Did you know... The state of Illinois requires that all students in kindergarten, 2nd, and 6th grade have a dental exam completed by a licensed dentist.

Let us help prepare your child for Back-to-School! 

PARENTS:  Make your appointment for your dental exam and cleaning and your child receives a FREE Back-to-School Exam!

Tooth decay is one of the most common illnesses among children, and poor oral health has been related to decreased school performance.

Now is the perfect time to bring your kids in for a comprehensive exam.  We'll make life easier for you and get the dental exam checked off your "To-do list!"  Call us today at (312) 664-2100.

(Restrictions may apply.  Free exam includes insurance billing.  If no insurance, contact a Patient Care Coordinator for details.)  

By this time we have all heard the celebrity news regarding Michael Douglas' oral cancer diagnoses and all the invasive treatments that came along with it.  We took to heart what Catherine Zeta Jones had to say at an interview with People's magazine, "It makes me furious that they didn't detect it earlier."

As your dental providers, we are proud to be able to provide you with an inclusive visual cancer screening upon your dental check-ups.  We strive to be certain we are doing the best we can and providing the best possible service to our patients.  We felt responsible to go above and beyond our call of duty and researched alternatives to the conventional visual cancer screening.  Medically speaking all things evolve and change at a rapid pace, for which we strive to stay current and informed.

After all, statistics show 70% of oral cancer lesions identified during the visual exam alone are detected in stages III and IV in which the 5-year survival rate is only 50%.  Upon this research, we have come across a five minute, non-invasive, reliable cancer screening known as Vizilite.

While cancer at any stage can be devastating; it is comforting to know oral cancer is 90% curable when diagnosed in its earlier stages.  While it is true that smoking and alcohol consumption are major risk factors, there is a growing risk factor among those over the age of 18 due to the increase in HPV incidences.  Come in for a visit with us and have peace of mind with Vizilite!

Mention this blog and receive $20 off your Vizilite Oral Cancer Screening.

The test came back and it’s positive – you’re pregnant!  Your mind is rattled with excitement, and you have created a “to-do” list.  While your list and questions continue to grow, it’s important to take the necessary steps to ensure an on-time and safe arrival of your most precious cargo yet.

You’ve probably heard a few old wives’ tales about pregnancy, including “A tooth lost for every child.”  While it seems far-fetched, it actually is based loosely in fact.  Your teeth and gums are affected by pregnancy, just as other tissues in your body.  You may not be aware that the health of your gums may also affect the health of your baby-to-be.

How does pregnancy affect your teeth and gums?

About half of women experience pregnancy gingivitis.  This condition can be uncomfortable and cause swelling, bleeding, redness or tenderness in the gum tissue.  Conversely, a more advanced oral health condition called periodontal disease (a serious gum infection that destroys attachment fibers and supporting bone that hold teeth in the mouth) may affect the health of your baby.

What if I’m diagnosed with periodontal disease during pregnancy?

If you’re diagnosed with periodontal disease, your dentist might recommend a common non-surgical procedure called scaling and root planning.  During this procedure, your tooth-root surfaces are cleaned to remove plaque and tartar from deep periodontal pockets and smooth the root to remove bacterial toxins.  Research suggests that scaling and root planning may reduce the risk of preterm births in pregnant women with periodontal disease.  The added bonus is that the procedure should alleviate many of the uncomfortable symptoms associated with pregnancy gingivitis, such as swelling and tenderness of the gums.

As you make your way through the “to-dos,” remember to check off a visit to the dentist!  This baby step benefits you and your unborn baby!
(Written by Karyn B.)

Acid is the enemy of tooth enamel. Dental research suggests that people eating and drinking foods with low pH (high acidities) are most apt to develop irreversible tooth erosion. This dental decomposition caused by acid breaks down the tooth structure.

There are many different types of foods and drinks that are high in acidity and a myriad of acids that can negatively affect your dental health:

• fruit and fruit products contain citric and malic acids
• soft drinks contain phosphoric acid
• fermented products (yogurt) contains lactic acid
• grapes and wines contain tartaric acid

Generally, fruits are the most acidic foods:
(Measuring highest to lowest pH)
pH             Fruits
2 - 3          lemon juice, vinegar
3 - 4          apples, blueberries, cherries, grapes, grapefruit, oranges, peaches, pears, pineapple, plums, raspberries
4 - 5          bananas
6                melons

The answer to prevent further breakdown of the enamel? Chewing sugar-free gums, and finishing a meal with milk or a small piece of cheese can help by increasing salivary flow to wash away and dilute acids on your teeth. You may also apply fluoride (ex: MI Paste) or simply rinsing mouth with water to reduce the acid. So ORANGE-you going to an appointment with Chicago Smile Design today?    (Written by Kristin D., RDH)

This Valentine's Day, just as many in the past, our Chicago Smile Design staff provided a day of free dental care at Dentists with Hearts. Dentists with hearts is a group of visionary professionals who aspire to the lives of the less fortunate in the Chicagoland area by providing quality dental services and basic humanitarian care in a loving and caring way.

Chicago Smile Design is extremely proud to support this organization year after year. At this event, eager patients begin lining up as early as 3:30am in hopes to take advantage of free dental care. Crowds of people, traveling from as far as Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana go out of their way to stand in line for the free services. Many who attend are out of work and/or have no dental insurance.

Chicago Smile Design is honored to serve the community and give back. “I absolutely love attending Dentist with Hearts. It’s an inspirational, feel-good day that I look forward to every year,” says Kristin Dudek, Registered Dental Hygienist.

Thanks to patients like you, we are now thrilled to promote our very own confident patient smiles. If you are a current or previous Invisalign patient with us and have undergone a “smile makeover”, we would love to add you as a STAR!

Our previous stars have been featured in advertisements, newsletters, internal promotional material, window advertisements and more! Show off and share your smile!

Simply contact us by phone, e-mail, Facebook, or let us know at your next appointment!

Donate a shoebox filled with various toiletry items and when you do, you are automatically entered into a drawing to win a Free Zoom! Whitening.

We will be accepting donations of Shoeboxes filled with:
   • Shampoo
   • Soap
   • Deodorant
   • Bandages 
   • Shaving supplies 
   • Lotion 
   • Make-up 
   • Perfume / Cologne 
   • Hair brushes / combs 
   • Etc…

Please be sure to label each box for men or women.

Simply bring your donation to our office anytime during normal business hours. We will be accepting donations until 12:00pm, Friday, March 18th. Bring in your shoebox today and enter a chance to win Zoom! Whitening!

On Thursday, January 27th our Chicago Smile Design team attended the Old Town Merchants and Residents Association annual dinner.

The event brought together local community members and businesses for an evening full of dinner, mingling, and dancing!  This year, the dinner was held at Preston Bradley Hall at the gorgeous Chicago Cultural Center.  Our entire group enjoyed a fun-filled evening of good food, good people and good times!   

Learn more about Old Town Merchants & Residents Association Here.

To know that you aren’t alone is of little consolation, but facing your fear and learning to manage it, will be.

Dental anxiety or fearing the tooth doctor is really a problem that many people have, and a thing that is almost hard to get over. This anxiety typically stops rational individuals from seeing the dentist and looking after the health of their teeth. The key to maintaining your teeth good and healthy is usually to prevent problems before they start. Those that suffer from dental anxiety will try to avoid visiting the dentist, which leads to problems..

When somebody who is suffering from dental anxiety finally goes to the dentist, they normally find that perhaps the smallest of problems can make severe and require plenty of work along with intervention from your dentist. Though you could possibly not realize it, standard cleaning visits to your dentist are the best way to keep the teeth healthy, which will help prevent problems like decay and cavities.

We have helped many fearful patients over the years through their anxiety of the dentist. We offer Oral Conscious Sedation, which involves simply taking a few pills that take before an appointment that makes patients feel completely at ease. Oral conscious sedation much safer than general anesthesia, and allows patients to return to their normal schedules by the next day. The best part is, .many patients who need sedation to have their work done initially end up feeling so comfortable with the dental office that they no longer need the sedation to have their work done.
Karen, a formally fearful patient, explains, “That I am writing a review for a dentist, speaks volumns. Hated dentists all my life. Not if I was talking to them in public, say at a party or in line for groceries....but if I was in the chair with one of them staring into my very own personal mouth I would FREAK OUT. Got up the nerve after many years of dental absence to call this dentist who knew how to deal with freaks like me. Dr. T is the bomb. Saved my teeth from myself:) I needed sedation for my first cleaning when I went in there 3 years ago. Now I can handle it drug free and easily because of the great staff and care at this office. I don't freak at going to the dentist anymore. Insanely, I almost like it. Every room have TV's if you need to be distracted, there's excellent music in the background, and every person in this office is sensitive and caring. Denta-phobes...there is hope! I recommend Dr T for everything toothal.”
We won’t be offended if you call and tell us you hate dentists (we’ve heard it many times before). Just know that if you come to our office your friends and family will eventually think you are crazy for talking about how much you love going to your dental office.