What are patients saying about LifetimeSmiles?

"If god needed a dentist, he would choose Lifetime Smiles, clean, professional, honest." ~ Anonymous

"The quality of service was excellent. Every one was so nice and helpful. They all made sure I was treated to the highest quality from beginning to end. The staff were amazing, and the equipment was all new-age, digital and comfortable."
Gregory F.

"2 caps start to finish 3.5 hrs, very comfortable - Dr McDonald & Michael were Kind,careful & it did not hurt. watched a movie and left with 2 new crowns no temps!! Great experience" ~ Laura L.

Our Facebook page is a great place to tell us how we're doing, but we also encourage you to head to our Google Places page and leave a short review there. Your generous reviews help our team at Lifetime Smiles build more beautiful smiles here in Escondido and surrounding communities!

February marks National Dental Health Month!

Did you know February is 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 Lifetime Smiles. 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 Escondido office regularly. The American Dental Association recommends you visit Drs. McDonald and Prais 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 Lifetime Smiles 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!

Staff Spotlight: Maureen at Lifetime Smiles

The Lifetime Smiles Staff Spotlight continues this week with Maureen, who is a BIG part of our Lifetime Smiles dental hygiene team.

Maureen enjoys seeing her patients on a regular basis to help keep teeth clean and gums healthy. She lives here in Escondido with her husband and loves the Southern California lifestyle. A Southern California native, Maureen can’t imagine living too far from the beaches, mountains and desert. In her spare time she enjoys playing tennis, hiking and reading.

Be sure to say hi to Maureen next time you visit our office!

Happy New Year everyone!

What's your New Year's resolution?

2010 is almost over—and what a year it was! Dr. Rabee McDonald and our staff at Lifetime Smiles thought we’d ask: what was memorable about 2010 for you, and what are you most looking forward to in 2011? Do you have a new year's resolution, or any exciting plans for the coming year?

Have a safe and happy New Year, to all our patients, friends, family and all our dental and medical colleagues in Escondido, San Diego and surrounding communities.

Lastly, a HUGE thanks to Greg, who writes in this week:

"Highly impressed with the state-of-the-art dental checkup and warm professionalism of this office."

See you all in 2011!

Vacation

Dr. Rabee McDonald and our entire team would like to give those patients with flex spend, health savings, or insurance benefits a friendly end of the year reminder that it's about that time to schedule your dental visit so you can optimize your benefits!

We are only open one day between Christmas and New Year's Day for our office vacation. Please do not wait till last minute to use your dental insurance benefits. Call us today at (760) 747-1811 to reserve your spot!

Space is limited! Have a great rest of the week!

November featured patient review for Lifetime Smiles!

We received a nice review from Bev recently that made us smile! Thanks for writing in, Bev! Got a story to share from your experience at Lifetime Smiles? Share them with us, or on our Google Local page!

"Excellent service, as usual. Odd how you can feel like you're with friends when they're scraping your teeth and looking at your facial flaws through "MaGoo" glasses." ~ Bev J.

We'll miss you, Cathy!

Here we are at Cathy's goodbye party. She is moving to Illinois. We will miss her so much. Love you Cathy!

Staff Spotlight: Mike at Lifetime Smiles

The Lifetime Smiles Staff Spotlight continues this week with our Registered Dental Assistant, Mike Stanford.

Mike has been around dentistry all his life, since his father is a retired dentist. He is a clinical assistant and it is his job to make sure that you are comfortable and that things run smoothly in the operatories. Mike lives in Oceanside with his wife, Stacy and two adorable daughters, Kailey and Lily. When he is not working, you will probably find him on a surfboard!

Staff Spotlight: Tammy at Lifetime Smiles

Everyone LOVES our patient coordinator, Tammy Frankovich! She has been with Lifetime Smiles for 16 years (pretty good, considering that she is only 25!). Tammy lives in Valley Center and has two children, Brooke, 19 and JD, 16. She loves to ride motorcycles and off-road vehicles. You will see her smiling face at the front desk next time you come to Lifetime Smiles!

Five reasons to visit Lifetime Smiles this summer!

Great dental care starts the moment you enter our friendly Escondido office. There are plenty of reasons to visit Dr. McDonald or Dr. Prais this summer for a checkup or cleaning. Here are five!

1. Cold Water or Juice (or gourmet coffee)

2. The Very Latest Magazines

3. Current Movie Choices

4. Fun In The Sun Price Advantage

5. The best dental staff in California, no wait- The United States, no Wait! The Whole World!

We also offer our patients headphones, hand-made soaps, lotion and warm towels. And, if it's your birthday month, we have a Birthday Wheel, where patients spin the wheel and win a prize! Please give us a call at (760) 747-1811 to schedule a summer visit!

Smile! It's National Smile Week!

National Smile Week is here, and at Lifetime Smiles, that means the perfect opportunity to enjoy spontaneous moments of silliness all week long. Here are three ways you can enjoy National Smile Week.

• Smile at people you come across throughout the week, whether you know them or not. Smiles are contagious, and are a good thing to give and to get. In addition, smiling can actually help you live longer, according to one recent study!

• Stick a love note, funny poem, or a cartoon into your child's lunch sack or your husband’s pocket or briefcase – anywhere where they will find it during the day, read it and smile.

• Practice random acts of generosity while at work – whether it’s a small anonymous gift on a coworker's desk, ordering flowers to your spouse or taking a loved one or coworker out for lunch.

And remember, coming in for regular cleanings and checkups with Dr. McDonald or Dr. Prais helps you perfect that smile.

August Featured Patient Review for Lifetime Smiles

“Thank You, Thank You for making an 80 year old great grandmother feel good about fulfilling a dream of many years. When I asked you, “is it was foolish for someone my age to want to straighten their teeth using the Invisalign method?” you said you thought it was “great.” You even said you wanted to be like me when you’re 80. I can’t tell you how proud that makes me feel. I don’t know if you have others, but my four-generation-family all think you and your staff are great. You keep us all smiling.

~Nita C. and all of the four-generation family

THANK YOU for writing in, Nita! We hope you're having a great summer!

Lifetime Smiles, now open on Saturdays once a month!

Dr. Rabee McDonald and our staff at Lifetime Smiles know how to create beautiful smiles. We also know our patients are busy - from picking kids up from school to grocery shopping to attending important events and conferences, life gets a little busy sometimes, right?

That's why for our patients' convenience, we are adding Saturday hours this summer! That's right, beginning August 14th, we will be open one Saturday per month, from 9-1 p.m. Then, the first Saturday each month after that.

We hope you're having a GREAT weekend!

July Featured Patient Review for Dr. McDonald!

Recently, we received a nice review from a patient of ours, Dr. Eva, who made us smile with her feedback.

“From the moment I walked into Lifetime Smiles and was greeted by the friendly office staff, I knew I was in the right place. I’ve had a fear of dental procedures for years and had neglected my teeth. Dr. McDonald was non-judgmental, reassuring, and very gentle. Then she shared her vision of how I could improve my smiles and dental health. WOW! Her enthusiasm is contagious and now I look forward to visiting my friends at Lifetime Smiles.” Dr. Eva

Thanks for writing in, Doctor! If you'd like to be featured in August, please send us your feedback about your experience at Lifetime Smiles! Happy Monday!

Three tips to save yourself from bad breath, from Lifetime Smiles

You - like many people - may have recently taken a deep bite into something tasty, knowing the outcome would be bad breath, no matter how much you tried to avoid it. This week, our staff at Lifetime Smiles thought we'd share a few tips with you to help prevent bad breath, also known as halitosis. Dr. Rabee McDonald and Dr. Jeff Prais know bad breath can be a real downer, but want you to know it can be easily prevented!

Bad breath is caused by odor-producing bacteria that grow in your mouth. This bacteria gathers on bits of food and between your teeth and release sulfur compounds, making your breath smell. A few months ago, we read an article by Dr. Andrew Weil titled, "3 Ways to Prevent Bad Breath." Dr. Weil recommends the following ways to help prevent bad breath:

1. Brush your tongue: "The tongue, and especially the back of the tongue, is a warm harbor for bacteria," he writes, and recommends spending some time on your tongue during teeth brushing, "moving slowly toward the back so as not to activate your gag reflex."

2. Keep your mouth hydrated: Because a dry mouth typically leads to bad breath, eating oranges or celery, or drinking water, may help.

3. Freshen your mouth: Herbal palate cleansers (parsley, peppermint tea and cardamom seeds may do the trick). If bad breath returns, please give us a call at our convenient Escondido office! Drs. McDonald and Prais may diagnose any condition or concerns of the oral cavity that may be causing the problems, such as gum disease.

For more tips on how to avoid halitosis, ask one of our doctors next time you're in for an appointment, or check out this post on WebMD.

Connect with Lifetime Smiles on Facebook!

At Lifetime Smiles, we value the relationships we have developed with our patients here in Escondido and surrounding communities around San Diego. Even if you only see us for your appointment on a regular basis, did you know that you can now connect with Drs. McDonald & Prais and team on our Facebook page?

We invite you to “like” us on Facebook at Facebook.com/LifetimeSmiles. We share office news, announcements and updates on our Fan Page, so check it out! By Liking our page, you will receive updates from our office automatically through your Facebook news feed!

See you on Facebook and have a great week,

- The Lifetime Smiles staff

Ask Dr. McDonald: what are cavities and why do we get them?

Escondido dentist Dr. Rabee McDonald knows one word nobody wants to hear when they visit Lifetime Smiles is "cavity." But what exactly is a cavity and how do you get one? A cavity is a hole that develops in a tooth when the tooth begins to decay. It’s important to get a cavity filled as soon as it’s detected so that it does not grow bigger.

So, what causes a cavity? A cavity is caused by plaque, a sticky substance that forms on the tooth as a result of germ and bacteria build-up. Plaque is acidic and as it clings to your teeth the acids eat away the outside of the tooth (also called the enamel) and a hole is formed.

Yes, cavities can be repaired at Lifetime Smiles, but here are a few simple steps you can take to prevent cavities at home:

• Brush your teeth with fluoride toothpaste at least twice daily
• Gently brush your gums to keep them healthy (use soft bristles)
• Floss your teeth at least once a day to remove plaque and food that may be caught between the teeth where your toothbrush can’t reach
• Limit the amount of soda and sugary treats you eat/drink
• Be sure to visit Drs. McDonald or Prais every six months for a check-up (or as recommended)

We hope this helps! Give us a call at (760) 747-1811 for more information about cavities or your oral health!

Ask Dr. McDonald: Who benefits from Invisalign®?

Part of what makes Invisalign really "work" is that it's customizable for just about anybody. Invisalign is the invisible way to straighten your teeth without traditional braces. Invisalign uses a series of clear, removable aligners to gradually straighten teeth, without metal or wires.

To find out if you are the right candidate for Invisalign treatment, the first thing Dr. McDonald does is take an impression of your teeth as they are now - and digitizes it. Using special software, she looks at the current positioning of your teeth and compares it to the way your teeth should look.

Then, our team at LifetimeSmiles use special software to map out the exact path your teeth will take from the beginning of your treatment to the end. Throughout the course of treatment, you will be required to wear these clear, removable aligners one at a time - each one will move your teeth closer and closer to their final, perfectly aligned position. And the best part? Since the aligners are virtually invisible, nobody around you will even know you are wearing braces!

If you have questions about Invisalign, or would like to find out if you are a candidate for Invisalign treatment, we invite you to give us a call at (760) 747-1811. Enjoy the rest of your week and enjoy Memorial Day weekend!!