Casa Smiles

Happy “Tooth-Day”!!!

In honor of National Children’s Dental Health Month, I am reporting today as “Special Agent” Flossit; Mouth Monster fighting hero! This month I am working overtime fighting off our villains- Tooth D.K., Ginger Bite-Us, & Tartar The Terrible! Watch out, these Mouth Monsters will be very sneaky & persistent. They will use their sweet looks to trick you. Moms & Dads need to take measures into their own hands in order to join us in this Monster-Free Mouth Movement.

Did you know tooth decay is the number one chronic infectious disease affecting children in the U.S.? While it’s a scary statistic, the good news is it’s largely preventable with healthy habits and regular preventive care. That’s why the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry is asking parents and caregivers to banish the Mouth Monsters (aka tooth decay) by joining the Monster-Free Mouth Movement. It’s easy – just go to mychildrensteeth.org for tips and tools to help teach your kids about the importance of healthy oral habits.

Little Teeth Are A Big Deal

They may be little, but baby teeth play a BIG role in your child’s oral health – and are key to the development of

healthy, strong adult teeth. Below are some tips to help your child have a happy, healthy smile that lasts a lifetime:

mouthmonsterarticle http://mouthmonsters.mychildrensteeth.org/

Make sure to follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/casasmilespediatricdentistryandorthodontics Twitter https://twitter.com/casa_smiles and Instagram http://instagram.com/casasmiles/ for the latest news, tips, & information about Casa Smiles Pediatric Dentistry & Orthodontics http://www.casasmiles.com/.

Ortho Corner

Mouth Guards are the most important part of any contact sport uniform!

Dr. Iwanowski here at Casa Smiles http://www.casasmiles.com/orthodontics/ offers the best of both custom & Tapout athletic mouth guards. Consult with her to provide your little & big athletes with the right fit to prevent any injuries to your super stars!

It is estimated by the American Dental Association http://www.ada.org/en/ that mouth guards prevent approximately 200,000 injuries each year in high school and collegiate football alone.

A properly fitted mouth guard must be protective, comfortable, resilient, tear resistant, odorless, tasteless, not bulky, cause minimal interference to speaking and breathing, and (possibly the most important criteria) have excellent retention, fit, and sufficient thickness in critical areas.

Facts from the National Youth Sports Foundation for Safety

Dental injuries are the most common type of orofacial injury sustained during participation in sports; the majority of these dental injuries are preventable.
An athlete is 60 times more likely to sustain damage to the teeth when not wearing a protective mouth guard.
The cost of a fractured tooth is many times greater than the cost of a dentist diagnosed and designed professionally made mouth guard.
Every athlete involved in contact sport has about a 10% chance per season of an orofacial injury, or a 33-56% chance during an athletic career.
The cost to replant a tooth and the follow-up dental treatment is about $5000.
Victims of knocked out teeth who do not have a tooth properly preserved or replanted may face lifetime dental costs of $15,000-$20,000/tooth, hours in the dental chair, and the possible development of other dental problems such as periodontal disease.
It is estimated that faceguards and mouth guards prevent approximately 200,000 injuries each year in high school and college football.
The stock mouth guard which is bought at sports stores without any individual fitting, provide only a low level of protection, if any. If the wearer is rendered unconscious, there is a risk the mouth guard may lodge in the throat potentially causing an airway obstruction.

Facts from the American Dental Association and the California Dental Association

A properly fitted mouth guard reduces the chances of sustaining a concussion from a blow to the jaw.
Mouth guards should be worn at all times during competition; in practice as well as in games.
Contact your local dental society and association for information on dentists and mouthguard programs in your area.
The American Dental Association recommends wearing custom mouth guards for the following sports: acrobats, basketball, boxing, field Hockey, football, gymnastics, handball, ice hockey, lacrosse, martial arts, racquetball, roller hockey, rugby, shot putting, skateboarding, skiing, skydiving, soccer, squash, surfing, volleyball, water polo, weightlifting, wrestling.

HAVE A HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY WEEKEND!!

I look forward to chatting with you again next “Tooth-day”!

Your friend,

Farah Flossit (Special Agent Flossit)

Let me begin by introducing myself,…My name is Farah Flossit. I am proud to be the official Casa Smiles blogger and your friendly neighborhood plaque-fighting agent . Every “Tooth-day” I will be filling you all in on all the latest news about Casa Smiles and helpful information to keep your smiles bright.

For our FIRST post, I thought it would be a great idea to let you know where Casa Smiles came from and what we are all about. We are a Pediatric Dentist & Orthodontic office with 2 convenient locations in Coral Gables and Key Biscayne. The practice was actually founded by Dr. Luis Llamas over 30 years ago. In 2012 Dr. Maigrely Abreu-Hernandez and Dr. Muriel Iwanowski acquired the practice. They had both been working along side Dr. Llamas for a number of years and although he was passing the torch to a new generation, he has remained as an important member of our Casa Smiles family.

The female dynamic duo had a very specific concept in mind when creating a brand and logo for their new home away from home. With the help of the creatives over at Inkberries, they were able to put together a name and visual that depicted the qualities both doctors wanted their practice to stand for: Clean, Fresh, Friendly, Modern, Fun, and Inviting. “CASA SMILES” can relate to both dentistry and orthodontics and the name definitely appeals to our hometown demographics and children. We truly feel that our beautiful logo leaves a strong and lasting impression. When people in the community see it, they recognize it and they are able make a firm connection between our brand and the experience they have had visiting our office.

THE EXPERIENCE:

In order to fully understand what to expect when visiting Casa Smiles, I need to tell you a little bit more about our amazing leaders and who they really are.

Dr. Maigrely Abreu-Hernandez is a home-grown Cuban-American Miami girl that graduated from the University of Florida. It wasn’t until her second year in Dental school that she discovered her affinity to Pediatrics after going on missions to the Dominican Republic and Haitian borders. She used her craft and donated her services to orphans and underprivileged families to help them improve their poor dental health. Dr. Abreu-Hernandez’s goal is to provide quality service. She has an uncanning ability to implement effective behavior management. She actually identifies with the kids and really enjoys singing Disney tunes and chatting with them.

Dr. Iwanowski was born in Venezula and moved to Miami in 1992. She graduated from Nova University and wanted to get into this field to help give children and adults more confidence by improving their smile and boosting their self-esteem. She really loves seeing her patients grow and building personal relationships with them.

It is always beneficial to have both dentistry and orthodontics in one practice; this way, concerns can easily be communicated and addressed. We take pride in preparing our pediatric patients for their orthodontic consultations to make sure they are on the right path from an early age. We have created an aesthetically pleasing environment that caters to children and parents. In our inviting waiting area we have interactive iPads and while in treatment, TV’s with headphones to make their visit relaxing and enjoyable. While moms and dads wait for their children to be seen, or are here for their own orthodontic visit, they can enjoy complimentary water, coffee, tea, or even hot chocolate. When checking out at our front desk with our friendly team, we reward our patients with a prize from our Treasure Box and offer our big kids pencils and chapstick.

We want to make sure that we leave all of our patients and parents alike with a lasting impression and a desire to visit us again soon. We hang our hats on being a modern and fun pediatric dentistry and orthodontics office!

In sum, when you visit us, you become part of the Casa Smiles family!

I look forward to chatting with you again next “Tooth-day”!

Your friend,

Farah Flossit

Author: casasmiles

MONSTER-FREE MOVEMENT-Special Agent Flossit

Happy “Tooth-day”