Dental Info

Today’s families seem to be busier than they were in the past—lots of homework, extracurricular activities, and hopefully, some quality time spent with the family. Here are a few ideas from Dr. Colleran to make consistent oral hygiene a little more convenient: Brushing teeth in the shower :  as hard as it is to get your teenager out the door for school, this just may work—even though it probably won’t save water! And speaking of water… Water bottles everywhere : in backpacks, purses, and cars. Anything you or your child drinks that isn’t water—in other words, any liquid that tastes good—is either acidic or will turn into the acids that cause tooth decay . Teach kids to swish and spit with water after food and non-water beverages. Gum with xylitol for a treat : Xylitol has been shown to prevent cavities . Read those labels, you may be pleasantly surprised! Dental travel kits for the car : fill them with water, extra toothbrushes, toothpaste, floss, healthy snacks, and reusabl...

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...

Every kid feels uncomfortable in social situations sometimes, especially when they feel they “look different”—and studies show the #1 reason kids are bullied for their appearance is the way their teeth look. Bullies sense this discomfort and annoy, anger, and confuse kids who already feel vulnerable—and if the child being teased is openly reactive, the bullies may choose to step up their efforts.  Dr. Mark Dawoud of Harp Pediatric Dentistry would like to share some guidelines for positive self-esteem that our pediatric patients have found helpful. Parents can share these skills, which may help with more than just feelings about their teeth! Effort : Suggest kids take extra care with their appearance to help them approach situations with more confidence—and remind them they are worth the effort! Assertion : Encourage kids to be polite but direct. Consider ways they’ve answered past questions, and prepare to respond to things that might come up again—and to look mean kids strai...

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 Park Slope Dental Arts 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 .  Park Slope Dental Arts 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 false tooth ...

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, Dr. Buck 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 Northern Trails Dental Care would like to talk about how to take sports safety to the next level. Mouthguards & Sports Safety In Gwinn, 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. Now you’re wondering – do I really ne...

You did it! You got the consultation, booked the appointment, and you actually showed up on the big day. You saw the dentist and now all that has left you hungry! The question is: what can you eat after having dental work done? You need some soft food recipes!  For some of us, it’s nostalgic to remember having a frozen treat after the dentist when we were kids. Depending on how extensive your dental work is (be cautious of what you consume in the days following major dental work!), you’ll find that milkshakes only get you so far. Many foods can be troublesome after dental surgery or extensive dental work. Ask Dr. Michael Cimino for recommendations about specific foods and how long you should avoid them. Modern Smile Center in Tomball can be an especially helpful resource for patients navigating what to eat after dental restoration services . Here are some soft food recipes that will treat your mouth and your body well. Breakfast For a warm breakfast, oatmeal topped with...

 We have been open since June 8th and our neighborhood was pretty deserted. It looked like Sunday at 8 Am.   Slowly it has become progressively busier and now when I leave work at 5- 6 PM each day, there are now definitely more people walking around. There are more people on the subway and I can't always find an empty seat. While here are a lot of empty offices in our neighborhood (4oth st between Madison and Park ave), clearly the worst panic has subsided. While infectivity rate in NYC is hovering around 1%, it is  much lower among our returning patients, most of whom have been staying home and most are working remotely from home.   Prior to Covid, most of our working patients had jobs in midtown,  so our practice was convenient to get to. Now they have been sheltering in place where they reside and many drive their cars and park in a lot on 39th st. Most are happy to see us and share that they are pleased to be able to maintain a sense of normal...

To binky or not to binky? Pacifier use for infants has been a subject of debate as long as they’ve been around. Dr. Ceneviz shares some pros and cons below. Pros Pacifiers can soothe a fussy baby. Whether your child has a strong sucking reflex or has difficulty falling asleep, a pacifier can be an effective step towards entering Dreamland. (Unfortunately, sleeping through the night is not affected by pacifier use.) Pacifiers are distracting. If baby has to have a shot, a binky can help to forget the poke. Pacifiers can reduce SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) risk at naptime and bedtime. If breastfeeding, wait until baby is 3-4 weeks old and you’ve got a regular nursing routine. Cons Pacifiers may increase ear-infection risk. However, babies 0-6 months old are at the highest risk of SIDS and the lowest risk of ear infection, which is the age babies usually want a binky most. Prolonged pacifier use can lead to dental problems. Chamblee Orthodontics  wants you...

 Many of my patients have been attending numerous Zoom session that show continuous closeup videos of their face. Unfortunately, some of my patients are not happy with what they see.  More and more, they are asking me about what are their options at improving the appearance of their smiles. The simplest  fix often involve the whitening of their teeth followed by some simple bonding procedures.  Many of these patients had been offered the option to bleach their teeth  prior to the Covid 19 pandemic but were uninterested. Now things may be different since  they have been forced to observe their darkened anterior teeth, often on a daily basis.  More than a few returning patients have expressed interest in exploring their options for whitening. After a short discussion ,  most select a chairside Zoom whitening session to start. This may be followed by the fabrication of custom whitening trays to continue the whitening process or for easily ac...

Often times when patients complain of sensitivity when flossing they actually have proximal erosion. Buccal abfractions can extend into the mesial and distal surfaces of teeth, leaving sensitive areas of the teeth that are not decayed. Also, many patients have proximal areas that are denuded of their natural protective coating (either enamel or cementum)at the cervical (neck) of the tooth, probably exacerbated by frequent scalings(even good things have a downside). Unfortunately there other reasons that it can hurt to floss. Teeth with large intraproximal caries lesions ( large cavities) can experience pain when flossing. Similarly, people with loose filling can also have pain when they floss, since the floss can cause micro movement of the their filling. Sometimes inflamed interproximal gingiva can hurt after flossing. This happens because the inflamed gingiva is swollen and edematous and gets sore when it is touched by anything. Fortunately, if this is the cause of pain it will ...

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...

Dentistry is not separate from medicine Diet & lifestyle Periodontal disease & chronic disease The oral microbiome Sleep & airway health How functional dentistry offers hope Benefits of a functional dentist Principles of functional dentistry Are you ready for the future? One of the worst mistakes ever made in healthcare was the separation of “medicine” and “dentistry”. Fortunately, patients — and dentists — are changing this paradigm. The practice of functional dentistry , which honors the mouth-body connection and takes a root cause approach to dental health, is in high demand.  As people learn the integral connection between their oral and overall health, they are seeking an answer they can’t find in the average dental office. Dentists who take a functional approach to patient care are the cutting edge of modern dental care.  To succeed in dental practice, functional dentistry will soon become not just a “niche” specialty, but a necessity . ...

A few things are equally important for your oral health, no matter what your age or stage of life. Good nutrition, brushing and flossing habits, visiting the dentist and a little fluoride are always ( always ) the essentials – you won’t ever hear us say otherwise.   However, your dental hygiene routine requires unique considerations for each new season of growth and maturity. Read below as Dr. Colleran of Michael Colleran, DDS shares what is especially important knowledge to maintain your oral health throughout your life. You may be surprised at what we have to say! Babies From the moment your child enters the world, they are equipped with not one, but two sets of teeth to last their lifetime—even if you can’t quite see said teeth yet. Oral health and dental care are as important at this time as every other. Don’t wait to set the stage for good habits that will ensure a healthy, functioning smile for your newest family member. Baby bottle tooth decay is a serious side eff...

The image of a glass full of false teeth on the nightstand is plastered all throughout popular culture. You would think that soaking your dentures  in water and cleaner is sufficient, but Park Slope Dental Arts  reminds us that proper denture care requires more than just that.  In fact, denture maintenance is an important part of oral health. For those who have dentures or are considering them, it is important to know exactly how they function and how to care for them.  How do Dentures Work? Dentures are intended for people who have lost most or all of their teeth. Dentures are removable dental appliances that look nearly identical to natural teeth. They also function in the same way, allowing folks with little or no remaining teeth to eat and speak normally. In addition to improving oral health, facial structure, and smile, having a good set of dentures can mean a world of difference for your general health. How to Care for Your Dentures Although dentures are...

Some schools require a back-to-school dental visit , but even if yours doesn’t, right before school starts is a good time to schedule one of your child’s regular checkups. Dr. Mark Dawoud can take care of any problems so your child won’t have to miss class after school starts, and if oral hygiene routines got a little lax over the summer, Harp Pediatric Dentistry can help get kids back on track. Here are a few questions to ask at your child’s appointment: How is my child’s overall dental health? Will my child get a cleaning today?  Does my child need an x-ray? Do you recommend sealants ? Can you check my child’s mouthguard ? These questions cover all the bases for general dental health and safety. A mouthguard will be checked for wear, tear and fit in case a replacement will be needed, while sealants can help prevent cavities in permanent molars. A professional cleaning picks up where brushing and flossing leave off to give your child a nice bright smile to begin their...