All month we’ll be focusing on oral health for kids with articles, tips, fun activities, and (our favorite) giveaways! If you haven’t already, become a fan on Facebook and/or follow us on Twitter to get info on how you can snag some Fun Flosser discounts and giveaways we’re planning.

Professionals, don’t think we’ve forgotten you. Parents listen to you when it comes to their kid’s teeth, and in thanks for your continued support we’re offering 40% off your Fun Flosser order. Hurry! This offer is only good until February 7th!

So take a second wander over to the ADA’s information page to learn more about how to teach your kids about their teeth and how to take care of them.

• Sarah, Jessica, and I are excited to ramp up social media for Professional in 2010 to make sure we can listen to hygienists and dentists wherever they are. Keep an eye on the DenTek Professional Facebook fan page to see what’s up.
• The consumer team is already feelin’ the love and ramping up for a fun Valentine’s Day contest. Sign up for our email list (click the “promotions” option) and keep an eye on your inbox for more details.
• The whole office is excited about some brand new products coming down the line in the spring. We might even revive the Mystery Product to keep you in suspense and give you a great deal.
• And…(this one’s my favorite)…we’ll be doing a LOT more digging into what consumers want and need from their daily oral care tools, which means YOU are going to have lots of opportunities to tell us what to make. I’ll keep you updated.

How about you? What are you planning for the new year?

Every once in a while we get to have a little fun with nightguard samples. We test different materials to figure out which one will work the best, which means we all hike down to the breakroom armed with forks and coffee mugs. We compare how soft the material is to bite down on, how well it holds its shape, how quickly it cools, even what color it turns after it’s molded. Here’s what the process looks like:

When we test materials, we go through the package instructions step-by-step, which means boiling, cooling, biting, the whole nine yards. That way we make sure the instructions are right, too. This one’s cooling off a bit before Jamie fits it.

Sarah gets an up-close look at the fit after molding her sample. She’s checking how well the material held it’s shape, how comfortable it is, and if it’s centered well.

AJ’s a pro at this. Hers were pretty much perfect.  Once everyone’s tested one of each sample group, a decision is made and the party’s over until we get feedback from consumers (that’s you!) and develop a new, improved model.

Have any suggestions or observations about your nightguard experience? Leave a comment or find us on Facebook or Twitter.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the festivities and getting to see people I love, but it’s stressful! I knew it was getting bad when I developed something I’ve never had: bruxism, or nighttime teeth grinding. Needless to say, that little discovery drove me to figure out how to calm things down.

Here’s what I found:

• EXERCISE – Since we usually get that “fight or flight” response we call stress in places we can’t fight or flee, stress hormone levels stay too high for too long. Exercise (“fighting” or “fleeing”) works those hormones and neurochemicals out of your system. Even as little as one 20-minute walk a day will have a positive impact on your health.
• Get back to a comfortable routine – No, don’t schedule every second of your day hoping to avoid surprises, but do create a comfortable framework that can ease you through hectic times.
• Take a break – Spend some time doing what you want for a while and decompress. Enjoy a hobby. Take a walk. Have lunch with a friend. Do something, anything, to interrupt the stress response cycle. Uninterrupted stress is very harmful, so breaking it up will help you get those hormones back down to manageable levels.

I’m putting a few of these into practice as my new year’s resolution in hopes of post-holiday relaxation, grind-free nights and a less-stressed new year. Try it yourself and tell me what you think!

For more detailed information on stress and the body’s reaction to it, read this doctor-written-and-reviewed article and MedicineNet.com.

There are only a few days left in 2009 so it’s obviously time for a year-end favorites list. And it’s such an easy post to write! We’ve only been around for a short time, on the Web at least, but I’ve already got a favorites list as long as my arm. Here’s the cream of the crop.

• Dentists and hygienists should make the Dental Heroes blog a regular stop on their reading list. Cory Kemp consistenly posts valuable information on products and current events that affect dental practices. His guest bloggers are great, too!
• My Milk Toof is a perfect bite of cute and whimsical. Follow the adventures of baby teeth Lardee and ickle in this sweet photo blog.
• And, in keeping with ancient tradition, the best is last. The Dental Trade Alliance’s Oral Healthcare Can’t Wait sends the bold message that taking care of your teeth is about more than getting a free toothbrush. Getting regular cleanings means better overall health, financially and physically!

Happy New Year, everyone!

1. Nothing says you care more than the gift of…tooth-shaped soap. Ok, so maybe these land in the gag-gift category, but don’t you think these incredibly detailed tooth soaps would be great for a dentist office bathroom?
2. Not quite a patron saint of flossing, but Sister Flossie the dental hygienist nun comes pretty close! She “keeps your teeth in a state of grace” according to the website, and makes a cute gift for the RDH or floss-lover on your list.
3. For the art and/or history buff, check out this reproduction of a 1930’s public service poster. Created as part of the Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression, this was (and is) a nice reminder to take care of your teeth.
4. This small, tooth-shaped vase is perfect for keeping tooth care tools close at hand.  Toss in a few Comfort Cleans and you’ve got a desktop floss pick holder!
5. No gift idea list would be complete without an exorbitantly expensive item, so how about this ceramic candy jar? Ironic, no? This anatomically correct chomper features your choice of a gold, silver, or ceramic “filling” (the lid) and a $500 dollar price tag!

“Now more than ever” Americans have less to spend on essentials like medicine, food, and health care. “Now more than ever” American governments are feeling the economic strain of lost income and property taxes. States are looking for places to cut budgets, and their gaze is falling on dental coverage in Medicare.

North Carolina, California, Masachusetts, Rhode Island…the list of states considering cutting adult dental coverage for Medicare-dependent citizens seems to grow by the month. Michigan actually succeeded in rolling back dental coverage, which unfortunately resulted in the death of 76-year-old Blanche LaVire. Even those with dental insurance feel pressure to let coverage lapse to pay for other things, so “now more than ever” we need to help each other understand how important good home dental care is.

If you or someone you love has to face losing their dental coverage, take the steps necessary to take the best care of your teeth you can. Prevention is a good idea no matter what your insurance status, and it can mean thousands of dollars in avoided bills.

Take a new look at these simple tips to preventing costly dental care:

1. Brush your teeth at least twice a day. You’ve heard this tip since pre-school. Nothing’s changed.
2. Floss at least once a day. Use whatever tool you can find to make it easier, but make sure you do it. Brushing only cleans a fraction of tooth surfaces and doesn’t clean below the gumline where periodontal diseases like to start. (We have great floss products, but get what works for you.)
3. Keep up one professional dental cleaning a year if at all possible. Ask for a visit for Christmas or maybe see if your dental has a payment plan. There are ways to cut costs or make it easier, but that deep cleaning does a lot to keep your teeth healthy for the coming year.

So yes, great deals are being found on everything “now more than ever,” but don’t let marketing tactics entice you to forget the things that really matter: your health and the health of the people you love. Re-introduce yourself and your family to these tips and stay healthy.

P.S. - Go here for a $1 off coupon for Comfort Clean Floss Picks. Click the link at the top to print it from Smart Source.

The holiday season is finally here and we couldn’t be more excited. The lobby here at DenTek is super festive thanks to Georgia, our lovely maintenance tech. If you’re on our email list you’ve already seen the great deals we’ve put together for Cyber Monday. There will be more, I promise, so if you’re not on the list yet I would highly recommend signing up. (Shameless plug. Sorry.)

Here’s some of what you can expect before we ring in 2010:

• Hear an inside scoop on what the office is like during the holidays from Sarah, our professional sales and marketing manager.
• Get the scoop on our new and improved Custom Comfort Nightguard complete with our favorite video reviews.
• See some post-holiday relaxation tips to help manage stress-induced bruxism.

And be sure to slide on over to Facebook or Twitter and keep me company between blog posts! Sales and promotions show up there first, so check back often. Happy December!

Fast forward to the present, and DenTek. Often times people I talk to don’t know the DenTek name, but when I explain to them what a floss pick is they instantly recognize the product. We love that you know our products, but we’d love even more if you knew we made them! Chances are you have seen us at Walmart and Target, or maybe your dentist used DenTek floss on your last visit, or perhaps a friend or family member already used our products. We can reach more people on the Web than through any other medium, and our presence on the Internet is all about getting to know you and getting you to know us. We’ll be appearing in front of you as much as we can online.

We are fortunate to have a small but mighty team of people working on our online efforts, and everyone has a role to play in how we serve our customers and introduce ourselves online. When you see our posts on Twitter or Facebook, or read a blog post (besides guest posts like this one), you know that Emily is there. When you use our site, enjoy the easy-to-use features, or buy something from our store, you can know that Joe built it and is always working to keep it running smoothly. When you get one of our emails in your inbox, you know that Tim the Intern probably designed it, and I pressed the send button to get it to you. All of us are working everyday to make your experience with DenTek online the best it can be, with the goal of being just as good, if not better, than our much larger competitors in the oral care world.

We are always looking for feedback from our friends, customers, fans, and critics. Please, if there is anything you’d like to see, or anything you think we could do better, please don’t hesitate to let us know.

Here are some good things to remember when flossing the old-fashioned way:

• Wrap around your middle fingers, not index fingers. You’ll need your index fingers to grip the floss with your thumbs and guide it gently between your teeth.
• Clean below the gumline. Your teeth extend below your gumline, making a perfect place for plaque to hide. Gently rub your floss against your tooth beneath your gumline to scrub out the plaque and food that gets caught in there.
• Curve the floss around your teeth like this while gently flossing instead of going straight up and down. This will clean a larger surface area and avoid tearing up your soft gum tissue.
• Be gentle. Oh. Have I said that already? That’s probably because it’s really important. Flossing too hard can do some serious and painful damage to your gums. Take it easy and avoid uncomfortable cuts and bleeding.

One more thing to remember is to keep at it, even if it’s  uncomfortable or your gums bleed at first. It takes a little while for your mouth to get used to being flossed, but if you make it a habit any discomfort will most likely fade. If pain persists, definitely take it up with your dentist.

Ready for our first guest post? Check back Monday!