cavities

Listen to Your Teeth

An aching tooth’s a warning. Often it's a cavity, but not always. Other Toothache Causes... After a filling, a tooth can sometimes be a bit sensitive. It’s a normal reaction that should soon correct it-self. In the morning, an aching tooth could be the result of grinding or tooth-clenching overnight. Not a cavity, but a habit you need to shake. Aches can also come from unfamiliar pressures due to tooth [...]

Listen to Your Teeth2024-09-04T08:45:57-07:00

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

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

Crowns—Dental Workhorses

Most dentists will agree that crown restorations are at the heart of general dentistry. We've all studied crowns in dental school, and some of us have done our best work replacing missing teeth and saving the rest. Research has given us the wherewithal to achieve virtually ideal restorations. They are natural looking, comfortable and stable in the moist environment of the mouth. We’re better equipped than ever to build strong, [...]

Crowns—Dental Workhorses2024-09-04T08:42:56-07:00

Alcohol and Your Teeth

Dentally speaking, is drinking alcohol a good thing or a bad thing for your teeth and gums? As with everything alcohol related, there are positives and negatives. On one hand, a mixer-free shot of vodka is probably less hazardous than caramel candies, which coat the teeth with a sticky goo that practically begs for cavities. On the other hand, every kind of alcohol—most notoriously drinks with sugary mixes—are chock-full of [...]

Alcohol and Your Teeth2024-09-04T08:41:46-07:00

No More Metal Mouth

You don't have to be a dentist to know that metal is NOT a normal component of teeth. Used to be, gold or silver amalgam was necessary to restore structural integrity to damaged teeth (especially molars) that would be subjected to the great stress caused by chewing. Today, there are new materials that stand up to the stress, but without the metal! They simply didn't exist just a generation ago. [...]

No More Metal Mouth2023-12-22T15:16:12-08:00

Sense about Sensitivity

When teeth hurt, the sooner we reach the root of the problem, the sooner the pain disappears. What triggers tooth pain? Heat, cold, touch, air, sweet or sour foods. If you recently had a cavity filled, that area may be sensitive for awhile. Other causes of sensitivity are: Erosion of tooth enamel. Gum shrinkage down below the crown exposing the cementum beneath, an area sensitive to heat and cold. One [...]

Sense about Sensitivity2023-12-22T15:16:05-08:00

Fluoride—You Never Outgrow Your Need

You grew up with fluoride. Your teeth show it in the very fact that you still have them. Before 1945, by the time your nest was empty, your mouth was often empty as well. But when cities began adding it to water supplies, tooth decay took a nose dive. Most of us never gave it a second thought, just turned on the tap and downed the cure. Fluoride reverses the [...]

Fluoride—You Never Outgrow Your Need2023-12-22T15:15:49-08:00
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