Dental Info

According to the American Dental Association , at least 13% of all injuries to the mouth occur during sports activities. While helmets, shoulder pads, shin guards, and the like do a great job of protecting most of the body, San Luis Obispo dentist Dr. Michael Colleran would like to make sure that every athlete knows how to keep their teeth safe from harm. No parent should have to worry about their child’s teeth during games, so today Dr. Colleran we would like to talk about how to take sports safety to the next level. Mouthguards and Sports Safety In San Luis Obispo, we live for a good game. Our athletes train hard to win, so it’s not hard to imagine why they don’t shy away from contact. However, that doesn’t mean that your family has to suffer the consequences of a sports-related oral injury. Mouthguards are the key to oral safety in sports. When to Get a Mouthguard Let’s say your child has decided to sign up for a high school team, or maybe you’ve joined a local sports league....

So, you’re missing a tooth—or a few! An apple a day will not take care of this one, unfortunately. It’s time to consider dentures or dental implants . A variety of personal and practical factors will determine which solution is best for your new smile. Don’t feel lost among all the pros and cons of choosing a tooth-replacement plan. Dubuque periodontist Dr. James Fili is an experienced practice you can trust to help guide you on your journey from missing teeth toward a complete, natural, and healthy smile. Not your grandma’s dentures Thankfully, time and technology have greatly improved the denture experience for our patients. Today, dentures look and feel more natural than ever before. Dentures are a whole set of false teeth held into your gums with secure bonding glue. This can be an affordable option if you need to replace multiple teeth. For added stability, functionality, and peace of mind, dentures can also be secured with dental implants. Added security with dental implan...

First things first, put your worries away! We are not about to tell you that your coffee drinking days are over. We know that each shot of caffeine is crucial and we cherish our coffee, too! Here at Advanced Aesthetic Dentistry, we want to educate you on what causes coffee stains and what you can do to fight them. It’s no secret how Denver residents feel about their coffee, and we’re not about to get in the way of that love. However, we will help you keep your smile healthy and beautiful with tips that won’t drastically affect your lifestyle. Dr. Paini and the rest of us at Advanced Aesthetic Dentistry are your oral health allies! So let’s start off with the basics. Why does coffee stain your teeth? Coffee is one of the biggest offenders when it comes to stained teeth in Denver, and the discoloration can be so bad it mimics cigarette stains. So what’s the secret? What can you do to keep your teeth shiny, but still get your caffeine fix? Coffee and its Active Ingredient: Caffeine ...

It’s no secret that residents of Seattle love sports! The folks around here work hard and play just as hard, whether it’s football, baseball, basketball, or numerous other high-impact sports that can cause harm to your family’s mouths—at least 13% of all oral injuries happen during sports activities. Dr. Gollofon wants you to know how to keep your teeth out of harm’s way and still enjoy a good game, so please read on to learn how to win big with a safe, healthy smile! It’s About More than Mouthguards We know what you’re thinking, mouthguards are the key to staying safe on the field, right? Yes, they are a big part of it, but it takes more than just a mouthguard to keep your kids from getting a chipped tooth while scoring a touchdown . Sports safety for oral health means getting the right mouthguard and wearing it the right way. After all, the best defense is a good offense! Do I Need a Mouthguard? If you or a member of your family is considering mouth protection to defend against...

If you are a parent, you probably know how difficult it is to get kids to brush and floss regularly. On top of that, young children often lack the necessary motor skills to properly care for their teeth. At Family Dental Health , we want your whole family to have excellent dental health, so here’s some information on how Portland dentist Dr. David Case can help protect your kids from tooth decay. Kids and Cavities In the back teeth, there are numerous nooks and crannies that toothbrushes can’t quite get to. Referred to as pits and fissures, these areas on the chewing surfaces of the molars and premolars are particularly susceptible to tooth decay in children between the ages of 6 and 14. Food can easily get stuck in the tiny grooves and remain for long periods of time, which, combined with bacteria, creates the perfect environment for tooth decay and cavities. How Dental Sealants Can Help Dental sealants are thin coatings of plastic applied directly to the chewing surfaces of th...

When you’re suddenly struck with a toothache, floating ideas of home remedies may quickly come to mind. Whether you heard it from your great-aunt or saw it on Pinterest, at-home treatments are everywhere. Las Vegas dentists, Drs. Wagner, Cannon, Lawler, and Nelson can explain more about how to care for a toothache and when to come in for a visit. Common causes of toothaches are infections, cavities , damaged enamel, a cracked tooth or an exposed root – all good reasons to get yourself to the dentist! Home remedies for a toothache may work for immediate relief, but they’re not likely to last long, and they may not be completely safe. If you like using household ingredients for personal care, you may look into your own pantry for something to relieve the pain, but do your research prior to use–and before things get too out of hand, contact your dentist to prevent worse pain or problems. What Are Common Home Remedies for a Toothache? The best-case scenario is some pain relief with a ...

The World Health Organization defines health as “A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” Sadly, in our fast-paced culture, many of us settle for less-than-healthy or even truly sick conditions every day. We allow ourselves to be tired, achy, stressed and in pain more often than not. Why? Because it’s hard to prioritize our long-term health in a world of so many immediate needs competing for our attention. But long-term health is actually the most important need of all. Without our health, we won’t truly be able to enjoy life or contribute to a greater good. Dr. Brickey and Dr. Provine offer a few points on how to seek wellness and prevent oral health problems before they even start. Starting Upstream It’s easier to stop pollution from entering a stream in the first place than to try cleaning up the mess afterward. By starting upstream and taking your preventative health seriously, you will see immediate benef...

Headaches in St. Augustine are a dime a dozen. We all know the frustration of having your day interrupted by throbbing, shooting pains in the head. If you suffer from frequent headaches that never seem to go away, Dr. Gordon would like you to know about bruxism , or teeth grinding. At Gordon Dental Associates, we love spreading the news about all things dental health, so here is some headache information that just might change your life. Bruxism & Headaches You may not be aware of it, but everyone clenches and grinds their teeth at some point and to some degree. It’s a natural reaction to stress. During the day, you might catch yourself doing it and make a conscious effort to stop, but during the night, you are unaware of it and will naturally grind much harder. Unfortunately, some people in St. Augustine have such problems with bruxism that they may experience: Frequent, painful headaches Damaged, worn-down teeth and surrounding tissues TMJ/TMD According to Dr. Noshir Me...

Ah, nighttime… the end of the day, the ceasing of work, and hopefully a good night’s sleep. But did you know things are still happening in your mouth all night long, even if you’re blissfully unaware of it? Dr. Buck , Gwinn dentist sheds some light on the world of your mouth and everything going on inside of it while you catch some zzz’s. Dry Mouth You produce much less saliva overnight than you do during the day—your body’s way of minimizing the risk of choking. This leads to the common occurrence of dry mouth. Dry mouth can be a bit uncomfortable and lead to more cavities and bad breath. It’s perfectly fine and normal to have less saliva at night but to take care of your oral health, it’s important that you brush and floss before going to bed. Saliva usually rinses away the food debris that can stick around and cause plaque and bad breath, so it’s a good idea to head to bed with a blank canvas. Keeping a glass of water by your bed can relieve the pain in your mouth and throat from...

The dreaded words of warning for anyone who has a tooth extraction: dry socket. A dry socket is a painful complication after a routine treatment like an extraction, but it can be avoided if you’re careful, and it definitely won’t kill you. Read more below from Charlotte dentist, Dr. Michael Berglass , on what a dry socket is, how to avoid it, and how to treat it if it happens to you. What is a Dry Socket? Like any part of your body, your mouth has its own way to heal and recover itself after accidents or treatments. If you have a tooth removed, your gums will make a blood clot over the hole where the tooth was. The spot in your gums where the tooth once was is called the socket. This clot, like a scab, protects the vulnerable tissues underneath and aids healing. If the blood clot gets removed (usually by accident), it leaves a painful and fresh wound. Where the tooth once was is now bare bone and nerves, and it hurts when they are exposed. Dry sockets increase your chance of infect...

It’s common to see people wearing mouth guards in Lexington 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) and people with sleep apnea can get relief from their symptoms simply by wearing a specially-designed mouth guard at night. Dr. Kevin Brewer has helped many Lexington residents improve their quality of life with nightguards. Our team at Brewer Family Dental invites you to come 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 Lexington 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 grindi...

I just heard it through the grapevine. According to a collegue of mine they are currently planning to change the way they bill dentists for their service. Now most dentists are paying a yearly fee of $3000 per year. This can seem like a lot or a little depending upon how many new patients book appointments for a particular dentist using ZocDoc. Since my practice is mostly fee for service, I don't get alot of booked new patients who find me through Zocdoc. Probably about one patient per month. My colleague, who take a lot of different insurances, gets considerably more patients booking using this application, probably closer to at least twenty each month. She called me up on Monday and was fairly upset, since she was informed about a proposed change in the way Zocdoc bills. Starting in October ZocDoc would like to bill dentists $110 for each new patient booking through Zocdoc. For my friend it would no result in a fee of $2200/month. Initially, I too, was horrified, but after ...

Yes! Our office will be closed from July 30th- August 12. My son and I have rented a cottage in Woods Hole and will have both have some R&R on Cape Cod for our two weeks vacation. For most travelers Woods Hole is the place where they go to get the ferry to Martha's Vineyard but to me and my family its a final destination that I have been going to practically every summer for the last sixty years . My brother is threatening to join us the first weekend with my nephew and I am sure we will share a lobster fest together!  We will try and  get our sunfish back out on the water. These two weeks should be a fun break from the usual routine.  If you have an emergency or just need to speak to me, the office answering machine will give out my cell number. Although I am staying at a house in Cape Cod with spotty cell service, I will be checking for messages when I have service and will return calls from existing patients. I will bring a list of trusty dental colleagues in...

First bicuspid showing some bone loss around top of fixture I have been wondering about this for the longest time. Ever since I found out that platform switch implant systems may experience less peri implantitis, I wondered whether bacteria from inside the implant leaking out may be contributing to bone loss adjacent to implants. According to implant manufacturers this may be especially true when off brand non implant parts are used in for the screws and abutments, since they may not fit as tightly and allow more micro movement between the fixture and its abutment. When I do an implant in the esthetic zone, I routinely make a temporary screw retained implant crowns and leave them in place for 3 months or more. When I remove it to take a fixture level impression I invariably notice  a foul smell coming from the inside of the implant fixture. Keep in mind that my temporary crowns use titanium parts manufactured by the implant company itself. This was especially true for...

I recently turned sixty five and I guess it's made me re-evaluate my life goals. When I was a young dentist I had a lot of goals. I wanted to be successful. To me that meant having a full time dental practice in Manhattan (Achieved in 1995). I wanted to own my own NYC Apartment (not achieved until 4 years ago!). I wanted to be a great dentist (I am  still working on that). One of my goals was to continually improve my dental skills and I can honestly say I am still improving! My dental practice has been for the most part a source of satisfaction since at the end of most days I can look back and clearly see the good I have accomplished. The results of dental procedures are pretty much a black and white matter and although there are days when I am not as  happy , most days things go pretty well. I had some other goals that probably I won't ever achieve, but I will not bore the reader with my failures. Suffice to say that a number of my dreams have came to pass, while a few did...

Whether it’s your own child begging to skip his next dentist appointment, or the child of a friend who’s deathly afraid of the dental chair, I’m sure you’re aware that dental anxiety in children can be very real. And what’s worse is that failing to address this problem can cause it to worsen over time, making it difficult to maintain your child’s oral and dental health. But it doesn’t have to be that way. It is possible to ease your child’s dental anxiety—no medication or sedation required. What is dental anxiety? Put simply, dental anxiety is “fear related to seeking or receiving dental care.” But before we dive further into this topic, what exactly does dental anxiety mean? Many people don’t particularly like to go to the dentist, but they’re not necessarily afraid to go. Dental anxiety, meanwhile, steps into the territory of fear. Anxiety is actually a multisystem response of the human body to a perceived threat or danger. It reflects a combination of biochemical changes in ...

While you may not actually enjoy going to the dentist, scheduling regular visits is a key aspect of maintaining good oral and dental health. As a dentist, I know that there are several factors that can improve your overall experience at the dentist’s office, and finding a dentist you like and trust is perhaps the most important. This is especially true for kids, who may suffer from childhood dental anxiety and need a pediatric dentist who can calm their fears. Not sure how to find the best children’s dentist for your child? I’m going to walk you through the entire process in this article. With this information, along with a little research into dentists in your local area, as well as consistent, positive reinforcement, your child may begin to actually look forward to his dental visits! What’s the difference between pediatric and adult dentistry? All dentists are doctors of oral health. However, pediatric dentists earn a specialization in children’s dentistry by completing an addit...

If you’re one of the millions of people who use mouthwash on a daily basis, you may not realize that the bottle of blue or green liquid on your counter may be doing more harm than good. In fact, it may be contributing to the very bad breath and cavity formation that you’re trying to prevent. The solution? This turmeric mouth rinse will fight irritation and inflammation, improving both dental and oral health—and you can make it yourself. While long promoted as a necessary part of a good dental hygiene routine, conventional mouthwash is actually bad for you . It’s often filled with harsh chemicals and ingredients that disrupt the oral microbiome and dry the mouth, causing bad breath and leaving you more susceptible to cavities , mouth ulcers, and even oral cancer. I’m a big fan of DIY dental care products—from toothpaste to retainer cleaner —and I love that this mouth rinse recipe contains one of my favorite ingredients: turmeric. Turmeric is filled with antioxidants that can decr...