Dental Info

There are so many things to be concerned about when you find out you’re expecting. Eating right, taking enough vitamins, getting enough rest, telling your husband there is absolutely no way you are naming your firstborn son Bud Light… but what about your teeth? There’s an old saying—“you lose a tooth for every baby”—but those beliefs are outdated, thank goodness! Still, Salt Lake City dentists Drs. Thomas Brickey and Laura Provine have some important information to share about pregnancy and oral health. Taking Care of Yourself is Taking Care of Your Baby Moms-to-be can become so focused on preparation for the new bundle of joy that they neglect their own health—but try to remember that taking care of yourself is taking care of your baby. If you are pregnant, remain proactive about your oral hygiene routine and don’t skip your regular dental visits. Your teeth and gums need special attention during this time, so be on the alert for symptoms like bleeding gums and dry mouth. Gin...

Remember that guy with the lip ring you had a crush on in high school? I wonder how his teeth are doing now. Don’t get us wrong, at Wagner Dental , we’re all about the freedom of self-expression, and if body modifications like tattoos and piercings are your thing, we support you. However, as your dental health professionals, we strongly advise against oral piercings specifically because they can be really harmful to your teeth—and we want you to keep your teeth healthy, so you can continue to express yourself with your beautiful smile. Oral piercings refer to any piercing in or around the mouth. In the old days, the only options were traditional tongue or lip piercings, but today there are more options than you can shake a stick at. If it’s in your mouth, you better believe someone has pierced it. From the tongue web piercing to the vampire or upper frenulum piercing, to the gum piercing, venom bites, snake eyes, smiley piercing, frown piercing, and even the uvula piercing—yes, appare...

There’s a lot of hair and makeup that goes into making your favorite stars sparkle on the screen. And while we can’t all hire a professional artist to make us look perfect every day, there is a lasting solution to giving you that perfect Hollywood smile – veneers! San Luis Obispo dentist Michael Colleran, DDS is an experienced and trusted provider of veneer treatments. What are Veneers? Veneers are a very strong, paper-thin cover over your teeth. They look just like real teeth, but even better. Veneers are often used to improve the look of teeth with spacing and alignment issues or staining problems . They can be applied wherever needed, on one tooth or a whole set. Which Celebrities Have Veneers? Veneers are a popular option for celebrities who spend their life (personal and professional) in front of the camera. When your smile determines your income, it just makes sense to invest in those pearly whites. So which stars have gotten veneers? Zac Efron George Clooney Tom Crui...

There is a good chance you have heard Dr. David Case or someone else at Family Dental Health mention the term ‘bruxism’ and discuss the problems it can cause for your oral health. At the office, we talk about a lot of technical dental stuff that doesn’t necessarily concern our Portland patients, but bruxism is something we definitely want you to know about. Stress and bruxism go hand in hand, and we are going to tell you exactly what that means and how it affects your health. Alright, we know you are on the edge of your seat! What is bruxism and why does it concern you? Well, how often do you find yourself clenching your jaw or notice others doing just that? Bruxism is a common condition characterized by jaw clenching and the grinding of teeth. It is perfectly normal to clench your jaw and grind your teeth from time to time, but it can be very damaging if it gets to be a regular habit. The biggest issue with bruxism is that people are rarely aware that they suffer from this conditi...

Ah, vacation. The sun, the sand, the… gauze in your mouth? Dental work and recovery might not be your preferred use of your precious vacation days, but some people are packing their bags and heading to exotic locations for dental work in hopes of saving money. As medical education and technology improve all around the world, destination dentistry or dental tourism is becoming an attractive option for many. Dental tourism is a kind of medical tourism and can reportedly save up to 70% of costs compared to getting dental work done in the US. Who Gets Destination Dentistry? You might have to be a little adventurous to leave your home country for something as vulnerable as dental work, but healthcare costs in the US prevent many people from getting dental work they might really need or want. Due to cheaper education, licensing, materials, and less bureaucracy in other countries, dentists abroad are able to charge a fraction of those in the US. The most common treatments for patients see...

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? Dubuque Periodontics 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 mouth ...

Can you imagine a 2-liter bottle of your favorite soda? Now imagine that same bottle filled with spit. That’s approximately how much saliva the average adult produces in their mouth every day! It may be gross, but it’s definitely important. Saliva is a normal body fluid that’s crucial for oral health and overall wellness. If you struggle to make enough saliva, your mouth will feel very dry and you will have trouble with daily activities like speaking, eating, and swallowing. This condition is commonly known as dry mouth, but the clinical name is xerostomia. A chronically dry mouth is uncomfortable and unhealthy. You have three salivary glands in different parts of your jaw that make and secrete saliva. Saliva is mostly made of water, but it also contains important molecules called enzymes that help keep your mouth clean and fight infection. Dry mouth is common and can usually be fixed with the help of your Denver dentist and doctor. Dr. Paini shares more below about what causes dry...

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , the fluoridation of drinking water is ranked among the ten greatest public health achievements of 20 th century America. However, a quick search of the internet tells us that fluoride can actually be toxic if ingested in large enough quantities. So which is true? Do the health benefits outweigh the negatives of fluoride in toothpaste and drinking water? At Central Avenue Dental, we know that Charlotte folks care a great deal about their health, so we’ve put this article together to examine the facts and help you come to your own decision.   Why Use Fluoride in the First Place? To begin to understand the controversy, we must first understand what led to putting fluoride in toothpaste and water. Even today, tooth decay is considered the most prevalent chronic disease in children and adults. With that in mind, it’s not hard to understand why Grand Rapids, Michigan, became the first city in the world to fluoridate its d...

Your Mouth: A Picture of Health Did you know that when a dentist looks at your mouth, they can tell a lot more than just how often you’re brushing? It’s true—your oral health is like a window into your lifestyle and habits. Dr. Gollofon at A.J. Gollofon, DDS should know. We’ve seen mouths from all over Seattle in our office! If you’re not taking care of the rest of your body, your gums will give it away. Hormones, sickness, stress, diet, smoking, prescription medicine, and more can all affect your gum health, and that goes both ways. If you don’t take care of your gums, the consequences will stretch beyond just your mouth. Unhealthy gums can lead to an unhealthy heart, diabetes, pregnancy complications, memory problems, tooth decay, and more. Your mouth is naturally good at washing away and fighting germs. But without proper oral hygiene, those bacteria can lead to gum disease. When it comes to your oral health, it’s more than just pearly white teeth you want. Healthy gums play an...

Have you ever heard someone say, “I would rather have a root canal”? Most of us in Gwinn are used to hearing root canals compared to some genuinely unpleasant circumstances, but Northern Trails Dental Care would like to set the record straight and talk about how root canals can do some serious dental good. Root Canals Save Teeth Here it comes, the question on everyone’s mind: “Why on Earth would you want a root canal?!” There is one thing all dentists will agree on—saving your natural teeth is always the best option. There are many ways Dr. Gwendolyn Buck can replace missing or damaged teeth , but nothing is as good as the real thing. If you have a tooth with inflamed or infected pulp, a root canal can eliminate the infection and save it. Thus, root canals are preferable to extraction. Here are some more advantages of endodontic root canal treatment: Natural appearance Efficient chewing Tolerance of normal bite force and sensation Surrounding teeth are protected from extra w...

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! Brewer Family Dental treats our patients professionally and joyfully—our team thinks teeth are cool. Take Dr. Kevin Brewer ’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 5 million teeth per year fall out due to sports-related accidents. Babies have 20 teeth but a fu...

"Only the lonely know why I cry. Only the lonely know the heartaches I've been through". These lyrics are really meant to be about lost love, but they can apply to the dental profession. Most dentists spend most of their professional lives focused on dealing with a very structures in the mouth and with patients not terribly excited to be in their company. "No offense doc, but I don't like being here" is a refrain most dentists commonly hear. Not many people on the planet know how exactly we feel.  In the U.S. there are approximately one dentist per two thousand in population.  Most of us practice either solo or in a small group with another dentist or two. Sometimes it can be lonely dealing with our practices and our patients problems. Things crop up that we may not be sure how to deal with. Partly to enhance my continuing education efforts and partly for the camaraderie they provide, I belong to three dental Study Clubs. Last night I attended one of t...

Recently, major dental organizations created an uproar about the Root Cause movie. The American Association of Endodontists (AAE), American Dental Association (ADA), and American Association of Dental Research (AADR) all requested Netflix remove the film because it’s so misleading. But I’m already not a member of the ADA because I don’t necessarily buy into all their methods. I was intrigued…Could this movie be uncovering something new? The Guardian covers the topic from a free speech perspective, but I was eager to look at the movie from the perspective of a functional dentist. I might add that I’m also committed to being honest about proven science when it comes to natural dental and oral health—so I can still be a bit of a skeptic. (Plus, who doesn’t want to watch a dentist movie? Those don’t come around often.) From articles like “Root Cause Movie: Debunked” to “Is Your Root Canal Causing Cancer,” I found most of the information on the movie to be limited and questionable. ...