by Roseman Dental | Oct 5, 2022 | Dental 360, Dental Clinic Blog, Roseman Dental - NV
Temperatures are dropping, days are getting shorter, and Homecoming festivities are in full swing. In this October issue of Dental 360°, you’ll find out how to keep sugary treats under control on Halloween and get the facts about how to deal with tooth sensitivity. Plus, you’ll meet Dr. Matthew Thacker, a friendly new face in the clinic.
October is Orthodontic Health Awareness Month! We thank our providers and residents for their great work in our community, and we encourage you to make an appointment with Roseman Orthodontics if you or someone in your family is curious about orthodontic treatment. Teeth that are properly aligned are easier to keep clean with flossing and brushing, and may help prevent other health problems. And since orthodontics are more customizable and time-efficient than ever before, there’s never been a better time to take care of your smile.
Roseman Dental & Orthodontics’ Dental 360° is a monthly e-newsletter. Each month you’ll receive a panoramic view of dental health. Dental health is key to your overall health and here at Roseman Dental & Orthodontics, we are dedicated to improving not only your mouth, but your whole self. At our clinic we have an excellent team of licensed dentists, orthodontists, orthodontic residents – 30 to be exact, and dental residents all focused on you and your family’s oral health. Roseman Dental & Orthodontics has been serving its community since 2009 and is a comprehensive, one-stop shop for all your dental needs including dental, orthodontic and craniofacial cleft lip & palate treatment.
We hope you find Dental 360° helpful and informative. We look forward to connecting with you each month.
Dental 360° October Articles
5 Ways to Prevent Sugar Overload this Halloween
Caring for Sensitive Teeth
Meet Dr. Matthew Thacker
Trick or Treat! Halloween, Candy, and Medication Safety
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by Roseman Dental | Oct 5, 2022 | Dental Clinic Blog, Oral Health, Roseman Dental - NV, Roseman Dental - UT
Trick-or-treating is the highlight of Halloween for most children, but excessive candy consumption can be harmful to a child’s dental and physical heath. Halloween doesn’t have to be a sugar-laden free-for-all. There are many ways to limit your child’s sugar intake without a making a scary scene.
- Collect Less Candy – Limit the amount of candy your child collects by having her use a smaller treat bag and calling it quits once the bag is filled. You can also set a time limit on her trick-or-treating or visit only houses within a certain walking distance.
- Trade Candy For Cash – Many dentists participate in a candy buyback program. If yours doesn’t, consider forking out some of your own cash in exchange for your kid’s candy, then donate the stash to a local shelter or a branch of the military.
- Plan a Visit From the Candy Fairy – If your child is too young to be interested in cash, consider swapping the loot for a toy they have had their eye on. Instruct your child to leave the goodies in a special location, and make the trade while they are asleep.
- Ration the Goodies – Let your child pick out a few of his favorites on Halloween night, then store the rest out of sight and out of reach. Pack one small piece in his or her lunch each day, or save it to dole out only on special occasions.
- Pass Out An Alternate Treat – You can do your part to limit junk food in your neighborhood by passing out something other than candy. Stock up on stickers, glow sticks or another prize to give away, and encourage your neighbors to do the same.
However you choose to prevent sugar overload this holiday, be sure your child knows what to expect beforehand. Fill her up with a healthy dinner before she begins knocking on doors, and allow a little indulging before the night is over. Have a plan for the rest of the candy, and no matter how late your little ghoul is up, don’t send her to bed without brushing!
by Roseman Dental | Oct 5, 2022 | Dental Clinic Blog, Providers - NV, Roseman Dental - NV
Roseman University welcomes Dr. Matthew Thacker as the new Program Director for the Advanced Education in General Dentistry residency in Henderson, Nevada and AEGD Clinic Director. After earning his bachelor’s degree in Biology with a concentration in Integrative Physiology from UNLV, he attended UNLV’s School of Dental Medicine and received his Doctorate in Dental Medicine (DMD) degree in 2018. After graduating dental school, Dr. Thacker served in the U.S. Navy as a Fleet Marine Force dental officer for four years aboard the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in 29 Palms, California. He continues to serve the Las Vegas Valley community as a volunteer dentist for the Special Olympics, Give Kids a Smile®, and UNLV’s Sgt. Ferrin Memorial Veteran’s Clinic. He is passionate about providing a broad scope of evidence-based dental care to the community and is dedicated to training the next generation of dentists to be skilled, compassionate, and service-based healthcare providers. Dr. Thacker is a member of the American Dental Education Association, Nevada Dental Association, Southern Nevada Dental Society, and is a Fellow of the Academy of General Dentistry.
Dr. Thacker brings to his work a team-based approach to problem solving, an inordinate amount of energy, and a genuine desire to serve our Nevada community with empathy and respect. While serving in the military was something he may not have expected as a child, he enjoyed his time serving and caring for the young service men and women coming up through the ranks. It also seems that the four attributes of the US Navy – initiative, accountability, integrity and toughness — are traits he embodies even now moving out of active service. Dr. Thacker has attacked his new role with focused initiative, and a data-driven approach. With his combined role of teaching, practicing and running the day-to-day operations of the clinic, his job is not for the faint of heart. He bears multiple responsibilities and must also work with staff across Roseman Dental & Orthodontics dental clinic, with his colleagues in the ortho clinic of Roseman Dental & Orthodontics, with Roseman Dental – Summerlin, and across campus and state lines alongside our South Jordan, UT clinic and faculty.
Despite this workload and an intense focus, what most people also immediately see in Dr. Thacker is an easygoing kindness and affability. Dr. Alice Chen, Roseman’s new pediatric dentist at Roseman Dental & Orthodontics, says, “Dr. Thacker works with his team with the utmost respect and kindness, he empowers us and brings a level of positivity to everything he does.” While Dr. Thacker has youth on his side, he imparts a wisdom and calm that seems befitting of someone much older.
Excited to be back serving his local community, and the community in which he was born and raised, Dr. Thacker reflects on his younger years as a kid bowling at the Henderson bowling alley and getting pizza with his friends at the local pizza place. “It is so nice to be back in Nevada, where I grew up, serving our community and to continue the incredible work of Roseman University.”
Dr. Thacker had always known of Roseman’s dental programs and was intrigued by Roseman’s Six-Point Mastery Learning Model®. He’d even attended some of Roseman’s online Neighborhood Health Series events during COVID while stationed in California. With a confluence of factors occurring at just the right time to bring him to Roseman, Dr. Thacker is breathing new life and energy into our beautiful state-of-the art clinic. Dr. Thacker reports that the clinic is very busy, and is seeing many patients for routine and more significant dental work. In late August, a new hygienist will join his team and allow for more patients to be seen.
In his free time, Dr. Thacker and his wife, Dr. Angelica Jane Bustos-Thacker, also a dentist, play with their two dogs, Puka and Boba. Dr. Thacker also enjoys playing ice hockey, graphic design, computer coding, traveling and is an avid woodworker. Welcome Dr. Thacker!
by Roseman Dental | Sep 14, 2022 | Dental 360, Dental Clinic Blog, Roseman Dental - NV
Welcome to autumn! In this September issue of Dental 360°, discover what xerostomia is and how you can fix it before it becomes a big problem, find out how to prevent gum disease, and meet Dr. Alice Chen, Roseman’s new pediatric dentist.
Roseman Dental & Orthodontics’ Dental 360° is a monthly e-newsletter. Each month you’ll receive a panoramic view of dental health. Dental health is key to your overall health and here at Roseman Dental & Orthodontics, we are dedicated to improving not only your mouth, but your whole self. At our clinic we have an excellent team of licensed dentists, orthodontists, orthodontic residents – 30 to be exact, and dental residents all focused on you and your family’s oral health. Roseman Dental & Orthodontics has been serving its community since 2009 and is a comprehensive, one-stop shop for all your dental needs including dental, orthodontic and craniofacial cleft lip & palate treatment.
We hope you find Dental 360° helpful and informative. We look forward to connecting with you each month.
Dental 360° September Articles
Xerostomia: Causes and Treatments for Dry Mouth
Periodontal Disease and How to Prevent It
Meet Dr. Alice Chen
Back to School! Keeping Kids Healthy In and Out of the Classroom
Subscribe to e-newsletter
Click Here to Leave a Review
by Roseman Dental | Sep 14, 2022 | Dental 360, Dental Clinic Blog, Providers - NV, Roseman Dental - NV
Dr. Chen recently joined Roseman’s College of Dental Medicine as a board-certified Pediatric Dentist at Roseman’s clinics in Henderson and Summerlin, NV. With a warm smile, kind face and gentle way about her, it is immediately obvious that she has a gift for connecting with children. Dr. Chen knew from a young age that she wanted to be a healthcare provider and that she wanted to use her hands in her profession. Shadowing an optometrist and dentist in high school, she connected quickly with the practice of dentistry but she had no particular plans or interest in treating children. Though Dr. Chen is the eldest of two girls in her family, she did not have a great deal of experience with or an affinity towards children, yet she found that her passion for pediatric dentistry grew while in her second year of dental school in Boston. She received her dental degree from Boston University and her specialty training in Pediatric Dentistry at Temple University. Originally from California, Dr. Chen received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from UCLA with an emphasis in Developmental Psychology. In dental school, Dr. Chen worked alongside caring, compassionate faculty who took a great interest in mentoring her. Through this, she realized how important it was her to not only to provide preventative care, but to also ease pain and discomfort. Dr. Chen was born to parents who guided her not to a specific profession or interest, but toward an ethos, “be helpful and to take care of others.” She has most certainly followed this guidance in her professional life.
After a decade in private practice, in 2021, Dr. Chen made a personal decision to focus more time on the practice of pediatric dentistry and to let go of some of the administrative and business tasks associated with running a practice. When the opportunity arose at Roseman Dental & Orthodontics, it seemed like a perfect fit. “The opportunity at Roseman gave me the chance to place greater focus on doing what I love most—treating children. I couldn’t be happier about the opportunity to work in both of Roseman’s clinics. The entrée into academia also offered her the chance to return some of the goodwill and guidance offered to her by faculty when she was a student. In her new role, Dr. Chen has the chance to shape and inspire future providers.
Roseman Dental & Orthodontics, in addition to providing care to adults and children, is the home of the Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) residency, which hosts 2 residents per year through a partnership with NYU Lutheran Dental Medicine. These dentists receive advanced training through Roseman Dental & Orthodontics and are exposed to more complex cases. In her position, Dr. Chen is able to work alongside these residents, shaping their experiences and developing patient-centered practitioners while treating children. Roseman Dental & Orthodontics’ dental clinic also refers patients to Roseman Dental & Orthodontics’ ortho clinic, which is at the same address and next door.
Dr. Chen also practices at Roseman’s newest dental family member, Roseman Dental – Summerlin, Roseman’s pediatric dental clinic focused exclusively on treating medically compromised children in need of specialized dental care. Dr. Chen works alongside Dr. Michael Cottam, Clinic Director, to treat patients of Roseman’s partner organization, Cure 4 The Kids (C4K). C4K treats children with cancers, blood diseases and other life-threatening diseases. These children often put their dental needs aside, yet they need a dental home with dentists that work alongside their physicians to deliver what is often specialized care.
Dr. Chen is a beloved healthcare provider in the Nevada community. She brings to Roseman extensive experience, a deep commitment to improving the welfare and health of children, and a warm sense of optimism about her work. Dr. Chen and her husband Dr. Matthew Raddue, an anesthesiologist, enjoy being parents to their two children. Welcome Dr. Chen!
by Roseman Dental | Sep 7, 2022 | Dental 360, Dental Clinic Blog, Oral Health, Roseman Dental - NV, Roseman Dental - UT
Xerostomia is a big word with a simple definition: dry mouth. It’s the term for the absence of saliva in the mouth that can cause discomfort, often leading patients to seek medical treatment. The condition isn’t a disease in itself, but is actually caused by other factors.
While everyone experiences a dry mouth at one time or another, chronic dry mouth can not only be frustrating, but can also cause medical and dental issues. Treating xerostomia is important to improve overall quality of life as well as preventing any additional problems.
What Causes Xerostomia?
Many different issues can cause dry mouth. Some of the causes for this common condition include:
- Medications. Many over-the-counter and prescription drugs list dry mouth as a side effect.
- Nerve damage. Damage to the nerves that control saliva production can result in xerostomia.
- Cancer treatments. Chemotherapy drugs or radiation can halt the production of saliva.
- Other diseases. Parkinson’s or Sjogren’s syndrome can affect the salivary gland.
Other conditions, including stress and depression, can lead to a lower production of saliva as well.
What Problems does Xerostomia Cause?
Leaving xerostomia untreated can lead to further issues. The condition can cause difficulties with speech and eating, as well as an increase in cavities or infections in the mouth, since salvia helps wash away bacteria from the surface of the teeth.
What is the Treatment for Xerostomia?
To begin treatment for xerostomia, its root cause must be discovered. Eliminating the cause isn’t always possible, so dental professionals will find a treatment option that addresses the issue while not detracting from other medical care.
Some remedies can treat dry mouth, but they won’t cure it. These options include avoiding alcohol-based mouthwashes, using artificial saliva, sipping plain water, or using over-the-counter dry mouth products. Prescription medications can be used to stimulate saliva production in order to replace the saliva and prevent other medical and dental issues.
Dry mouth should be treated not only because of the discomfort it causes, but also because of the serious issues it can cause. Prioritize good oral care and regular dental treatments to prevent further problems. If you’re in need of dental care, make an appointment with Roseman Dental to get help from one of our empathic, patient-focused providers.
