With Earth Day coming up, we wanted to take a moment to make our patients aware of a way everyone can help the environment. Crest and Oral B offer a recycling program for all your oral care waste! Not all oral care waste can be recycled through traditional recycling. Therefore, Crest and Oral B have developed their Recycle On Us program to recycle those items. Items Accepted toothbrushes brush heads toothpaste tubes mouthwash containers floss containers floss picks How To Ship Items PRINT-Download a free shipping label from the website ORAL-B RECYCLING (oralb.com) MAIL-take items in a seale ..read more

It’s that time of year again when the mist of yellow pollen begins to cover everything as far as the eye can see. Many of us are affected by the pollen we do see as well as other allergens we cannot see. What many people don’t realize is that allergies can affect dental health. Let’s take a look at a couple of dental symptoms that are prevalent during allergy season. Tooth Pain During allergy season, patients may notice an increase in tooth pain even though clinically the tooth is fine. This pain mostly occurs in the molars and becomes more prevalent as the immune system deals with congestion ..read more

Plaque is a sticky substance that forms on the teeth when carbohydrates combine with food and drink. Leaving plaque on the teeth results in tooth decay, gum disease, and halitosis. Furthermore, it has been linked to heart disease. Therefore, plaque removal is essential in maintaining good oral health. Let’s look at different tools available to aid in plaque removal. 1. Toothbrush Electric toothbrushes are the most effective at removing plaque from teeth. No matter how great we are with a manual toothbrush, we cannot mimic the motion of the bristles that an electric toothbrush provides. 2.  ..read more

Brushing your child’s teeth at an early age not only helps prevent tooth decay, but also introduces good habits. Additionally, many people do not realize that children do not have the dexterity to effectively brush their own teeth until age eight. Electric toothbrushes are the best tool for cleaning teeth in both children and adults. However, if you are still using a manual toothbrush, here are some guidelines for effective brushing. Brushing Instructions for Manual Toothbrush Use a rice-size amount of toothpaste for children under the age of four; use a pea size for children over the age of ..read more

Weight loss is often on the forefront of our minds. Diet and exercise both play important roles in weight loss. As it turns out, diet and exercise also play important roles in maintaining good oral health. Let’s look at a few examples. Better food choices As you choose healthier foods for your body, you are actually choosing healthier foods for your teeth! Foods high in carbohydrates contribute to tooth decay. A diet low in sugars and processed carbohydrates both help trim your waistline and prevent cavities.   Drinking more water Drinking water helps control calories. Many people reach f ..read more

Did you know that the practice of making New Year’s resolutions began almost 4,000 years ago? Ancient Babylonians, when their new year came around, made a promise to the gods that they would pay all debts and return anything they borrowed. Today, it’s still a very common practice, whether you’re successful at following through or not! If you’re into making resolutions, might we suggest some that would be good for your teeth? If you’ve let your dental routine slide, pick one or two of the below recommendations for the upcoming year. Your teeth, your wallet, and your dentist will thank you! Flos ..read more

Holidays Bring Too Many Sweets Kids love candy, and while we know it’s not good for them, we also know they’re going to eat it. “fun-size” candy, candy canes, and chocolate Santas can be just a way of life this time of year. So how best to survive the holidays that are traditionally surrounded by sugary sweets? Understanding How Sweets Affect Teeth The less time sugar spends in the mouth, the better it is for your teeth. In other words, if you have the choice between giving your child a lollipop, which will last for half an hour, and a chocolate kiss, which will dissolve in minutes, go with w ..read more

Brushing your teeth is arguably one of the most important parts of your dental homecare routine. Most of us have been taught since we were young children to brush our teeth twice a day for two minutes. But what should we be using to brush our teeth? Should we use an electric or manual toothbrush? Generally speaking, there are actually three types of toothbrushes on the market: Rechargeable Electric Toothbrushes, Battery Power Toothbrushes, and Regular Manual Toothbrushes. Let’s look at the differences among these three toothbrushes. Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush: These power brushes have po ..read more

Enamel is the outer layer of the tooth and the hardest tissue in the human body. Unfortunately, tooth enamel does not have living cells and therefore cannot repair itself. Once enamel chips or erodes, there is no way to get it back. Let’s look at some ways to take care of our enamel so that it will last the life of the tooth! Use Xylitol Products Xylitol is a naturally occurring sweetener that has been found to actually prevent tooth decay. It has been incorporated in numerous products, the most common being toothpaste, gum, and toothpaste. Look for xylitol on the label of your favorite produc ..read more

Halloween is right around the corner, and that means there is only one thing on everyone’s mind… CANDY!!! While we love it just as much as our patients do, too much sugar can have detrimental effects on your teeth and smile.  Sugar-filled Halloween candy that fill up trick-or-treat bags are acidic in nature.  Additionally, bacteria in our mouths thrive on these sugars and “eat them” producing acid as a bi-product. This acid, in turn, causes pH levels in our mouth to drop.  When the pH drops below 5.5, it is at a critical level and begins to decalcify the enamel of our teeth.&nbs ..read more