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It's not too late if you haven't gotten your flu shot yet this year! You can head over to your physician's office or to almost any local Greenville, SC, pharmacy to get your flu vaccination taken care of quickly.

By vaccinating against the flu, you are protecting not only yourself, but also others around you like your family, friends, and coworkers. Infants and young children, pregnant women, the elderly, and individuals with chronic health conditions (such as heart disease, diabetes, asthma) are especially at risk of suffering from serious flu complications. Since these people have weaker immune systems, they are more likely to not only contract the flu, but also to experience a more serious illness. Spread the word to these people that they should be vaccinated -- and make sure that you aren't the one putting them at risk!

Remember, at Jacques Dentistry we're concerned about your overall health and well-being -- not just your teeth!

When the holidays arrive, sometimes we tend to pick up habits -- and food! -- that we normally don't. Don't get out of your routine or go for "shortcuts" that can land you in trouble. Here are some helpful tips for keeping your teeth healthy!

1. Don't crack nuts with your teeth. Now's the time of year with plentiful bowls of shelled nuts abound, so find your nearest nutcracker and let it do the dirty work while keeping your teeth safe. There's a reason that those sturdy utensils exist -- to save your teeth! If stubborn shells are too tempting for you, then spurge on the unshelled package -- it will save you money in the long run!
2. Use proper tools to open packages and bottles. We know you can get caught up in the rush and want to just tear into that package as quickly as possible. Just make sure you have some scissors or a knife handy to do the honors for you. Using your teeth to tear into plastic packages or pull bottle tops off is a recipe for disaster! While your teeth are strong, these other objects are just as strong or even stronger and biting into them with the tips of your teeth is going to lead to chipping and cracking -- which may need root canal treatment or a crown to repair. Nobody wants that type of gift! 
3. Stay away from chewy sticky candy. Caramels, toffee, gum drops... these sweets seem to be everywhere this time of year. They're full of sugar and their sticky nature makes them hard to remove from teeth; leaving sweets stuck to your teeth is just asking for cavities! Plus, those extra chewy treats can pull a filling or crown right off of your tooth! If you're going to eat sweets, try to limit the sticky kind and only eat them along with meals to dilute the effects of sugar on your teeth. 
4. Don't crunch and chew ice. If you're lingering with your drink at a holiday party, let the ice melt in your mouth instead of chewing it. Chewing ice puts a lot of stress on your teeth and can cause fracture lines. Overtime, these fracture lines grow longer and deeper and can lead to a chipped or cracked tooth that needs a filling, crown, or even root canal treatment. 
5. No nail biting. While the holidays can be stressful, biting your nails won't provide any relief. In fact, nail biting damages both your nails and your teeth. The habit can be linked to teeth clenching and grinding, jaw problems, and tooth sensitivity. If you get the urge, try to take a moment to relax until the feeling goes away.

So the common theme here seems to be: don't use your teeth as tools and don't use them to chew anything other than food! If you can stick to these tips, you should be in good shape protecting your teeth over the holidays and all year round!

Of course, if you should slip up or have an accident, don't hesitate to call Dr. Jacques!

2 minutes, 2 times a day. That's only 4 minutes out of the 1,440 minutes in a day! Your kids have time to brush -- help them to have healthier teeth, fewer cavities, and better overall health.

The holiday season is approaching and it's likely that you will be sharing many meals with your extended family. These gatherings are a great time to share family histories -- as well as your Aunt Martha's famous pie!

When you fill out health history information for your doctor, you typically are asked if not only you, but also any member of your family suffers from a condition or disease. Knowing your family's health history is very important; in fact, it is so important that the U.S. Surgeon General has declared Thanksgiving Day as "National Family History Day." Are you one of the two-thirds of Americans who have never attempted to discover your family's health history? Well, don't let this opportunity pass you by this year!

If you are wondering where to start, you can visit "My Family Health Portrait" online at  https://familyhistory.hhs.gov/fhh-web/home.action, where you will find very useful tools for recording and organizing your family's data.

Families share the same genes, environments, lifestyles, and behaviors -- all of which can affect the likelihood of developing health problems. If you have a close relative that suffers from a chronic health condition, you are more likely to suffer that same condition than someone without an affected relative. Knowing your family's health history allows your doctor to be better able to provide appropriate screening or counseling to help prevent further problems later in life. For instance, if heart disease runs in your family at an early age, you would benefit from an earlier cholesterol screening.

Are you ready to learn about your family? Make sure you follow these guidelines:

• Talk to your family
• Ask questions
• Record the information
• Share with your doctor

So take the time this holiday season and talk to your family. Then be sure that the next time you visit Jacques Dentistry or any of your other doctors in Greenville, SC, you update us on what you have learned.

Happy National Family History Day from all of us at Jacques Dentistry! :)