Patient Education

MMMMMM! It’s Mouth-Watering

You stand to speak to a crowd of thousands–and your mouth is desert-dry. That’s normal. But under less stressful circumstances, a dry mouth is not normal. In fact, it’s cause for concern. Saliva has a critical role in the health of your mouth and your body. It flushes out the plaque that causes tooth decay and periodontal disease and acts as a buffer against overly acid mouth. Dry mouth, then, [...]

MMMMMM! It’s Mouth-Watering2024-09-04T08:45:48-07:00

Check Your Dental I.Q.

Read each question and choose the best answer. Scoring below. 1. The best toothbrush bristle is: (a) Medium (b) Hard (c) soft (d) electric 2. Teeth grinding and gnashing (bruxism) can lead to: (a) a pain in the neck (b) Sore teeth (c) Headaches (d) all of the above 3. The dentist’s word for cavities: (a) holey teeth (b) caries (c) cartels (d) fillings 4. Straightening of the teeth is [...]

Check Your Dental I.Q.2024-09-04T08:45:39-07:00

Can Kissing Cause Cavities?

Sorry to say, it can. In fact, anything involving contact with saliva—a kiss, parents tasting their babies’ food, sharing of tableware and toothbrushes—can transmit decay-causing bacteria. Soon after birth, infants start to get those bacteria that inhabit the mouth and cause cavities. These germs are usually transferred by the babies’ mothers or other family members. When one so innocent can be SO susceptible, we need to provide our mouths with [...]

Can Kissing Cause Cavities?2024-09-04T08:44:19-07:00

You and the Tube

Start reading labels to choose the right toothpaste for you and your family. All toothpastes have certain ingredients in common. They’ll contain mild abrasives for scrubbing, foaming detergents to help float away debris, fluoride to protect tooth enamel, thickening agents for stability, humectants for moisture retention, and flavors to make the mixture palatable. Gum Protection Given what we know about the relationship between gum disease and your overall health, finding [...]

You and the Tube2024-09-04T08:44:02-07:00

Waiting to Exhale

It’s not the best way to deal with bad breath... Do you have bad breath, aka halitosis? If so, what are you doing about it, besides turning your face away from anyone who comes near? Finding the cure means first finding the cause. In many cases, food particles and bacterial plaque accumulate toward the back of your tongue and go bad there. But you might also be suffering inflamed gums, [...]

Waiting to Exhale2024-09-04T08:43:38-07:00

Fast Facts About Dry Mouth

Here are some facts about dry mouth, which can be a frustrating condition... We call it xerostomia—and it can be a serious problem. It tends to happen as we age—but it doesn't have to. Besides being uncomfortable, dry mouth makes teeth more cavity-prone. It can be the side effect of some medications or radiation therapy for cancer. Fight dry mouth by drinking 6-8 glasses of water daily. Also, try sugarless [...]

Fast Facts About Dry Mouth2024-09-04T08:43:19-07:00

Periodontal Disease—It’s More Than Just Sore Gums

And periodontal health is more than a dazzling smile. Maintaining healthy teeth and gums has become more important than ever. Periodontal disease is a chronic inflammation of the gums that not only can lead to tooth loss but can even interfere with other systems of the body. Periodontitis, aka gum disease, has been associated with such other chronic inflammatory diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and rheumatoid arthritis. You can [...]

Periodontal Disease—It’s More Than Just Sore Gums2024-09-04T08:43:10-07:00

What Your Mouth “Tells” Us…

About Your Overall Health Recent studies, including the Surgeon General’s Report on Oral Health, confirm what our team has known for a long time: There are so many connections between oral health and overall health that your next dental visit can be the next best thing to a physical examination! Your mouth is both an early warning system and a window to the health of your heart, your circulation, and [...]

What Your Mouth “Tells” Us…2024-09-04T08:42:44-07:00

Toothpicks: a Pointed Problem

What’s long, slender, hard, sharp, indigestible and potentially hazardous? That common and seemingly harmless sliver of wood called a toothpick. Reports in the Journal of the American Medical Association point to toothpicks as causing thousands of injuries a year, mostly to young children. Youngsters aged five to 14 were most likely to be injured by toothpicks, and children under the age of five were 20 times more likely to seriously [...]

Toothpicks: a Pointed Problem2024-09-04T08:42:36-07:00

Facing Chemotherapy?

Tell Your Dentist Anyone facing cancer therapy already knows—chemotherapy for the treatment of cancer is a serious response to a serious condition. What they may not know is that a dental appointment scheduled at least two weeks before treatment begins can reduce the risk of complication and help preserve salivary glands. The reason is this: with radiation treatment and chemotherapy, changes in saliva occur that can encourage decay and dry [...]

Facing Chemotherapy?2024-09-04T08:41:55-07:00
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