By Heather Hradek, DDS, FAGD

We all want our teeth to be white, but sometimes teeth have extra white spots that stand out and are not the whiteness we were going for. Whether they are bright white or brownish spots that formed in the teeth when they developed (congenital hypocalcification or fluorosis) or are the scars left behind after braces were removed (white spot lesions around brackets), we now have a minimally invasive option to better blend those areas with the surrounding tooth structure to give you the smooth smile you were hoping for!

What causes these areas in the first place? Congenital hypocalcification or fluorosis occurs when the enamel crystalline structure development is disrupted. With hypocalcification, it could be due to a high fever or sickness at the time of the tooth’s development. Fluorosis occurs in cases when excess fluoride is consumed during the development of the tooth, causing staining or pitting of the teeth. White spot lesions are porosities formed from poor tooth brushing habits, leading to an accumulation of plaque, bacteria, and acid, leading to bright white lesions. Particularly these are noticed down by the gumline, or after braces are removed, since plaque tends to accumulate around the brackets.

Icon resin infiltration is a one visit, no shots or numbing, no drilling solution to blend these areas to the surrounding tooth structure. While we cannot guarantee that the spots will disappear completely, we’ve found they are much less noticeable and there is significant cosmetic improvement after one visit. Our patients have been ecstatic at the outcome and quick results! Alternative solutions would include resin fillings or veneers, which are more expensive and involve numbing and drilling. While whitening typically makes these bright white spots more noticeable, Icon helps to better blend the surface; however after Icon is completed, the patient can whiten to still brighten the overall appearance, but will have a more even result. Call us at (219)929-9289 or click the ‘Schedule an Appointment’ tab to set up a consultation to see if Icon Resin Infiltration would be an option for you!

Chesterton Family Dental is the general dentistry office in Chesterton, Indiana of Dr. Mystie Pieters, Dr. Heather Hradek, and Dr. Robert Pieters providing dental care for the whole family!

By Dr. Heather Hradek

February is Children’s Dental Health month! As a parent, I know the easiest way to get my kids engaged and excited about a topic is reading to them. Thankfully we’ve come across several amazing books about my favorite topic- teeth! Seriously, though, I know one of my roles as a parent is to make sure I’m teaching my children about adopting healthy habits and choices to create a healthy lifestyle, which of course includes taking care of their teeth. Reading to them strengthens our relationship together while also educating them (instead of just lecturing them) about the importance of dental hygiene. Here’s a few of our favorites!

1. The Tooth Book by Dr. Seuss- My children know they don’t want to end up like Billy Billings—they say his mouth has 50 fillings!

2. Brush Your Teeth Please by Leslie Mcguire- This book has interactive pop-ups so the kids can brush and floss animal’s teeth along the story.

3. The Berenstein Bears Visit the Dentist by Stan and Jan Berenstein- Who doesn’t love the Berenstein Bears?! This book had me in my feels about all the Berenstein Bears books I read as a child- and it was just as fun to read to my own children.

4. Doctor De Soto by William Steig- Maybe not super educational, but a funny, clever tale of a mouse dentist attending to a dangerous fox’s toothache.

5. Just Going to the Dentist by Mercer Mayer- Another throwback! Littler Critter heads to the dentist office and learns that it’s not too scary after all.

 6. Llama Llama Loose Tooth Drama by Anna Dewdney- Llama llama finds out what all this tooth fairy fuss is all about in this short, sweet tale.

7. Daniel Goes to the Dentist by Alexandra Cassel Schwartz- Based on an episode of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Daniel is a little nervous about his first visit with the local dentist, but the dentist explains every step of the way so Daniel feels more comfortable.

8. How to Catch the Tooth Fairy by Adam Wallace- Part of the How to Catch Series, this silly tale celebrates the loss of a tooth and the magical trials and escapes the poor Tooth Fairy must endure to fulfill her duties!

What are some of your favorite dental children’s books? Share with us in the comments below!

Chesterton Family Dental is the general dentistry office in Chesterton, Indiana of Dr. Mystie Pieters, Dr. Heather Hradek, and Dr. Robert Pieters providing dental care for the whole family!

#chestertonindiana #chestertonfamilydental #nwi #nwindiana #nwidentist #childrensdentistry #babyteethmatter #babyteeth #familydental #familydentist #tooth #teeth #smile #smallsmiles #generaldentist #childrensdentalmonth

Our front sign has arrived! Everything is coming together quite nicely! We just need YOU to come by and check out the inside at your next appointment! ? Check us out at 505 Voyage Blvd, right off IN 49 and across the street from the Coffee Creek Watershed.

We’re open! Dr Heather Hradek gives a quick update on what to expect to see on your next visit into the office!

#chestertonfamilydental #chesterton #chestertonindiana #nwi #nwidentist #region #nwindiana #ppe #covid19 #covid19update

At Chesterton Family Dental, the safety and wellness of our patients, employees, and families are our first priority. We are continuing to monitor the spread of COVID-19 and are keeping close watch on the information including guidance published by the CDC, WHO, and the ADA.

We feel we can continue to serve our community best by serving our patients not currently experiencing cold or flu-like symptoms. We ask that you call us at (219)929-9289 if you or any of your family members have experienced fever, cold, or flu symptoms in the last 72 hours. If you have, we will be happy to work with you on rescheduling your appointment for a time when you and your family members are feeling well again.

If you are healthy, there is no need to cancel your appointment. We have always followed the CDC’s recommendations for standard precaution and disease prevention; however, please know that we have taken extra sanitization steps frequently throughout the day throughout the office. Masks, gloves, eye protection, handwashing, and sanitization are procedures we always follow to keep our patients, ourselves, and our families safe and healthy.

We understand the concern many of our patients and families feel regarding the possible spread of COVID-19 and would like to reassure our patients that Chesterton Family Dental is committed to maintaining a clean, safe environment for our patients, staff, and both your and our families. As new information is provided, we will take additional measures as needed. We appreciate your understanding and thank you for your continued support!

For further information, the ADA has provided the following link:
https://www.mouthhealthy.org/en/az-topics/i/infection-control

Chesterton Family Dental is the general dentistry office in Chesterton, Indiana of Dr. Mystie Pieters, Dr. Heather Hradek, and Dr. Robert Pieters providing dental care for the whole family!

#chestertonindiana #chestertondentist #chesterton #dentist #generaldentist #familydentist #generaldentistry #familydentistry #nwi #nwidentist #indianadentist

By Dr. Heather Hradek

The temperatures have dropped, everyone is stuck inside, so cold and flu season has definitely hit as well. Even when you’re under the weather, keeping your mouth healthy is important to keep the rest of your body healthy! Here’s a few tips to keep in mind:

Prevention Counts!

Everyone knows to cough or sneeze into your elbow (versus your hands that then touch lots of doorknobs and other various surfaces), but people don’t always think about other ways that we can help prevent sharing colds! According to the CDC, the flu virus can live on moist surfaces for 72 hours, so that includes your toothbrush and your bathroom counters. Never share your toothbrush, but particularly when you are sick. Make sure your toothbrush is covered from aerosol bacteria particles that swirl through the air this time of year. Although you don’t need to replace your toothbrush after you’ve been sick unless you are severely immunocompromised, it’s probably not a bad idea, especially if it’s been over 3-4 months, it’s time to replace anyways.

Remember, if you are too sick to go to work or school, you’re too sick to come in for your dental appointment as well—please call to cancel versus sharing your germs with us! Although we will miss seeing you, we can stay healthy to keep helping our patients stay healthy, particularly those who are immunocompromised, such as the elderly or newborns that we see in our office frequently.

Choose Sugar-free Cough Drops and Cough Syrups

When you choose cough drops and cough syrups, the ingredients may not be the tastiest, so the companies try to cover it up with lots of sugars—often labeled as fructose or corn syrup on the list of ingredients. When you suck on those sugar-laden cough drops, it’s the same as sucking on candy. The longer you keep the cough drops in your mouth, the longer bacteria in your mouth have sugars to guzzle, producing acid, and wrecking your teeth. Rinsing your mouth with water after using the cough drop will help to rinse those sugars away to more quickly.

Drink More Water!

When you’re sick, fluids are so important for so many reasons. Many medications that you might be taking to treat symptoms of your cold or flu, such as decongestants, cough suppressants, antihistamines, or pain relievers, can also cause dry mouth, which will put you at a greater risk for cavities. Drinking more water will help keep your mouth comfortable and your saliva flowing.

There’s nothing worse than that taste in your mouth after throwing up, so you might want to run to the bathroom to scrub your teeth clean. Avoid that urge. Choose water instead. When you brush your teeth after throwing up, your healthy enamel is scrubbed away more easily due to being softened by the stomach acid. You’re better off swishing with water, diluted mouthrinse, or even a cup of water with 1 tsp of baking soda, which helps to neutralize the acidic environment caused by stomach acid. Wait at least 30 min before brushing.

When you’re feeling dehydrated, be careful when choosing sports drinks to replace your electrolytes. Not only are the full of sugar, they are extremely acidic as well. If you do drink them, try to keep them to a minimum, swish with water afterwards. Make sure to only drink them when you truly need them for the electrolytes and don’t make them a regular habit because sports drinks are one of our biggest offenders for causing cavities.

Wishing you health through the rest of this sneezy season!

Chesterton Family Dental is the general dentistry office of Dr. Mystie Pieters, Dr. Heather Hradek, and Dr. Robert Pieters located in Chesterton, Indiana providing dental care for the whole family!

By: Dr. Heather Hradek

As the particularly stressful holiday season is almost past us, you might be noticing some additional aches and pains. Do you have pain in or around your jaw joint? Does your jaw occasionally get locked when opening or closing? Do you have frequent headaches, migraines, or neck pain? If so, mention it to us as you may have temporomandibular disorder (TMD).

Your temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is the hinge joint by your ear that allows you to open and close your mouth as well as slide your jaw to each side or back and forth. It’s a complex system of muscles, connective tissue, a tissue disc, and the bony joint itself, which unfortunately can develop a number of problems.

Some possible causes of TMD include:

• Diseases that affect the muscles or joints, like rheumatoid or osteoarthritis
• Misalignment of the teeth
• Damage to the jaw joint or connective tissues, such as trauma or car accident
• Habitual movements of the teeth and jaws, like grinding or clenching related to stress or medications

Sometimes sinus infections or dental infections can cause pain in your jaw area, so we want to rule out any acute signs of infection prior to diagnosing TMD as the primary source of your pain.

Signs and symptoms of TMD can include:

• Pain in or around the ear
• Pain when chewing
• Sore, achy jaw muscles
• Painful clicking or popping when opening or closing the mouth
• Difficulty opening or closing mouth or gets ‘stuck’  or locked open or closed
• Pain when opening mouth wide
• Headaches, facial, or neck pain
• Ringing in ears

One large study also found that people with TMD are more likely to report chronic symptoms such as runny nose, fatigue, or dizziness. Anxiety and depression have also been associated with TMD.

If we suspect TMD, we will check your jaw joint for noises and clicking as well as palpate jaw muscles for tenderness. We will evaluate your range of opening as well as talk about when you notice the symptoms.

Because of its complexity of systems, TMD is difficult to isolate the exact cause, so treatment often focuses on palliative care or relieving the symptoms. If you are experiencing TMD, here are some things that may help:

• Eat softer foods, avoiding chewy or hard foods
• Limit exaggerated jaw movements (wide opening)
• Avoid chewing gum, ice, or biting down on anything hard
• Apply moist, warm compress with a wet wash cloth heated in microwave

Patients also find that symptoms may come and go or may bother you all the time, but are often exacerbated by stressful times.

If you pain is still a problem, we may recommend some of the following:

• Exercises to strengthen your jaw muscles
• Anti-inflammatory medications such as Ibuprofen at the 600-800mg range every 6 hours
• A night guard to decrease clenching or grinding as well as protect your teeth from damage while sleeping
• A Physical Therapist consultation
• Massage Therapy

Depending on the extent and/or complexity of your issues, we may refer you to a specialist who has limited their practice to focusing on TMD and sleep issues who may be able to provide more extensive treatment options.

Chesterton Family Dental is the general dentistry office of Dr. Mystie Pieters, Dr. Heather Hradek, and Dr. Robert Pieters located in Chesterton, Indiana providing dental care for the whole family!

By: Dr. Heather Hradek, DDS, FAGD

It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is fast approaching! Before that beautiful bounty of food is spread before you, let’s discuss a few tips to keep your smile healthy while you enjoy your feast.

1. Thanksgiving turkey- a staple to Thanksgiving dinner and it’s one to enjoy without fear! Turkey is loaded with phosphorus, which combines with calcium and Vitamin D to help keep your teeth and bones healthy
2. Starchy sides- Cornbread, yeast rolls, corn casserole, stuffing, etc- try not to overdo it on the starchy sides. While these savory foods are not known for causing cavities, the starches in them feed the acid producing bacteria that can cause cavities, so try to mix it up with protein and fiber.
3. Colorful veggies- Fill your plate with these as they are loaded with vitamin and minerals to keep your smile healthy! The red and orange veggies are loaded with vitamin C, which help promote gum health, while the leafy green veggies have lots of calcium and iron to keep your bone and teeth strong. Crunchy raw veggies from the appetizer tray help naturally clean teeth due to their fibrous nature.  Avoid the veggies saturated with extra brown sugar or marshmallows though- despite being delicious, your teeth won’t like them too much.
4. Brightly colored foods- tart cranberries, blueberry pie, coffee, and wine look beautiful on the table, but the bright colors may linger by causing stains on your pearly whites. Book an appointment with your hygienist afterwards to help polish away those surface stains.
5. Be mindful of acid wear- Wine, cranberry juice, holiday cocktails are very acidic, which can cause your enamel to soften and become more susceptible to decay. If you can’t avoid, try to take sips of water in between to rinse away the acids more quickly or take bites of cheese or nuts, which have a higher pH to neutralize the acidic effects. Avoid brushing for at least 30 minutes afterwards indulging because the softened enamel will be more easily abraded by aggressive brushing.
6. Skip the sugar- pumpkin pie, cookies, juices, and sweet potatoes with mini marshmallows not only provide a feast for your family, but also the cavity-causing bacteria in your mouth! Once you’re done, follow up with a big glass of water to help rinse away the sugars more quickly. Tap water also contains fluoride, which helps reverse the starts of tooth decay!
7. Appetizer plate- opt for the nuts, cheese, and crunchy raw veggies! Nuts have a higher pH which helps neutralize those other acidic foods you might be snacking on. The cheese are high in calcium to help strengthen your bone and teeth. The veggies are high in minerals and vitamins, as discussed previously, and the fibrous nature will naturally clean buildup from teeth.

We wish you and your family a blessed Thanksgiving! Chesterton Family Dental is the general dentistry office of Dr. Mystie Pieters, Dr. Heather Hradek, and Dr. Robert Pieters located in Chesterton, Indiana.

When new patients come to our office, most people are interested in the same thing—whiter, straighter teeth. There are a variety of different ways to achieve these goals, and one size definitely does not fit all. Some patients specifically want to know more about Invisalign, a clear aligner, tooth straightening service that our doctors can provide patients in-office. We love Invisalign, but in general, we love educating our patients about what straighter teeth can provide them, whether achieved by Invisalign or traditional braces. While straighter teeth might look better, we get excited about how they are going to function better as well. Teeth that fit together in a way they are not designed to are like using a tooth in a way you’re not supposed to—it’s going to break with misuse, which is what we see. Misaligned teeth often have chips, cracks, and wear facets from hitting each other. Over time, this wear can become quite significant and can lead to shorter, jagged, uneven teeth which are more likely to need crowns or more extensive restorative treatment to restore them back to their previous beauty. Straight teeth are also easier to keep clean—crooked teeth are harder to floss and spacing tends to gather extra food particles for later. Gums and teeth are happier and healthier when the teeth are lined up the way they are designed to be.

If you’re interested in if you would be a candidate for Invisalign, we offer a free consultation to evaluate your smile. At that visit, we are evaluating the alignment of your jaws as well as your teeth—basically, the way your jaws and teeth all fit together. Unfortunately, Invisalign is not the best option for every patient—complex cases are going to require more control of the movement of teeth than Invisalign can provide and would be best served with traditional braces completed by an orthodontist. Once we decide you would be a candidate for Invisalign, we would go over a treatment plan of the costs, financing options available, and would take impressions and pictures of your teeth. We would then use this information to create your ClinCheck, or the plan of movement of how we will improve your smile, aligner by aligner. After we take impressions, we would see you back in 4-6 weeks to deliver your first set of aligners. Aligners are typically switched every 1-2 weeks. Every 4-6 weeks after that, we would have an appointment to check in on your progress and evaluate the movement of your teeth. Once we are all satisfied with your smile, we would take impressions for retainers to keep that smile in place! We recommend retainers to be worn full time for the first 6 months and night time wear indefinitely—aka as long as you want those teeth to stay in place.

As with any decision, there are pros and cons. With Invisalign, I love that my patients can still eat what they want and still brush and floss like normal by taking out the aligners. Typically their gum health is MUCH better than my braces patients as braces brackets and wires are difficult to keep clean around and trap lots of food and plaque. The obvious is that they are less noticeable—the clear aligners are very low profile and much less noticeable than brackets and wires. Many of my adult patients have expressed that they would never straighten their teeth with braces because of the appearance… but could be talked into clear aligner orthodontics.

Unfortunately, with Invisalign, there are negatives too. Being compliant and disciplined with wearing aligners every day is extremely important to achieve desired outcomes. Since you can take them out, sometimes patients forget to put them back in. We recommend wearing the aligners at least 22 out of 24 hours of every day—the teeth need a constant force on them to move them to the desired location. When the aligners are out, they want to move back to where they were before. Taking the aligners in and out can be inconvenient if you are out at dinner or in public. Some describe it as a built in dieting program because you have to take them out every time before you snack and we recommend brushing before putting them back in so food isn’t trapped under the aligners. It’s important to store them in a case as well so they don’t get tossed out in a napkin or your dog doesn’t get ahold of it. As previously discussed, Invisalign cannot handle as complex cases as traditional braces so the outcome make not be perfect… but even slight improvements can improve your function as well as the esthetics of your smile and are better than doing nothing if you’re absolutely opposed to braces.

If you’re interested in learning if Invisalign is right for you, please set up your consultation today by calling the office at (219)929-9289 or clicking the ‘Schedule an Appointment’ tab above! For more information about Invisalign in general, check here: https://www.invisalign.com/.

Chesterton Family Dental is the general dentistry office of Dr. Mystie Pieters, Dr. Heather Hradek, and Dr. Robert Pieters located in Chesterton, Indiana.

By Dr. Heather Hradek

Yesterday was the first day of fall, which means Halloween is right around the corner! As a mom of two little ones and a dentist, I cringe at the sheer amount of sugar treats around this time of year! I end up throwing a lot of it away or hiding and eating it after I’ve put the kiddos to bed. This is good for no one… particularly our teeth and waistline. Companies are catching onto this and coming up with a lot of sugar-free alternatives for handout treats on Halloween. Not only is this a great idea for parents who are trying to figure out what to do with all the candy for weeks to come after Halloween, it’s inclusive for everyone, even those who have food allergies. You may have heard of the ‘Teal Pumpkin Project,’ which encourages households to offer treats that everyone can enjoy. Food allergies for littles can be a big bummer on such a big day in kid’s culture when they can’t participate in normal trick or treating, but the Teal Pumpkin project promotes awareness of these allergies and promotes inclusion for all. Simply place a Teal pumpkin on your doorstep to indicate you have non-food Halloween treats available. You can find these through Amazon, Target, Walmart, or simply painting a pumpkin if you are a DIY-sorta person.

All of these below options are available through Amazon with the attached links, but are obviously available in several local stores as well!

• Halloween stamps – I provided these for my daughter’s preschool class last year- I found a pack of 50 for $9.99!

• Play Doh Minis

•  Glow in the Dark Bouncy Balls

• Mini Flashlights– Bonus- it provides increased visibility of kids on the street as Halloween night gets darker

• Mini Glow Sticks – or any glow stick jewelry options!

• Stretchy Glitter Skeletons

• Halloween Stickers

• Halloween pencils with Fun Erasers

• Flashing Light up rings

• Glow in the Dark Slime– I don’t like slime in my house (gets stuck in carpet, hair, rugs, etc..)… hence my daughter loves it.

• Mini Halloween notepads – My 4yo daughter is constantly drawing pictures, practicing her letters and cutting, so we are always running out of notepads!

• Mini puzzle balls

• Halloween slap bracelets– Caution: likely to turn into weapons among siblings

• Halloween temporary tattoos

• Glow in the Dark Bugs- (also may be used to torture siblings)

• Mini fidget spinners– Endless hours of fun

• Glow in the Dark Vampire Fangs

• Wikki Stix – Bendable wax sticks allow kids to stick them together and create! Plus no mess or cleanup for Mom and Dad later! Great to throw in a bag for restaurants

• Hatch and Grow Eggs– – Place the eggs in water and after 24 hours, a spooky character will emerge!

• Bendable zombie action figures– I think even my husband would enjoy playing with these!

• Halloween slinkies

• Bubble wands- Everyone loves bubbles, from young to old!

• Jelly spike yoyo balls

• Halloween character finger puppets

Consider this, a giant bag of candy costs anywhere from $15-30 per bag and these alternative treats are even cheaper in some cases! I’m not saying you have to be a total scrooge and hand out toothbrushes and toothpaste, but hopefully a few of these ideas still keep the fun of Halloween without the tooth destruction or food allergies that follow! Someone with a food allergy will be thankful– it’s a simple act that means so much!

Chesterton Family Dental is the general dentistry office of Dr. Mystie Pieters, Dr. Heather Hradek, and Dr. Robert Pieters located in Chesterton, Indiana.