Business of the Year!

We were honored to be named the 2016 Business of the Year by the Hartford Area Chamber of Commerce! We received the award at the Hartford Chamber Annual Dinner on March 3rd, where Dr. Wilk thanked all of our staff for their dedication and hard work. We are truly grateful to be part of this community and for our Sharing Smiles philosophy to be noticed in this way.

Dr. Wilk, Hartford Chamber of Commerce Director, Scott Henke, and the U.S. Open Trophy, which was on display at the Annual Dinner!

Business of the Year for Hartford means a lot to us, as so does our community! Our mission of Sharing Smiles is about providing outstanding customer service and care to our patients when they are in the office, AND making sure we are giving back and Sharing Smiles beyond the doors of office as well.

Staff members enjoying the Annual Dinner!

And our community offers some wonderful events to get involved in. Just an example of some of our favorites (but not all!) are:

Hartford's Holiday Riverwalk

Pink Pumpkin Run

The Hartford Area Chamber of Commerce Golf Outing

Hartford Rotary Wine and Beer Tasting Night

The Medical Center Foundation of Hartford Goldbug Golf Outing

The Hartford Business Improvement District Christmas Parade

If you haven't attended or heard of some of these events, we encourage you to check them out! We also really look forward to our Sharing Smiles Events. More on this to come soon, as our next one is March 25th, but these are our days of free dentistry to serve community members in need and without means.

Stephanie Klett, Wi Secretary of Tourism, with Dr. Wilk and Dr. Dowden.

This award will serve as a great reminder of why we do what we do and what our mission is all about. We are truly honored and humbled to have received the 2016 Hartford Area Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year award and we thank the Chamber for recognizing us in this way!

Children's Dental Health Awareness Month!

Every year, in February, we celebrate National Children's Dental Health Awareness Month. We believe it is SO important to educate our patients, families, parents and young children about how they can and why they should care for their teeth. 

We like to celebrate by going to local classrooms and talking directly with the children within our community about why it's so important to take care of their teeth. This year, we are visiting 17 local classrooms and talking to over 350 children! That's a LOT of teeth!

So, why is it so important to take care of your child's teeth?

• You only get one set of adult teeth ... and they have to last the rest of your life!
• Decay can cause pain and eventual tooth loss, if not treated.
• We use our teeth to eat, talk and smile ... EVERY day.

How can you take care of your child's teeth?

• See a dentist and hygienist for a professional cleaning every 6 months
• Brush your teeth 2 times a day, for 2 minutes each time
• Floss once a day
• Eat healthy foods and drinks
• Eat sugary, acidic or sticky foods in moderation
• Replace your toothbrush every 3 - 6 months
• Regularly check to see if your child is doing a good job brushing and even assist them in brushing once a day (generally until they are 8 - 10 years old, but can vary)
• Have your dentist or hygienist place sealants on your child's teeth 
• Use a fluoride rinse at home

All of these things are actions we can take on a frequent, if not daily, basis to ensure that we are properly caring for our teeth. Our teeth are so important to our well-being and they will only last as long as we take care of them. 

Be sure to schedule your child for their preventative dental visit and make sure your child is brushing 2 minutes, 2 times a day and flossing once a day!

For more information on sealants or questions about your child's care, feel free to ask any of our staff or your dentist.

For more information on Children's National Dental Health Month and for downloadable activities, visit these sites: 

• http://www.ada.org/en/public-programs/national-childrens-dental-health-month
• http://www.ada.org/~/media/ADA/Public%20Programs/Files/NCDHM/2017NCDHM-activities-calendar.pdf?la=en
• http://www.ada.org/~/media/ADA/Public%20Programs/Files/2017NCDHM-stoplightmilk%20edit.pdf?la=en

Congratulations!!

Last Thursday we invited our 30 finalists from July through December into our office for a little get-together and to draw the Dream Vacation winner! It was a lovely event and a great chance to get to know our patients better. We drew some door-prizes, offered tours of the new expansion and had some food and drink.

Lastly, we drew a winner for the Dream Vacation Giveaway. And the winner is: Nick Wagner! Nick and his wife, Molly, were here for the event and are thrilled to have won this prize! While they don't yet know where they are going, we have a hunch that their three little boys might have something to say about it!

Dr. Wilk, Nick Wagner, Molly Wagner and Dr. Dowden! Congrats to the Dream Vacation winners!

Congratulations to Nick and Molly! They were entered into the giveaway because they referred their friends and family to our office, which is the greatest compliment any patient can give us. Thank you to Nick and Molly and to all of our patients. We are truly blessed and honored to serve you!

New Year, New You!

Happy New Year!

We're already a full week in, can you believe it? 

We wanted to take this opportunity to remind you of an often overlooked benefit of the new year. In most cases, a new year also means a new benefit year for your insurance. Now, this isn't always the truth, as some dental insurance plans start throughout the year, but most of them begin fresh January first. 

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What does that mean to you?

Well, more important than anything else, it means that your maximum benefit is renewed- so you have that money set aside again to start or finish dental treatment that you didn't do last year. This doesn't mean that you won't have a portion due at the time of treatment, because most insurances only pay a percentage of the treatment done, but it does mean that you will have financial help in getting your treatment completed. 

We recommend getting familiar with what your insurance maximum is, if you owe a deductible first and how much they will cover for various dental treatments. Remember that sometimes your preventative work, such as cleanings and exams, doesn't even come out of your maximum benefit. And, at this time of year, we should all be getting our teeth cleaned and checked.

With the start of a new year and renewed benefits, it's a great time to make a plan to take care of yourself, starting with your teeth. You smile with them, eat with them and talk with them. Let's make sure we are taking care of them too. Maximize your insurance by knowing what you have available and let us help you to get the dental treatment you need. 

Have a GREAT 2017 and don't forget to keep on #SharingSmiles!

Christmas Patient Giveaway 2016 - Update!

The anticipation is GROWING! 

We want to thank everyone who shared our posts about the Christmas Patient Giveaway, who talked to their friends and family about it and who applied or nominated someone for this special giveaway. We've read some truly remarkable and moving stories and have had to make some tough decisions.

While the application and nomination process is over, the big reveal is coming soon! We have narrowed it down to THREE finalists and are in the process of getting them scheduled for their comprehensive exam appointments.

If you applied for this and are in need for dental care, but aren't chosen as a finalist, please do not lose heart! The truth is, each and every story we read was one of a deserving and worthy individual. We encourage you to continue to seek out ways to care for your teeth and your overall dental health. Take it one step at a time. The first step is just to schedule one appointment with a dentist. That's it. You can do it!

To help our community members in need, we will be offering another Sharing Smiles Event, where we offer free dental care to the community, on March 25, 2017. Stay tuned for all of the details and please share it and come!

We will be announcing our Christmas Patient Giveaway winner this month yet, so keep checking in on our website or Facebook page to hear the news. Again, many thanks to all of you for participating and sharing this opportunity!