The Power of Smile ™ Blog
Meet The Clinicians
Learn about current topics and trends in dentistry and the importance of oral health as it relates to overall health from our team of experts.
Eileen Crespo, MD
Dr. Eileen Crespo is the Vice President of Medical Services at Delta Dental of Minnesota. Dr. Crespo is a practicing pediatrician of 20 years. She is currently a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and a member of the Board of Directors at Children’s Dental Service and the Minnesota Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
R. Bruce Templeton, DMD
Dr. Bruce Templeton is an oral surgeon and has served both on the board and as a medical consultant for Delta Dental of Minnesota since 2011. Dr. Templeton has served as both the Chief of Dentistry and Oral/Maxillofacial Surgery at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Health Care System, and as a clinical professor at the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry.
James O'Meara, DDS
Dr. James O’Meara is the Vice President of Dental Services at Delta Dental of Nebraska. Dr. O’Meara is also an Associate Professor of Adult Restorative Dentistry at the University of Nebraska College of Dentistry. He practiced General Dentistry In Des Moines, Iowa for thirteen years and also was an Associate Professor of General Dentistry at the Creighton University School of Dentistry for 21 years.
Dr. Cindy McGregor, DDS
Dr. Cindy McGregor is the Vice President of Dental Services at Delta Dental of Minnesota. Dr. McGregor is a 1998 graduate of the University of Minnesota-School of Dentistry. She has been a hygiene instructor and practiced in both a small and large group practices in the Metropolitan area of Minnesota. Dr. McGregor has been a member of the Minnesota Dental Association as well as the American Dental Association for over 25 years.
This information in this post is for general educational purposes only and does not warrant or represent any information as related to health as specifically appropriate for you. It is not intended to be medical advice or replace the relationship that you have with your health care providers. You should always seek medical advice on any diagnosis or treatment from a qualified health care provider. The information is provided “as is” without any representations or warranties, express or implied.
Recent Blog Articles
Dental health and growing older
Aging is inevitable, and our teeth and gums age right along with us. There’s a common misconception that as you get older you lose teeth and need dentures, but teeth well-taken care-of can last your whole life.
Women in dentistry
Celebrate with us this International Women’s Day as we recognize some of the groundbreaking women in American dentistry! There are far too many women who have made significant impacts on dentistry in America for us to list here, but we’ve tried to touch on some of the earliest pioneers.
Going to the dentist
If you know what to expect, going to the dentist can be fun! Watch our video with Dental Hygienist Leah helps to teach children about the kinds of things they can expect to see when the visit the dentist.
Tooth Fairy payouts hit hard times
The Tooth Fairy has tightened her money bag after an all-time high payout last year. According to the Original Tooth Fairy Poll, sponsored by Delta Dental, the Tooth Fairy’s cash gifts in 2017 dropped to an average of $4.13, a 53 cent drop from 2016. Delta Dental’s Original Tooth Fairy Poll typically serves as a good indicator of the economy’s overall direction, tracking with the movement of Standard & Poor’s 500 index (S&P 500) for 12 of the past 14 years.
Why do we lose our teeth?
Losing your teeth is a rite of passage for every child – but the thought of pulling out pieces of our mouths can be a scary one for a to think about. What can help the shock is understanding why it is happening.
Grantee Spotlight: Children’s Dental Health Services
Since 2007, Delta Dental of Minnesota has given more than $100,000 to Children’s Dental Health Services (CDHS), a nonprofit organization providing preventative dental services to underserved, underinsured and uninsured children in Southeast Minnesota.
Presidential teeth
Presidents Day, originally created to celebrate George Washington’s birthday, is a day set aside to remember all those who have served as leaders for our country. You’ve probably learned about our former presidents’ accomplishments – but did you ever learn about their teeth? From dentures made with hippopotamus tusks to top-secret mouth surgery, our presidents’ teeth history is pretty interesting
Gum disease: More serious that you might think
Did you know an estimated 85 percent of Americans have varying degrees of gum disease? That’s 274 million people whose gums need some TLC!
Children’s Dental Health Month: Losing teeth the healthy way!
Each February, the American Dental Association (ADA) sponsors National Children’s Dental Health Month to raise awareness about the importance of good oral health. The month-long national campaign began in 1981, but the first national observance of Children’s Dental Health Day occurred on February 8, 1949. In honor of National Children’s Dental Health Month 2018, we put together this how-to guide on loose & recently lost teeth.