Wow, that happened fast! The last two weeks have left my head spinning. I'm going to venture a guess and say anybody who was still planning on traveling over spring break when I wrote my last blog, had their plans changed rather quickly, myself included! With vacations canceled, school canceled, parties canceled, work canceled, I thought I would check out the different virtual vacations and tours the internet has to offer. Buzzfeed has a link to virtual vacations. This website has a wide variety of locations to look at, it is mostly stationary webcams, but I think the kids will really like Laikipia County, Kenya webcam and the safari animals. Here is a link from VRBO, the vacation home rental site. I enjoyed the surfing video the most on this website, but the San Diego Zoo link has a lot to offer too! 25 Amazing Virtual Field Trips When You Can't Be There In Person could be intersting?! So could 28 Free Virtual Field Trips and Activities for Families in … [Read more...]
Spring Break 2020
My plan for this weeks blog was to highlight different activities for spring break, starting with Baby Farm Animals at the Minnesota Zoo. Needless to say, I found myself quickly needing a new topic! Unless you live in a remote area of the Amazon, you've heard of COVID-19 and how it's slowly bringing the world to a halt. It's the only thing people are talking about on TV and social media. I have found it interesting (not sure if that's the right word, maybe terrifying or nerve wracking would be better choices??) watching the disease change our daily lives and habits. People's behavior has been "interesting" to watch too. It started with everyone running to buy hand sanitizer (beware it's coming), then toilet paper (watch out it's here), and now food (school's canceled, the world is coming to an end). As I watched the grocery shelves empty, I couldn't help but notice there were still quite a few vacation posts on social media. For me, it felt wonderful to see life going on as if … [Read more...]
Can Coconut Oil Improve Oral Health?
Last week, we looked at what CBD could potentially do for your oral health. This week, we are going to look at coconut oil. Dr. Bomstad noticed several patients with improved oral health and found out they started swishing with coconut oil. I am curious to know why coconut oil seems to make a difference when it comes to oral health. It turns out, coconut oil can kill the bad bacteria in your mouth that causes cavities, gum disease and bad breath. It is the lauric acid (a fatty acid) in coconut oil, along with monolaurin, that kills the bad bacteria. Monolaurin is the compound that is left when your body breaks down lauric acid. Lauric acid is special because it is a medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) which is metabolized differently from other types of fatty acids. Most foods contain long-chain fatty acids. It is recommended swishing 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in your mouth for 15-20 minutes before brushing your teeth in the morning. Coconut oil can clog sink pipes, so spit … [Read more...]
What Kind of Orthodontic Treatment is Right for You?
Today there are many orthodontic treatment options. There are traditional or metal braces, ceramic or clear braces, self-ligating braces, lingual braces and clear aligners. The most common orthodontic treatment uses traditional or metal braces. Metal braces do a wonderful job moving your teeth, tend to be the most affordable and allow you to change the rubber band color to add some personality to your braces. The only drawback is they are the most noticeable. Ceramic or clear braces are the less noticeable option in the "traditional" braces category. They do an excellent job moving teeth and move the teeth quicker than clear aligners. Clear braces do require more care as they can stain easily, are more brittle than metal braces and are more expensive than traditional braces. Often they are only used on the top teeth and with older patients. Self-ligating braces are similar to traditional braces, but they do not require the use of rubber bands. Self-ligating braces … [Read more...]
Is Foreign Dentistry Worth the Cost?
Traveling to Mexico for medical and dental procedures is increasing in popularity. Who wouldn't want to combine a tropical vacation with some unwanted dental work, but just how wise is it to trust your healthcare to another country? It's true, you can save a significant amount of money, but is it worth the cost? Here are some things to keep in mind before you decide Mexico is the best place for your dental care. You must factor in your travel cost when determining how much money traveling to Mexico will save you. Don't forget to add in the cost of a US passport if you don't already have one, they run $145 currently. These costs may negate any savings you'd have by traveling out of the country for dental work. This may be obvious, but there can be a language barrier. Not all Mexican doctors and staff speak English, or English well. It is not uncommon for your doctor and staff to speak Spanish while you are in the room. This can put you at a disadvantage if things aren't … [Read more...]
Vaping and Dental Health
Vaping is quickly taking over as a "healthy" alternative to smoking, or at least that is what we are lead to believe. E-cigarettes are relatively new to the market, they have been around for only 15 years or so, making the long-term effects fairly unknown. Recent studies have found e-cigs/vaping to be just a harmful as smoking to the cells in your mouth. Vaping can contribute to gum disease, tooth loss, and oral cancer. As with traditional cigarettes, the vapor in e-cigarettes makes contact with your mouth when the vapor is the hottest. This heat can irritate and cause damage to sensitive gum tissue. Nicotine, often found in e-liquids, is highly addictive. When you stop using it, you can go through withdrawal, feeling depressed and crabby. Nicotine is a vasoconstrictor, which means it reduces blood flow to tissue, which inhibits the tissue's ability to repair itself. Research also shows it harms the developing brains of kids, affecting memory and attention. Nicotine damages … [Read more...]
Do You Suffer From Dry Mouth?
Dry mouth affects 10% of all people and tends to affect women more than men. There are many causes of dry mouth. Medications tend to be the most common cause of dry mouth, but other causes include; dehydration, radiation treatments, diabetes, smoking, hormone imbalances, sinusitis, mouth breathing, pregnancy, and dry air to name a few. Bomstad Dental has always offered prescription toothpaste to help treat dry mouth, we now have some samples of XyliMelts for you to try too. XyliMelts are fully dissolving oral adhering discs that slowly release xylitol and natural lubricants. XyliMelts claims to stimulate saliva, reduce acid reflux and heartburn while sleeping, and reduce plaque and tooth decay by delivering xylitol. We are curious to hear what you think of XyliMelts? Should our office carry this product full time? Currently, XyliMelts are available without a prescription at WalMart, CVS and Rite Aid, and for a limited time you can try a sample from our office. Feel free to … [Read more...]
Welcome, Dawn!
We are excited to announce, Dawn, has joined our team! Dawn will primarily be assisting Dr. Karban on Thursdays and Fridays. She comes to us with 20 years of experience in the dental field. Dawn received her dental assisting degree from Rochester Community & Technical College. She lives in Minneapolis with her husband and two young boys. In her free time, Dawn loves to spend time with her family, baking & cooking, and paddleboarding in the summer months. Dawn is a very organized, detail oriented person and we are thrilled to have her! Make sure to welcome her the next time you are in the office. … [Read more...]
Around Town: Part 2
We were able to spend some time at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, as well as the Walker Art Center. Like the Como Zoo, the Minneapolis Institute of Art is free, but donations are welcome. The first Saturday of every month is free at the Walker Art Center, as well as Thursday nights, and kids 0-18 are always free. It's a nice way to expose your children to the arts without having to pay an arm and a leg. The Minneapolis Institute of Art is located next to Children's Theater Company, it might be nice to combine visits if you're looking for something extra special to do. The Minneapolis Institute of Art has family day the second Sunday of each month. You will be able to make art, go on artful adventures, meet local artists, musicians, dancers & storytellers with your children. The third Thursday of every month, the Minneapolis Institute of Art invites you to experience Mia's diverse art collection through unique experiences, libations and live music, refreshments are … [Read more...]
Sea Life: Mall Of America
Minnesota offers so many things to do in the summer. It seems every town has their own celebration, but we decided to take a break from the parades, carnivals & corndogs to check out Sea Life at the Mall of America. It had been over a decade since I first visited the aquarium and I still found it magical. I had the pleasure of sharing this experience with my nephew AND Bomstad Dental patient, Oliver! We were slightly disappointed we were no longer able to touch the stingrays. Sea Life is currently working on a breeding program, so they are not allowing the public to touch the rays. We still enjoyed watching them glide around their tank and were able to ask the staff many questions about the different types of rays on exhibit. You can also purchase shrimp and fish to feed the rays. Although the rays were off limits for us to touch, they still had things we could touch, including sea anemones. Sea Life: Mall of America really entertains people of all ages, but 8 was a … [Read more...]