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Earth Day began in 1970 as an event to raise awareness of our environment. What began as a single day in April is now recognized around the world to bring attention and education to global environmental issues. Conserving our natural resources, reducing water and air pollution, and developing green technologies are all ways in which we can improve the environment around us.

Reduce, Recycle, and Reuse

One of the easiest ways to participate in Earth Day is by simply reducing the amount of refuse that ends up in landfills. Many communities have recycling programs for paper, plastic, and metal refuse. By keeping recyclable items out of landfills, we reduce the need for new disposal space and the amount of energy needed for burning refuse. Recycling products also helps conserve the resources that are used in making new products.

You can save money by reducing your consumption of many everyday products. Single disposable water bottles can be recycled but they are costly. By using filtered faucet water, you can conserve your financial resources. Disposable paper towels can also be wasteful. Consider reusable cleaning rags for the majority of your chores.

Reusing items saves both the environment and your finances. A large number of products can be re-purposed to create a new item. Old furniture can be remade into a new piece. Old clothing can be used for craft items. If you are not able to find ways to reuse your old items, donate them to a charity. Remember to continue your positive environmental steps on a daily basis.

Other things you can do to improve the environment

Everyone, young or old, can find ways to participate in improving the environment. Some ideas include:

• Planting trees
• Picking up litter
• Reducing energy consumption
• Walking, bicycling, or carpooling to work or school
• Disposing of hazardous waste properly
• Using rain barrels to conserve water for plants

Earth Day is designed to appreciate and celebrate the health of the earth. Keeping the earth healthy is important, but keeping your mouth healthy is important, too. Healthy teeth and gums contribute to your overall health and well-being, so remember to call our team at Whitley Family Dental to schedule an appointment. Have a happy and healthy Earth Day, from Dr. Bill Whitley!

Mouthwashes are commonly used as a part of a daily oral care regimen. Not only do they freshen breath, but some are capable of improving dental health too. Using a mouthwash daily can rinse fine debris away and out of reach while brushing. It can also make the teeth and gums more resilient to decay and disease.

Types of Mouthwashes

There are several types of mouthwashes available today that Dr. Bill Whitley and our team at Whitley Family Dental want you to be aware of. Some do little more than freshen breath and are known as cosmetic mouthwashes. These are ideal for quickly eliminating odors that linger after eating, drinking, or taking medication. Using a cosmetic mouthwash does not offer any health benefits.

Other mouthwashes offer more comprehensive benefits; they can potentially prevent tooth decay and gum disease. Mouthwashes that contain antimicrobial agents work by preventing the buildup of plaque that can lead to gingivitis and decay of the tooth enamel. However, it should be noted that the use of a mouthwash is never a substitute for regular brushing and flossing.

In some cases, prescription mouthwashes are necessary to treat patients with gum disease or who have undergone periodontal surgery. These specialty mouthwashes are designed specifically for the treatment of gum disease and should not be used outside of their intended use. The majority of mouthwashes require no prescription.

Tips for Choosing a Mouthwash

The choice to use a mouthwash and which one to use is between you and your dentist, depending on your individual oral health needs. If you determine that a mouthwash is right for you, look for one that contains fluoride, if possible. Fluoride provides an added layer of protection for your teeth, and helps them become more resistant to decay. As always, if you have any questions or concerns when choosing a mouthwash, please give our team at Whitley Family Dental a call for assistance in selecting the rinse that is best for you. Or, we invite to ask us during your next visit to our Dallas office!

Hi everyone! We hope you are all staying home and staying safe during this time. We wanted to share with you a few updates in regards to COVID-19.

As of March 23rd, 2020, Whitley Family Dental is only seeing dental emergency and urgent care appointments. With a smaller dental team in place, we are working our normal business hours to accommodate these emergency patients. If you have a dental emergency, please call the office Monday - Thursday anytime between 8am - 5pm Central Time. If you call outside of these hours, please leave us a message and it will be immediately routed to our staff on call.

As of Governor Greg Abbott's executive order GA-09, all elective medical, surgical, and dental procedures in Texas are postponed until April 21, 2020 at 11:59pm. This means we can resume our normal schedule on Wednesday, April 22, 2020. This date IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE if the Governor extends the GA-09 executive order. We will keep you informed as we learn more.

In the meantime, we encourage you to brush and floss, and remember that COVID-19 is an enveloped virus. Listerine is known to kill 99.9% of enveloped viruses. As an additional preventative measure for the safety of our staff, we ask that our emergency patients swish for 30 seconds prior to their emergency treatment. Whitley Family Dental will provide the Listerine for all emergency patients. We encourage our patients to continue to use Listerine (or a generic brand with the same active ingredients) 2-3 times per day for 30 seconds at home. NOTE: THIS IS NOT A CURE FOR COVID-19!

We ask our patients to follow the Whitley Family Dental Enhanced Safety Measures if you have an emergency appointment scheduled with us. Please continue reading on to learn about the extra precautions we are taking and what to expect if you come into our office during this time.

Pre-Screening Requirements PRIOR to arrival:

1. We will ask you if you are experiencing symptoms such as fever, coughing, or shortness of breath.
2. We will ask you if you have traveled outside the State of Texas in the last 14 days. If your answer is yes, we will ask additional questions regarding hotspots around the country.
3. We will ask you several questions to ensure the defined criteria is met for Emergency or Urgent Care dental appointments

Expectations Upon Arrival to Whitley Family Dental:

1. We will ask you to not touch any surface in the office. We have sterilized all surfaces, door knobs, light switches, phones, wood furniture, etc. with our normal hospital grade germicidal, but we still prefer that you do not come in contact with ANY surface while you are in our office.
2. We will take your temperature in the waiting room before we bring you back for your treatment.
3. If you need a written medical or HIPAA update, rather than using our online system forms update, you will be given a sterilized writing pen and clipboard.
4. There are no longer magazines or newspapers in the waiting room, so if you do not enjoy television, please bring a book, magazine, or newspaper with you and be sure to take it home.
5. If a second patient comes in the sterilized waiting room, we will ask you to sit 6 feet apart to honor social distancing.
6. We will open all doors for you as you exit the waiting room and when you leave our practice,
7. We will ask you to swish with Listerine prior to your treatment. The Listerine is provided, and poured, by our office. COVID-19 is an enveloped virus. Listerine kills 99.9% of enveloped viruses and swishing for 30 seconds is a safety measure for our staff while performing treatment.
8. We will clean the sink after each patient empties the cup of Listerine.
9. We have additional protocols in place that we will explain if you need to use the restroom. We will perform a germicidal cleaning of the restroom after each patient uses the restroom.
10. If you need to make a credit card payment, we will touch the credit card machine for you and press the buttons, of course, with your approval. Even though you never touch the credit card or the signing pad, we will still disinfect the credit card machine and signing pad after every patient.
11. If you have checked out and there is a person in the waiting room, a member of the Whitley Family Dental staff will escort you out of the building through the staff entrance…again, to ensure social distancing.
12. If you have a young child that you are caring for, PLEASE DO NOT bring them to your appointment. We will be happy to reschedule your appointment when you have childcare available.

Thank you all for the continued love and support. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Tamara Whitley via Facebook or Instagram messaging, email : info@billwhitleydds.com, or call the office at 214-320-9679.

Sending all of our love and prayers for the safety of our patients. We are all Americans...together, we can get through ANYTHING!

What is oral cancer?

April is Oral Cancer Awareness Month. If you have been putting off a visit to our Dallas office, now is an excellent time to schedule one. Regular visits to Whitley Family Dental can be the first line of defense against oral cancer, by identifying early warning signs of the disease, or helping you with preventive care tips to lower your chances of developing it.

Oral Cancer Rates in America

Nearly 40,000 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with oral cancer this year, and more than 8,000 die every year from this disease. It is a devastating illness: most people who are diagnosed with it do not live more than five years beyond their diagnosis. Oral cancer has a higher death rate than many other common cancers, including cervical cancer, testicular cancer, Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and thyroid or skin cancers. The high death rate results from the fact that most oral cancers go undiagnosed until the disease is well advanced and has spread to another part of the body—most often, the lymph nodes in the neck.

What causes oral cancer?

While there is no way to predict exactly which individuals will get oral cancer, there are some potential causes you should know about—because in some cases, you can minimize these risk factors.

• Age (most patients diagnosed with oral cancer are over the age of 40)
• Tobacco use, either from cigarettes or smokeless chewing tobacco
• Excessive alcohol consumption (especially in combination with tobacco use)
• Persistent viral infections, such as HPV16
• A diet low in fruits and vegetables

In addition, oral cancer tends to occur at a rate six times greater in men than in women, and more often for African Americans than other ethnic groups. No genetic links have been identified to explain the higher incidence in these populations, so lifestyle choices remain the likeliest cause.

Oral Cancer Treatments

Once a diagnosis has been made, treatment of oral cancer usually involves a multi-disciplinary team that includes surgeons, oncologists, dentists, nutritionists, and rehabilitation and restorative specialists. Our team will decide on the best approach for each patient, depending on the risk factors and how far the cancer has progressed. The strategy will be different in every case. Some of the most common methods include chemotherapy, radiation, and potential surgery.

Finding out you have cancer can be devastating news. If you are concerned that you might be at risk for developing oral cancer, talk to us about screenings and other things you can do to reduce your risk.