Give Kids a Smile

Today is one of the days that we are reminded why we do what we do.

February is Dental Health Month. Every year for at least the last 5 years, those of us at Levine Dental Associates have helped those kids who cannot afford dental care- to get the care they so desperately need.

Give Kids a Smile is a wonderful program started by the American Dental Association and further sponsored by the Wisconsin Dental Association (locally). Kids of all ages are screened at the dental school at Marquette University and those that need dental care are scheduled at many different participating offices in the greater Milwaukee area.

Dr. Levine and Dr. Julie Melbinger-Wagner and the entire team at Levine Dental Associates donate their time, materials, and expertise to treat these children.

For more information, look for us on Facebook, Twitter, and on our website at http://www.levinedental.com

For information on how you can help next year, contact the WDA (http://www.wda.org) or the ADA (http://www.ada.org) for more information.

I also have to thank all the kids for being cooperative. We know it's scary sometimes to go into a strage place with strage people. We all have fun doing what we do, and thank you to the children for reminding us, and making us smile!

Dentistry and the Economy

I am sure we have all been affected by the downturn of the economy. I also know we are all waiting for that upturn where things go back to where they were before.

One of the first things we all do in situations like this is cut the things we think will save us money. Often times, dentistry is one of those things people choose to put off during these tough times. Having seen what happens when patients put off either regular recare visits or needed treatment, I can tell you in the long run this often times leads to investing more money in something simple or even the possible loss of a tooth or teeth that could have been saved.

I would like to offer you a strategy for your dental health during these tougher economic times.

· If you have insurance make sure you learn all about it. Most patients with insurance will get either 80% or 100% coverage on their cleanings twice a year.

· Make sure if you notice a problem get it taken care of before it gets worse. If you break a tooth, loose a filling notice bleeding gums get it taken care of as soon as possible.

· Listen to the recommendations of your dentist and dental health care team

· Make sure you are doing what you can at home. Brush a minimum of twice a day and floss once a day. Ask your dental health team to make sure you are doing it correctly.

Work with your dental health team and they will work with you. Together you can try to make sure that your investment in your dental health is kept to a minimum. Remember if you don’t follow through in the short term or try to eliminate regular dental care in a cost saving move, it may actually cost you a lot more in the long run which could lead to investing a lot more or possible tooth loss.

Yours in Dental Health,

Dr. Paul S. Levine