Category: General Dentistry
Beware of These Drug Store Dental Products
Your local pharmacy or drug store offers shelves of health and beauty products. Most drug stores have an entire aisle devoted to “oral care.” While we support the majority of these products (especially when it comes to toothpastes and toothbrushes), there are some dental products that we wish weren’t sold over the counter. Here are…
The Truth About Plaque
When it comes to dental plaque, most patients know that it isn’t good. Plaque contributes to cavities, gum disease, bad breath and that unpleasant “fuzzy feeling” along your teeth when you wake up in the morning. But what exactly is plaque? How does it form? Most importantly, how can we prevent it? What is Plaque?…
Is Acid Reflux Ruining Your Teeth?
Your mouth is the gateway to your body. It makes sense, therefore, that many medical conditions can affect your oral health. A common example is GERD, otherwise known as acid reflux. While you may consider acid reflux a problem of your digestive system, it can also impact the health of your teeth in significant ways.…
How Do I Stop Grinding My Teeth at Night?
While it can happen at any time of the day, teeth grinding (or bruxism) is a habit that is most often performed during nighttime sleep. Morning jaw pain, worn down teeth and a complaining bed partner are telltale signs that you are grinding your teeth while you sleep. Many patients are aware that they grind…
Dental Fillings: Know Your Material
Most people are familiar with the term “dental filling,” as it is the treatment of choice when a cavity needs to be repaired. When decay (or a cavity) has caused an area of damage in a tooth, a dental filling is what dentists use to restore the tooth back to its original structure and integrity.…
How Mouth Breathing Can Affect Your Dental Health
Are you a mouth breather? In other words, do you regularly breathe through an open mouth instead of your nose during the day and/or while you sleep? While mouth breathing may seem harmless, it can pose a risk to your oral health if you aren’t careful. In fact, mouth breathing in children can create concerns…
The Risk of Swimming Pools and Your Dental Health
When a dentist warns you to protect your teeth while you swim this summer, you probably assume it means being careful not to slip and fall or hit your mouth on the side of the pool. While dental injuries can certainly happen around wet pool decks, this isn’t the only way that swimming can pose…
Nutrition for a Healthy Mouth
What you eat plays a strong role in how your body feels, looks and functions. In fact, certain parts of your body demand certain vitamins to retain their health. Your mouth is no different. While you may be aware of the foods and substances that can ruin your teeth and gums, are you familiar with…
How to Avoid Dry Socket
If you have ever had a tooth extracted, you may have heard warnings about avoiding dry socket. Dry socket, or alveolar osteitis, occurs when the blood clot that forms in the empty tooth socket gets dislodged or disappears, and the sensitive tooth nerves and bone is exposed underneath. Not only can dry socket be very…
What is a Deep Cleaning at the Dentist?
It is common and encouraged for you to give your house or your car a deep cleaning on a periodic basis. You may also have heard the term “deep cleaning” from your dentist. When it comes to your teeth, however, a deep cleaning isn’t just a more thorough version of a routine dental cleaning. In…
