Donate and Be Entered to Win our Breast Cancer Awareness Gift Basket

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and your Auburn Dental Aesthetics Team is helping to spread awareness, while supporting one of our amazing local non-profits, Albie Aware.  Albie Aware's mission is to save more lives and empower people with breast cancer through awareness, education and support.

This Foundation was created in memory of Albie Carson who succumbed to breast cancer on July 4, 2002. Albie was a 50-year resident of Sacramento where she attended school, raised a family, and made a career in real estate.

Albie Aware provide’s assistance for life-saving diagnostic testing, patient advocacy, prevention education and compassionate support to local individuals facing or fighting breast cancer.

In an effort to spread awareness we are asking everyone to Take the Pledge to Donate to Albie Aware.  Your donation will help them provide services such as resources, education, advocacy, co-pay assistance, testing and more.

It's simple to enter our Think Pink Breast Cancer Awareness Giveaway

• Start by Taking the Pledge to Donate to Albie Aware         
  
• Donate online at http://albieaware.org.  
• Fill out our Albie Aware Pink Ribbon Card, located at our practice, with your name and a special message for encouragement, in memory or in honor of someone. 
• Send our practice a copy of your donation receipt at smile@auburndentaloffice.com or snap a picture of yourself with your donation, share on Facebook and tag Auburn Dental Aesthetics in your post.

You do not have to come to the practice to enter.  You do need to let us know that you are taking the pledge to donate and one of our team member will fill out the Pink Ribbon card on your behalf.  Please feel free to invite friends and family to enter as well.

Everyone who participates will be entered into a drawing for our Think Pink Breast Cancer Awareness Gift Basket!  Our gift basket includes a limited edition Pink Sonicare Toothbrush, Pink Albie Aware Dutch Brother's 20oz Tumbler with a gift card for a free drink and several more items to get you to think pink for breast cancer awareness.  

Thank you in advance for your donations and for helping us to spread awareness!

                                          Your Auburn Dental Aesthetics Team

It Won't Hurt to Skip One Night of Brushing, Right?

It's been a long day. You've brushed the kids teeth, read them stories and tucked them in. You are ready to just close your eyes and then you remember, "I didn't brush my teeth." You think to yourself, "one night of not brushing won't hurt. I'll brush extra long in the morning. It's not that big of a deal, right?"

The reality is that not brushing your teeth before bed is bad news. The American Dental Association (ADA) recommends brushing your beautiful smile twice a day.  Skip a session, and you're on your way to encouraging the growth of bacterial buildup in the form of plaque, which can lead to cavities and even gum disease.

Chances are that you've felt plaque on your teeth throughout your day and haven't even realized it.  When you brush it disrupts that bacteria, so it doesn't stay on your teeth and your gums.  The problem is that when it is left in place it begins to attack your teeth.  The longer plaque remains on your teeth the more likely it is to become tarter, which leads to inflammation and bleeding of your gums.  The longer it remains untreated the more likely you are to loose a tooth.

By not brushing once you run the risk of skipping this nightly habit again and again. So, stick to the habit.  Follow the simple and easy guidelines of the ADA:  brush for two minutes, twice a day and floss at least once a day.  Don't forget that regular dental visits will also help to protect your pearly whites.

Dan Gustavson, DDS & Your Auburn Dental Aesthetics Team

Summertime Food, Beverages & Your Smile...

While on vacation, oral hygiene may not be on top of your mind as applying sunscreen or packing your favorite swimwear. You should never take break from taking care of your teeth. Just remember bacteria, plaque, and gum diseases don’t halt their relentless attack against your teeth and gums while you’re on vacation. In fact, traveling, increases food and drink consumption, and making the most of the various tourist attractions along the way can all-to-easily disrupt a regular oral health routine.

Top 5 Tips for keeping your Summer Smile Healthy:

• Pack an extra toothbursh, toothpaste & floss in your travel bag, so that you can keep your smile healthy while on the go.
• Drink plenty of water. Keeping yourself hydrated staves off tooth decay besides protecting your skin and gum tissues. 
• Try to stay away from drinks that will stain your teeth like coffee, soft drinks, or dark colored juices. Not only will drinks like this weaken your enamel but they will also darken that your fabulous smile. 
• A good tip for keeping your mouth safe from staining and other possible pitfalls is to rinse your mouth with water after any meal in which you can’t fully brush your teeth after.

Stick to your routine! It is so easy to stay up late and make excuses for not brushing your teeth before bed while on vacation! During a vacation, you are more prone to cavities due to the excess sugar consumed. Plaque doesn’t take vacation, and neither should your brushing!

Dan Gustavson, DDS & Your Auburn Dental Aesthetics Team