Dental Info

Full disclosure before your Salt Lake City dental team at Natural Smiles Dentistry starts dropping knowledge on the muscles in your mouth that are partially to thank (or blame) for the foods you love: we’re hungry as we write this and are envisioning pizza; yummy, savory pizza with cheese that stretches when you grab a slice, crust with just the right amount of crunch, sauce with the best blend of veggies and herbs…what were we going to talk about? Oh yeah, taste buds ! Wait—are you craving pizza now, too? Let’s go halfsies on some ‘za! Gusta-what?! The scientific term for your taste buds is gustatory receptor cells . Jot that down because there will be a quiz later (we joke). These taste buddies (that’s just more fun to say, isn’t it?) form before we evacuate the womb. In fact, based on their sensitivity to sweet and bitter tastes, newborns may have more taste buds than adults. For an image to distract from the pizza that may still be on your mind, picture babies trying new foods....

We’ve all got our reasons. Money. Time. The fear of pain. Juggling insurance. Facing one more reminder that we really should be flossing more. Any of these might cause us to avoid and put off regular visits to the dentist. Has it been so long since you saw a dentist that you’re not even sure how to find a dentist you can trust? Or perhaps you know and love your dentist, but you dread the idea of trying to catch up on life with the hygienist while your mouth is being propped open by a tiny plastic jack. (Yes, we think about that too!) Salt Lake City dentists, Dr. Brickey and Dr. Provine , and our staff are happy to help you prioritize your dental health, which is why we go to great lengths to remove any barrier that might keep you from stepping through our doors. Sedation options, flexible payment plans, plentiful office hours, and a skilled dental team can help you achieve your best smile. Our relaxed office is comfortable from the waiting room to the dentist’s chair. Natural Smil...

Life is full of unexpected surprises, and while we’d love for all of them to be smile-inducing, that’s not entirely realistic—and there may be many reasons you hide your smile. If you’re hiding your smile because of one or more missing teeth, we want you to know you’re not alone. In fact, 120 million people in the U.S. are missing at least one tooth, and more than 36 million Americans do not have any teeth at all.  Whether the cause is tooth decay, gum disease —#1 on the list of reasons, with 50% of Americans over the age of 30 having the most severe form of periodontitis—illness, or injury, there are solutions. Dr. Brickey and Dr. Provine at Natural Smiles Dentistry would like to fill you in on your options, which have expanded and improved over the years thanks to technological advancements and continuing education. An Ounce of Prevention You’re probably familiar with the cliché, but in case you’re not, the ending goes: “is worth a pound of cure.” At Natural Smiles Dentistry, ...

Dr. Brickey and Dr. Provine, your trusted Salt Lake City dentists, is passionate about finding ways to improve the patient experience and achieve lasting results when it comes to the health and appearance of your smile. This requires continuous learning and investing in the types of advanced technologies that will stand the test of time—because keeping up with trends can be exciting, but optimal oral wellness and the overall health it contributes to will always be in style.  So, without further ado, we’d love to introduce you to one of Natural Smiles Dentistry’s favorites—the Cone Beam Computed Tomography Scan, Cone Beam CT for short (and CBCT for shortest). What the heck is the CBCT? Oh, just a piece of equipment that has revolutionized dental treatment! Does this Machine Possess Magical Powers? While CBCT scans do provide superb detail to a point that could make it seem we have the gift of prescience, a great deal of thanks is owed to scientific progress. We think our patient...

CariFree ® is a revolutionary dental product line that balances the bacteria in your mouth for a healthier pH level. Once the chemical makeup inside your mouth is healthy and stable, CariFree products have been scientifically proven to prevent cavities.  They also offer solutions for sensitive teeth and dry mouth, and xylitol gum in addition to gels, rinses and sprays that keep teeth and gums clean and healthy. Natural Smiles Dentistry carries the CariFree product line because Dr. Brickey and Dr. Provine has seen so much improvement in the oral health of our patients. Cavities are caused by bacterial and acidic imbalances in the mouth, but when dentists fill cavities, only the result of the imbalance is being treated—the actual imbalance is not addressed at all.  Until quite recently, it was believed that favorable oral hygiene removed bacteria and eliminated decay from the mouth—but it’s more complicated than that. The elevated pH of CariFree products neutralizes decay...

Babies and kids are constantly growing and changing, and their mouths are no exception! Throughout childhood, kids lose their baby teeth, gain adult teeth, and they begin to take ownership of their own oral health. From brushing to braces to practicing their smiles, oral health is important for every kid at every stage. Read on for tips to help keep your kid smiling for life—we know you love to see your child smile, and so does Natural Smiles Dentistry! Caring for Kids’ Teeth Your child’s first teeth—often called “baby teeth”—make their momentous early arrival and continue to serve many purposes until they fall out and are replaced by adult teeth. Baby teeth hold a place in the jaw, paving the way for the adult teeth to grow in properly.  Kids who develop cavities are more likely to develop them later as adults. Don’t dismiss the importance of oral health for kids, even though there’s so much transition in their mouth in these early days. Basic oral health for kids includes br...

At Natural Smiles Dentistry, we understand that dental insurance can be a tricky thing to navigate. Evaluating dental plans and considering deductibles, benefits, which treatments are covered, and the mountain of other information insurance companies provide can be a headache in and of itself.  Dr. Brickey and Dr. Provine want every Salt Lake City patient to have the power to control their own health, so here’s a simplified guide to the basics of dental health insurance .  Dental Insurance Dental insurance is an excellent investment that helps people ensure a lifetime of healthy smiles. However, in order to get the best value from your dental insurance, there are a few things you need to know. Here are the answers to the most common questions we hear at Natural Smiles Dentistry. What is Dental Insurance? Having dental insurance means that an insurance provider will pay for a percentage of the dental care that you need every year. Plans vary in terms of how much they cos...

Nicknamed for the fact that they come into your mouth and your life by the time you are mature and supposedly “wise”, wisdom teeth are simply the last set of molars that grow furthest back in your mouth. If you’re experiencing some specific pain in your gums and jaw, you may be wondering if you have impacted wisdom teeth . Dr. Brickey and Dr. Provine takes care of wisdom teeth from all around Salt Lake City! Let us tell you more about impacted wisdom teeth and what to do if you have them. What are Impacted Wisdom Teeth? Your wisdom teeth are the third and final set of molars you’ll get. They usually come in when you are between 17 and 21 years old. Sometimes they appear later in life, while some people’s wisdom teeth never grow in at all. (Does that mean those people never become wise? Hard to say.) As with other teeth, wisdom teeth are expected to break through the gums and become totally visible when they emerge. However, in some situations, they remain deep in the jawb...

Dentistry is serious medicine, and daily oral hygiene is a top priority. But teeth can be pretty fun, too—not to mention fascinating. For starters, have you ever seen the full sets of baby teeth and adult teeth present in a child’s head x-ray? Go ahead, look it up. There are tons of interesting dental facts out there! Natural Smiles Dentistry in Salt Lake City treats our patients professionally and joyfully—our team thinks teeth are cool. Take Dr. Brickey and Dr. Provine’s word for it, there’s much to learn and admire about even the most average set of teeth. Facts About People & Teeth According to a survey by Time magazine, 59% of people would rather visit the dentist than listen to one end of a cell-phone conversation. By age 17, 78% of Americans have had at least 1 cavity. Gum disease is the leading cause of tooth loss for people over the age of 35. Tooth prints are as unique as fingerprints. About 2 million teeth per year fall out due to sports-related accidents. Ba...

A hole in your smile is never a positive thing. It negatively affects physical appearance, eating, speaking, and your overall sense of confidence and well-being. Let Natural Smiles Dentistry bridge the gap between where you are with your smile and where you want to be! A missing tooth or teeth can also cause jaw pain and bite misalignment. Without a full set of teeth, your other teeth tend to move into the empty space, causing unnatural alignment in your bite and jaw—which can be very uncomfortable and can lead to bigger headaches and TMJ/TMD problems . Dr. Brickey and Dr. Provine   shares how each tooth plays an important role in your health and everyday life, and how dental bridges  can restore your smile and the function of your teeth. Types of Bridges Depending on your needs, there are three common kinds of dental bridges that your dentist may recommend. The difference between each type of bridge is how they are installed and secured. The core of every bridge is the ...

There are many kinds of doctors—Doctors of English, Doctors of Philosophy, Doctors of Medicine, Dr. Pepper… (wink). Of course, when we use the term doctor, we most often mean a physician or Doctor of Medicine. But did you know that dentists are doctors , too? Every doctor has a specialty, and a dentist’s specialty is oral health.   Dr. Brickey and Dr. Provine , your Salt Lake City dentist explains how dentistry is a specific branch of medicine, and what it all means for the link between oral health and overall wellness.   Dentists are Doctors Dentists are every bit as trained and educated as physicians. They have the same general education in science as physicians before they get clinical training in dentistry. This background education helps dentists look at you—the whole package—when taking care of your teeth.   Dentists are specialists in the science and mechanics of oral health, which extends to your head, face, and neck (the craniofacial region)—important part...

Living in a land of antibacterial gels, soaps, plastics, and even fabrics, it might surprise you to hear that tons of bacteria live in your mouth every day, and they aren’t all bad! In fact, some play an important role in keeping up your overall health. Some oral bacteria, however, can cause serious problems and must be fought with good oral hygiene . Dr. Brickey and Dr. Provine from Natural Smiles Dentistry in Salt Lake City would like to help you understand the role bacteria play in your health and wellness. What are Bacteria? Bacteria are very small organisms made of just one single cell. That’s compared to over 37 trillion cells in the human body! Bacteria have their own DNA and they need sources of energy (food) just like you do. Nearly 700 different kinds of bacteria can live in your mouth, but most people only have 34-72 types present at any given time. What Do Bacteria Do? Of all the bacteria in your mouth, some are good, some are bad, and some simply neutral. The good ba...

Cracked, broken, and decayed teeth require restoration or they will break down further until they become infected and/or require extraction . At Natural Smiles Dentistry , our goal is to preserve your natural teeth for as long as possible. Depending on the extent and location of the damage, we will likely recommend an inlay, onlay, or crown . Different levels of the same idea, these restorative dentistry treatments are custom-made to protect your tooth and restore it to its full, healthy, and functioning condition. Another reason you may need an inlay, onlay, or crown is due to extensive tooth decay breaking down your tooth that requires more than a simple filling to fix, or an old filling that needs to be replaced. Here’s how these options compare: Fillings : only fill a small, center portion of the biting surface of your tooth; is not a treatment for extensive damage Inlays : fill a larger portion of the biting surface than a filling contained within the cusp Onlays : fill and ...

We all know that it’s important to take care of our health, but that’s often easier said than done. Health and hygiene routines are an investment of your time every day. So, wouldn’t it be great if you could accomplish more by actually doing less? As it turns out, when it comes to oral health and heart health, you can! Taking care of one is actually taking care of the other. Count that as one less thing you have to do each day. Natural Smiles Dentistry explains how oral health and heart health are closely connected. How Your Mouth Affects Your Heart There are a number of ways that your oral health is directly related to your heart health . What we know for sure is: If you have gum disease , you have an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. Gum disease is a bacterial infection that causes inflammation, and it ranges in severity. Inflammation is a normal immune response in your body, but too much of it (like gum disease) is not good. Bacteria in your mouth enter your bloodstr...

Did you know that periodontal (gum) disease was first described in 1890? It wasn’t until 1941 that Periodontics was recognized as a dental specialty, which is a large gap in time—kind of like the gap between your gums and your teeth that can be created by gum disease, the leading cause of adult tooth loss ! We don’t mean for that to sound like a joke, as gum disease is associated with very serious health risks that extend beyond your mouth, but we do want the information to stick with you. It’s important for gum disease to be treated, and luckily, treatment options have expanded and improved a great deal. Introducing: LANAP® LANAP is the abbreviation for Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure, and it’s been a successful treatment method since 1994! The benefits of gum disease treatment with a laser are numerous, including the fact that no scalpel or sutures are required as they are with traditional gum grafts. If you have any questions about gum disease prevention or treatment, ...

In a great tale of opposites, lemon juice can be both acidic and basic, or alkaline. Read on to find out why people are talking about this, and what it means for your oral and overall health. What Is pH & Why Does It Matter? Drinking lemon juice (usually diluted in a glass of water or added to a cup of tea) is a beloved health tonic among fans of natural medicine. Potential benefits include lower cholesterol, lower inflammation in the body, and increased metabolism and energy. Lemon also contains high levels of antioxidants and vitamin C that boost your immune system. On a scale of 0-14, a pH of 7 is neutral (pure water) while numbers below 7 are acidic (unhealthy), while numbers above 7 are basic or alkaline (healthy). Believers in holistic health blame many ailments on the body’s pH being too low or too acidic. Increasing your body’s pH is called “alkalizing.” Lemon juice in its natural state is acidic with a pH of about 2, but once metabolized it actually becomes alkaline wi...

Some foods will help you grow healthy teeth and keep them forever. Some foods will prevent you from growing healthy teeth, or harm the ones you already have. You can grow and maintain strong, healthy teeth by eating a diet that your mouth (and your body) will truly love . But do you know what foods to avoid for a healthy mouth? Natural Smiles Dentistry would like to share that information with you today! Diet is Everything The word “diet” has earned a bad reputation over the years as a verb that means eating less to lose weight, but diet is also a noun and a powerful way you can give yourself the best life possible. Your diet is simply the food you eat, and most of us are trying our best to eat wholesome food with just a few sweet treats here and there. Good food sets the stage for a healthy life. Nutrition is vital for growing healthy muscles and bones. And guess what—your teeth are bones, too! Good nutrition helps your body fight infections that cause decay and disease in your mo...

It’s common to see people wearing mouth guards for protection during all kinds of sports, such as football, basketball, and boxing, but did you know that lots of folks wear mouth guards at night for their dental health? People who grind their teeth (bruxism) can get relief from their symptoms simply by wearing a specially-designed mouth guard at night. Salt Lake City dentists Dr. Laura Provine and Dr. Thomas Brickey have helped many people improve their quality of life with nightguards. Our team at Natural Smiles Dentistry invites you to visit us today to find out more. Nightguards for Bruxism Bruxism, or teeth grinding, is a very common condition. Everyone grinds their teeth at some point, but some folks do it so much (especially during the night) that it causes severe damage to their teeth, headaches, jaw aches, TMJ (temporomandibular joint disorder) issues and more. The problem is that most bruxism sufferers don’t know that they are actually clenching and grinding their teeth...

Whiter, brighter teeth are on the top of everyone’s smile wish list – and for good reason! White teeth look young and healthy. The good news is that teeth whitening is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to improve your smile, and the results are almost immediate. If you’re already taking good care of your oral health, whitening your teeth will truly put the polish on all of your efforts. Teeth Staining 101 Your unique smile and lifestyle determine the color of your teeth. The hard, outer surface of every tooth is called enamel. Enamel is usually white or off-white, but health and environmental factors can make it turn yellow, brown, or gray. Your mouth may do the talking, but your teeth can say a lot about your habits and health. Coffee, tea, red wine, soda, sports drinks, and tobacco are the biggest causes of stains in healthy teeth. Limit these to preserve your natural pearly whites. One dark or discolored tooth may be the sign of a more serious problem. It’s important to se...