A Toothy Stocking Stuffer Brings Smiles Great news! Santa Claus is coming to town. This means there will be presents under the tree and stockings full of unique gadgets and gizmos that will bring smiles. We know that oral health may be the last thing on your mind when it comes to presents, but there Continue Reading …
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Drinks with the Feast: What You Need to Know About Beverages and Your Teeth
Fancy Feasts and Drinks It’s that time of year once again. We’re all looking forward to filling our bellies to the brim with turkey, stuffing, and more. Of course, you know that with food and desserts comes the need to stay on top of your oral hygiene routine. Speaking of eating a ton of yummy Continue Reading …
A Nightmare Before Christmas: Dry Socket Prevention
The Dreaded Dry Socket A dry socket would leave anyone shaking in their boots, including someone as spooky as Oogie Boogie from The Nightmare Before Christmas. Lucky for him, he doesn’t have teeth! Dry sockets are dreaded because of the infamous discomfort that they create after a tooth is removed. Essentially, a dry socket happens Continue Reading …
You’re Worth it! How to Prevent Dental Emergencies
Plain and Simple: You’re Worth It! From head to toe to teeth, you’re worth it! Dental emergencies can be frightening and uncomfortable for those who encounter them. Emergencies often have the worst possible timing, causing a serious inconvenience to your day or even your week. Keeping the mantra in mind that “I’m worth it!” can Continue Reading …
Valiant Protector: What are the Benefits of Having a Dental Night Guard?
Coming to the Rescue! When grinding and clenching come bump in the night, who will be there to protect you? It’s a dental night guard to the rescue! A dental night guard, also known as an occlusal guard, is a protective covering for your teeth and gums. A night guard comes with many benefits that Continue Reading …
My Dentist Said I Needed a Crown: Crowns vs. Fillings
What Do I Need? Have you ever been in the dentist’s chair, feeling like a king or a queen because they told you that you needed a crown? Why, yes. I am royalty, you might think to yourself. Okay, we know that you might not be drawing comparisons to how awesome you are, but there Continue Reading …
Managing the Unexpected: What to Do if You’ve Chipped a Tooth
Chipped Teeth are Masters of Inconvenient Timing Chipped teeth are no stranger to inconvenient timing. From sports practice to chomping on a hard snack just the right way, it’s oftentimes the very last thing we want to deal with. When you’ve chipped a tooth, it’s possible that your mouth feels just fine. Even if this Continue Reading …
Getting to the Root: Common Root Canal Misconceptions
The Root of the Problem Let’s get to the root of the problem. See what we did there? Really, the problem with root canals is that they are associated with several myths, which exist as a huge disservice to those who actually need to have this tooth-saving treatment completed. For many of us, the term Continue Reading …
Prioritize YOU: Importance of Keeping Your Teeth Clean During Periods of Stress
Focus on YOU What makes YOUR world go round and round? It’s YOU, of course! You have so much power in creating a well-lived and healthy life for yourself, but sometimes, it’s easy to get caught up in our often fast-paced routines. Stress can appear from out of the shadows, making life less enjoyable and Continue Reading …
Unwanted Wiggle: Why Teeth Might Feel Loose
Doing the Wiggle Are your teeth feeling the dance craze known as “the wiggle?” While our bodies definitely benefit from movement, it’s another story for our pearly whites. Teeth that feel the need to get their wiggle on are telling you that there is a greater problem occurring in your mouth. There are a few Continue Reading …
Brushing to the Beat – Make Toothbrush Time Fun
Brushing in the Early Years For adults, brushing our teeth is as easy as A-B-C and 1-2- 3. Turn the spotlight on our little tykes, and you might be seeing a different story. Little ones are new to brushing their teeth, so their skills may need a little practice. Consistency and routine are absolutely fundamental Continue Reading …
Starting Over with Your Toothbrush: Toothbrush Care Tips
A Fresh Beginning At long last, the clock brings us into 2021. The previous year has been unforgettable, to say the least, so we know that many folks are looking forward to new beginnings. Starting over with your toothbrush might seem like a small change, but it is an important one nonetheless. With a good Continue Reading …
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, and I Couldn’t Sleep a Wink: Surprising Links Between Sleep and Oral Health
The Night Before & Sleep ‘Twas the night before Christmas and not a creature was stirring, except maybe you. You’re certainly not alone if you’re wide awake before an exciting day, but it’s worth noting that your pearly whites can be affected by missing sleep. Understanding the surprising ways that sleep and oral health go Continue Reading …
A Grateful Smile: How Gratitude and Teeth Go Together
At the Root of Thanksgiving As Thanksgiving draws near, we often find ourselves daydreaming about enjoying a savory feast with our loved ones. When it comes to the holidays, it’s easy to get lost in all the preparation and holiday excitement. Even in the hustle and bustle, it’s essential to press the pause button every Continue Reading …
Spooked into Grinding? Combating Teeth Clenching
Facing Frights & the Daily Grind Spooky season is upon us. With that comes jump scares and feelings of fright, all just for fun. However, this year has brought challenges with COVID-19, and it’s clear that maneuvering through stressful circumstances can also create muscle tension in our bodies. As a result of nervous feelings that Continue Reading …
Leaves Change Color. Teeth Change Color. Wait…
Fall Colors of Yellow, Brown, and Darkening The vibrant colors of fall are certainly captivating as leaves become brighter and eventually scatter beautifully across our local landscapes. Changes in color often appeal to the eye, but as for our handy pearly whites, there’s a stark contrast. We tend to be dissatisfied with yellows, browns, and Continue Reading …
The Summer Bummer of Dehydration: How Hydration Affects Oral Health
Hydration and Water Good old H2O always has our back on sunshine-filled days. Hydration creates space for higher energy, better mood, and an overall healthier body. As part of that healthy body, your pearly whites will thrive with proper hydration too. We know that we’re supposed to drink more during these hot summer days, but Continue Reading …
More than Meets the Eye: Why Dentists Take Dental X-rays
Taking a Closer Look at Dental X-rays Do you remember your last experience with dental x-rays? You may think about pieces placed in your mouth followed by beep-beep-boops from a big machine. You may also have memory of your dentist showing off handy black and white pictures of your pearly whites. While the process is Continue Reading …
Lesser-known Ways to Improve Your Oral Health at Home
These days it seems that many of us have found ourselves home frequently and with more time on our hands. Extra hours in the day means that we can embrace new hobbies or focus on self-improvement. We encourage you to take this time to put your oral health into perspective. Instead of telling you to Continue Reading …
Who’s Chairside with Me? The Difference Between a Dental Assistant and Dental Hygienist
Big Shoes to Fill As a new patient of a dental office, you’re destined to meet new friendly faces during your visits. From the front desk to the patient room, you’ll even notice that some roles overlap in order to maintain a productive flow within the office’s four walls. Since this overlap exists, we find Continue Reading …
10 Ways to Show Love to Your Teeth
Teeth are Something to Love Without your teeth, how would your life change? If you’re like us, and most people, it could be pretty devastating to live without teeth. They really do a lot to help us enjoy our lives such as when savoring a good meal or feeling confident. Our teeth are always up Continue Reading …
How to Motivate Yourself to See the Dentist in 2020
Making It Happen 2020 is all about setting goals and achieving those goals. Visiting the dentist is a common pursuit when the new year begins. However, as we move further into the year with no action taken, the goal can quickly transform into a distant memory. Sometimes this means that a dental visit will get Continue Reading …
Cold Sensitivity: What You Can Do Before Your Appointment
An Icy Sensation Cold sensitivity is a common complaint we hear at our office. When a chilly sensation hits one or several of your teeth, it may leave you feeling an icy “ouch.” The severity of cold sensitivity varies from individual to individual. It can be an occasional annoyance, but it can also feel like Continue Reading …
Cold and Flu Season: Taking Care of Your Teeth While Sick
Healthy Teeth in Fall and All Year Long Colorful leaves. Cooler weather. Warm, fuzzy robes and slippers. The holidays are fast approaching too. Fall brings so much joy to our office. The one exception? Illnesses that arise from the flu and cold season. Getting sick can certainly leave anyone bed-ridden and full of body aches. Continue Reading …
Why You Don’t Need to Be Afraid at the Dentist: Addressing Dental Anxiety
Dental Anxiety and You It’s Monday morning. You wake up with a grueling toothache, but all you can think about is how much you don’t want to go to the dentist. You associate the trip with a stranger leaning over your mouth with sharp tools in hand, bringing far too much discomfort for one sitting. Continue Reading …
How to Eat Sweets and Avoid Cavities
When There is Bad News There is Good News Do you want the good news or the bad news first? The bad news is that without proper care and attention, the sugar from sweets can lead to cavities. That’s not promising since we’re closing in on the holiday season. Sweets may tempt us from every Continue Reading …
How the Dental Implant Process is Like Starting a New Exercise Routine
Decide All successful exercise routines take some planning to be effective. The same goes for dental implants. You first need to decide what routine is right for you. In the case of choosing an option to replace a missing tooth, you pick amongst several options such as an implant, bridge, or a partial denture. Without Continue Reading …
Behind the Scenes of a Dental Assistant
If you’ve ever been in a dental office lobby, you know the familiar face that walks you to the treatment room is the face of a dental assistant. You know that they take your x-rays and love getting to know you on a personable level. Of course, you count on them to give you at-home Continue Reading …
Baby Teeth Need Love Too!
Baby Teeth… Our Not So Permanent Friend As little kids, we were told all about the tooth fairy coming to take our teeth when they fall out. In exchange, we would leave our little white gem for something a little greener. Perhaps it was a dollar you sought? While we have known the riches and Continue Reading …
Kick Off 2019 Flossing!
Why Floss? What’s number one when it comes to caring for your teeth? Brushing! Who is number one’s best friend? Flossing, of course! Even though flossing is so beneficial, it often gets booted to the number two ranking viewed as a “less important” technique for oral health. We are here to give flossing a lot Continue Reading …
Coal in your Stocking?: Charcoal Toothpaste
Under the Tree Looking and feeling great is an important goal for many of us. Using charcoal toothpaste dates back as a means to whiten/brighten teeth and potentially absorb “bad” toxins in the mouth. The idea of absorption relates to charcoal’s use in medicine for conditions such as overdosing or poisoning because it has absorption Continue Reading …
Dental Benefits: Friend or Foe?
Tricky in Nature At its root, using dental benefits can definitely help lower the out-of-pocket cost of dental treatment. However, dental insurance is more complex than the common misunderstanding that it will pay 100% for everything. The biggest obstacle is that hundreds of different dental insurance companies exist and within those companies, there are various Continue Reading …
Little Known Truths About Dental Cleanings
Yes! There are Different Cleaning Types! A dental cleaning is just a cleaning, right? Not many realize it, but one size does not fit all. Four different types of dental cleanings exist. The type you receive in the dental office depends on the health of gums and surrounding bone as well as the presence of Continue Reading …
Clickety Clack Don’t Talk Back!
In all likelihood, there is not a single person out there that has not heard of a denture. In fact, one of my most amusing memories as a dentist is of a five-year-old patient that asked me when he would be old enough to get dentures! Perhaps he thought it was a sign of maturity, Continue Reading …
Healthy Gums = Healthier Body!
It may come as a surprise to many, but your mouth is attached to the rest of your body! For far too long it has been treated as a separate entity that has no connection to your overall health. We are learning more each day about the links between gum health and conditions such as Continue Reading …
Is What’s In Your Cup Damaging Your Pearly White Teeth?
We have all heard that drinking beverages with acids in them can damage our teeth. We are familiar with the anecdotes of Coca-Cola cleaning the rust off of coins, but yet they are a multi billion dollar industry that is continuing to grow. Adding citrus acids and the like to our beverages makes them more Continue Reading …
Is Your Toothpaste Damaging Your Teeth?
I get it. You want whiter teeth and there are a million toothpastes out there that claim to do this. But did you stop to think how it might be performing this miraculous feat? The majority of them work by being abrasive or scratching that stain right off of your teeth. So, if it is Continue Reading …
More About Oral and Oropharyngeal (Throat) Cancer
The biggest challenge with detecting oral cancer in its early stages is that it is not painful. Many people have no idea when there are lumps or bumps present in their mouth. I am often the first one to bring them to their attention. In my eight years of practicing dentistry I have already Continue Reading …
What is Oral and Oropharyngeal (Throat) Cancer?
If you took our quiz on Facebook, here are the answers! While smoking and drinking alcohol have historically been the largest risk factors for oral cancers, HPV, the sexually transmitted disease that causes cervical cancer, has become the leading cause of oropharyngeal (throat) cancers. The key to a high survival rate is to have Continue Reading …
“Grazing” and Tooth Decay
“Grazing” and Tooth Decay – As a dental professional, one of the most common questions I am asked is “Why am I getting cavities”? While that question can be complex and different for each individual, we are finding that one of our patients biggest challenges is how often they are eating. Long gone are the Continue Reading …
Help us celebrate Children’s Dental Health Month!
February is Children’s Dental Health Month and in celebration, we are offering FREE DENTAL EXAMS AND X-RAYS for children up to age 18! More than 40% of children have dental decay by the time they are in kindergarten! Don’t wait until your child is having discomfort to visit the dentist. Establishing a dental home for your Continue Reading …
November is Diabetes Awareness Month
With 26 million Americans diagnosed with diabetes, chances are you or someone you know is afflicted. Some of you may be aware that diabetics have a much higher risk of gum disease due to the decreased ability to fight off bacteria. However, did you know that having gum disease makes it much harder to control Continue Reading …
Autumn Dental Flex Plan Benefits
Once again, the holiday season is upon us. This wonderful time of year is often filled with family, friends, and fun. Dental flex plan benefits are one more thing you should be thinking about. Typically, most dental flex plans run on a calendar year. Take a year-end inventory of your plan and see if you Continue Reading …
Nighttime Dental Guard
A nighttime dental guard can provide a cushion of space between your teeth that will protect them from the destructive forces generated by overactive chewing muscles. This aggressive muscle activity, called teeth grinding and clenching can cause excessive tooth wear, chipping, fractures, loosening of the teeth or even TMJ disorder. Spacing your teeth apart also Continue Reading …
