Visiting us at Nordhus Dentistry on a regular basis will not only help keep your teeth and mouth healthy, but will also help keep the rest of your body healthy as well. The fact is, every hour of every day in the U.S., someone dies of oral cancer, which is the sixth-most common diagnosed form of the disease. The five-year survival rate is only 50 percent, and oral cancer is one of the few cancers whose survival rate has not improved. Since April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month, we would like to take this opportunity to remind all of our patients about the importance of maintaining good oral hygiene.

As your dentists, Dr. Nordhus and Dr. Nunley are specialists who work to diagnose, treat, and prevent oral health problems. We cannot wait to welcome you to our dental family. Please call our Wichita dental office to schedule your complimentary consultation and get started on the road to a perfect smile!

Please let us now if you have any questions about your oral health during your next appointment. Take care of your teeth, and smile bright!

Dental X-rays are an essential and invaluable tool to help assist us in evaluating your oral health. With X-rays, we can see what’s happening beneath the surface of your teeth and gums and identify oral health issues otherwise hidden during a visual exam, including:

• · small areas of decay between the teeth or below existing restorations (fillings)
• · infections in the bone
• · periodontal (gum) disease
• · abscesses or cysts
• · developmental abnormalities
• · types of tumors

If left untreated, these problems can lead to expensive, time-consuming, and painful conditions, so it’s important to find and treat them early.

Dental X-rays are extremely safe, and our team is certified in the proper use of our digital X-ray equipment. The amount of radiation that you are exposed to from dental X-rays is very small compared to your daily exposure from things like atmospheric radiation and naturally-occurring radioactive elements, as well as medical X-rays you may have gotten at your doctor’s office or hospital. In fact our digital system dramatically decreases the already minimal amount of exposure even further.  We try to be as conservative as possible when prescribing x-rays but do need them to see what is going on where our eyes can't see.

If you have missing teeth, it is crucial to replace them. Without all your teeth, chewing and eating can destabilize your bite and cause you discomfort. Dental implants are a great option for replacing missing or badly diseased teeth. A dental implant offers comfort, support, stability, and is as close to a natural tooth that a restoration can be.

There are many benefits to dental implants:

• Dental implants restore your ability to chew food properly.
• They fill out a face that may otherwise look sunken in because of missing teeth.
• They don’t need to be removed for overnight cleaning and soaking.
• No adhesives are needed.
• You’ll feel more confident to show off your smile to the world.
• Each implant is created to fit in perfectly with the look of the rest of your teeth.

Serving Wichita and surrounding communities, Dr. Byron Nordhus and team build strong, healthy smiles for families - our dedication to excellent clinical care and customer service, as well as our passion for the art and science of dentistry, translate into an exceptional experience for our patients.

Whether you’ve just come in for an appointment with Dr. Nordhus or your family has been visiting our convenient Wichita office for years, we’d love to know: What made you choose our office? You can write a review on our Facebook page or on our Google listing!

Thanks so much in advance, and we look forward to reading your generous reviews!

You may write a review here.

Yesterday was Presidents’ Day, a day known for celebrating of both George Washington’s and Abraham Lincoln’s combined Birthdays. Presidents’ Day was created in 1971, when President Richard Nixon combined the birthdays of two of our most well-known presidents into one single federal holiday. Presidents' Day also marks a hard-earned day off from work and school for a lot of our patients at Nordhus Dentistry.

Here are a few fun facts about our nation’s presidents:

*Abraham Lincoln, our 16th president, carried letters, bills and notes in his tall stovepipe hat.

*George Washington is the first president to be featured on a postage stamp.

*Ronald Reagan, our 40th president, broke the so-called "20-year curse," in which every president elected in a year ending in zero died in office.

*Abraham Lincoln was the tallest of the U.S. presidents, measuring 6’ 4” tall.

*Virginia is the birthplace of more United States presidents than any other state, followed by Ohio and Massachusetts.

*Harry S. Truman was the first president to have his Inauguration and speeches televised.

You may remember our post from last week, when Dr. Nordhus and team discussed February being "National Dental Health Month." But did you know February is also American Heart Month?

It’s a great time to take notice of the health of your heart, says Dr. Nordhus. Cardiovascular disease remains American's number one killer, claiming more lives than the rest of major causes of death, according to the American Heart Association. Studies have shown a correlation between gum disease and heart disease, underscoring the importance of good oral health care.

Visiting our Wichita office regularly can help prevent gum disease or at least catch it in its early stages. And because people with dental insurance are more likely to visit their dentist when they should, a healthy mouth begins with a visit to Nordhus Dentistry. In observance of Heart Month, Dr. Nordhus will tell you it’s also important to know your numbers: blood pressure (less than 120/80), cholesterol (less than 200) and BMI (less than 25). If you have any questions about heart health, or about your treatment at our office, please give us a call.

Or, you may ask us on Facebook!

Did you know February, which is right the corner, marks National Dental Health Month? It's a great time of the year to renew those resolutions about continuing to practice great dental hygiene at home and by visiting Nordhus Dentistry. Today, we thought we'd discuss the importance of preventative oral care. While most people are familiar with traditional heart-saving practices such as eating healthy and exercising regularly, lesser-known are the benefits that great oral hygiene provides to one’s cardiovascular health.

Here are a few tips to help you continue those New Year's resolutions:

*Remember that poor oral hygiene is linked to serious common diseases such as cardiovascular disease, bacterial pneumonia and osteoporosis.

*Brush and floss every day to remove the plaque that can lead to cavities. Flossing daily removes food debris that your toothbrush cannot reach after meals.

*Replace your toothbrush on a regular basis. You should replace your toothbrush every three to four months or after a cold or illness to prevent re-infection. Remember to use a soft toothbrush so you won’t wear off the enamel of your teeth.

*Visit our Wichita office regularly. The American Dental Association recommends you visit Dr. Nordhus every six months for regular checkups and cleanings. Fluoride treatments twice a year will help prevent tooth decay.

Each February (and all year long), our team at Nordhus Dentistry focus on the preventive oral care of our patients. Have you visited our office the past six months? If not, it’s time to give us a call and schedule an appointment!

We hope you had a great Thanksgiving! At Nordhus Dentistry, we know dentistry isn't just about oral health – it's about making people smile. For a decade, Dr. Nordhus and our team have built strong, healthy smiles for families from across the Wichita area and beyond.

And speaking of smiling, in a poll conducted by Glamour Magazine earlier this year, people were asked, “If you had to pick between having perfect teeth, eyesight or hair, which would you choose?”

Well, 44 percent of folks out there chose teeth! In addition, the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry, or AACD, conducted a study and found that 99.7 percent of those polled believed a smile is an important social asset. Respondents said straightness, whiteness, cleanliness, as well as the sincerity and sparkle of one’s smile were all important factors not only socially, but career-wise as well.

If you want to experience dentistry designed to make you smile, call to reserve your consultation or checkup with Dr. Nordhus at our Wichita Dental Office. Our office is conveniently located for families from Goddard, Maize, Colwich, and beyond. We enjoy caring for patients of all ages, including children.

See you soon!

At Nordhus Dentistry, we know nobody likes getting plaque on their teeth. Here are five other ways you can avoid that dreaded enemy of the teeth, courtesy of WebMD.

Let’s start with brushing regularly. Brushing your teeth twice a day with a fluoride-containing toothpaste is vital to a healthy mouth. Make sure you softly brush all the surfaces of your teeth.

Next on the list is flossing daily: a simple daily flossing between teeth clears away plaque before it can cause damage and can also clean plaque at the gum line. Plaque is known to reach the spaces between teeth.

Also, evading a trip to visit Dr. Byron Nordhus is probably not a great idea. Let’s say you brush and floss daily. You’re still at risk for plaque. With time, the plaque hardens and turns into tartar. Consider visiting our convenient Wichita office at least twice a year or as recommended by Dr. Nordhus, and you have a lower chance of getting cavities or losing your natural teeth.

You’ll also want to stop avoiding those fruits and veggies. Believe it or not, there are foods out there that play a key role in keeping plaque off our teeth. They include apples, carrots, cucumbers and other raw fruits and vegetables. You can still eat these types of fruits and veggies if you’re wearing braces, but be sure to cut them up into bite sized pieces to avoid breaking off brackets.

Finally, before you pick up that candy bar, remember to not give in to your sweet tooth. Consuming sugary drinks or eating candy or other junk food allows sugar to stick to our teeth. The bacteria, then, becomes plaque, which turns into acid and damages our teeth. Avoiding these five bad habits keeps your plaque in check and your mouth as healthy as can be. If you have any questions, give us a call or ask us on Facebook!