DENTAL PHOBIA AND anxiety are pretty common, affecting more than one in every ten Americans. That means that close to 40 million people avoid getting crucial preventative dental care, which in turn means that small, easy-to-fix dental problems can become big, painful, expensive ones before they’ll see a dentist. We hope we can help all of our patients overcome any dental anxiety they may struggle with. Where Does Dental Anxiety Come From? Even though we’re dental professionals ourselves, we can understand why the idea of regular dental appointments (let alone more intense treatments) can be ..read more

DIABETES CAN BE A big obstacle for maintaining good dental health, even in childhood for kids who have type 1 diabetes. There is a symbiotic relationship between diabetes and oral health. It becomes much harder to maintain good oral health without carefully controlling the diabetes, and diabetes becomes harder to control when oral health isn’t a priority. What Is Type 1 Diabetes? Type 1 diabetes is a lifelong chronic disease in which the pancreas doesn’t produce insulin, a critical hormone that controls blood sugar levels. It is typically diagnosed in childhood. Without insulin, sugar builds ..read more

WE’RE THE EXPERTS on human teeth, but there are lots of other interesting teeth out there. You probably already know that venomous snakes have hollow fangs to inject venom when they bite, elephants have massive tusks, and sharks are constantly growing new teeth. Just for fun, let’s take a look at some of the other unusual chompers out there in nature. Teeth Aren’t Tools…Unless You’re a Beaver How can beavers get away with chewing through entire tree trunks with their teeth when we can’t so much as open a bottle with ours without risking permanent damage? Well, unlike humans, beaver teeth hav ..read more

CAN YOU BELIEVE HALLOWEEN is coming up so soon? It’s always a fun time of year, with the spooky movies, the fun decorations, the costumes, and the tasty treats. We’re not here to drop toothbrushes in anyone’s candy buckets, but we do want to offer some tips on how our patients can make Halloween as healthy for their teeth as possible. The Worst Halloween Candy for Our Teeth Hard, sour, and sticky candies are definitely in the bad category. It takes time for hard candy to dissolve, which means an extended sugar bath for the teeth. Sticky candy adheres to our teeth and gums, which brings all t ..read more

SUGAR IS THE GREATEST nemesis of the dental profession and anyone who wants to maintain a healthy smile. Why? Because the harmful bacteria in our mouths love to eat it, then excrete acid onto our teeth as a waste product. That leads to enamel erosion, tooth decay, and gum disease. This is why we encourage our patients to cut back on sugar intake…but it’s not always as simple as it sounds. Sugar Goes by Many Names When you think of sugar, you probably picture candy, soda, and desserts above all, but are you also picturing fruit juice, flavored yogurt, granola bars, and barbecue sauce? So many ..read more

40% OF KIDS WILL develop at least one cavity by the time they reach sixth grade, which means that childhood caries is the most common disease among children. Fortunately, it’s also a highly preventable disease. When parents make their kids’ dental health a priority, they can make a huge difference. Step one is knowing the culprits behind tooth decay. Sugary Treats Are Oral Bacteria’s Favorite Kids love sugar, but so does the harmful bacteria that causes cavities, which feasts on the residue that remains in the mouth after eating a sugary treat. So many of the popular snack foods kids like, n ..read more

GENERALLY SPEAKING, INFLUENCERS are not a great source of health advice. One person’s experience with a technique or product is not going to be universal, and real understanding of the way the human body works comes from years of study and training, not a quick google search. With that in mind, there are a few specific oral health fads and cosmetic dental trends we want to warn our patients about. Cosmetic Dentistry Don’ts 1. Don’t widen a tooth gap for a “cuter” look. Enamel reshaping can be a very legitimate procedure. If a tooth has a minor chip or is oddly shaped, enamel reshaping can he ..read more

CENTURIES AGO, PEOPLE didn’t have many options for how to keep their teeth clean. Some cultures used chewing sticks and early toothbrushes had bristles made of horse hair. These days, we have a wide range of options for what tools to use for cleaning our teeth. How are you to find the one that’s best for you? We’d like to offer a few tips to narrow things down. How Stiff Are Those Bristles? When we’re doing chores around the house, it can often take some elbow grease to do a good job of cleaning various surfaces, but leave that idea behind when it comes to brushing your teeth. Brushing too h ..read more

A LITTLE BIT OF PREP work makes a huge difference when an emergency happens, including a dental emergency such as an oral injury. What exactly can we do to prepare for something like an unexpected injury? It depends on the specific situation. Broken Tooth If an injury results in a broken, chipped, or cracked tooth, the best thing to do is head straight to the dentist. If you can find the broken pieces, bring them along in a glass of cold milk to protect them. It’s also okay to rinse your mouth with water. Even if a crack or chip seems minor, don’t ignore it! If the damage reaches the pulp ch ..read more

WE ALL KNOW that medications can have side effects. If you tried, you could probably hear the voice in pharmaceutical commercials rattling off some of the most common ones in your head. We bring it up because those side effects often include oral health problems. Medicine and the Chemistry of the Mouth Some of the medications and even vitamins we take can be directly harmful to teeth. This is more of a problem for children, since adult medicine mostly comes in the form of pills to be swallowed. Medicine for children, on the other hand, often takes the form of sugary syrups and multivitamins ..read more