Teeth Grinding Could Endanger Your Dental Health
While your teeth and gums can take a lot, they still face dangers like dental disease. Your teeth are also affected by aging-related wear and tear. And, something else could put your teeth at risk: teeth grinding. This is an involuntary habit afflicting one in ten adults in which they grind or clench their teeth, often […]
Find Out Why You or Your Partner Snores – it may be Sleep Apnea
If your sleeping partner snores, it could be more than an annoyance: it could be a sign of sleep apnea. This occurs when air flow into the lungs becomes obstructed in the throat for a few seconds during sleep. The obstruction can take many forms, but a common one arises from the tongue relaxing against […]
Stay Ahead of Gum Disease Re-Infection with Periodontal Maintenance
If you’ve undergone treatment for periodontal (gum) disease, you know how involved it can be. After several sessions of plaque and calculus (hardened plaque deposits) removal, your swollen, red gums finally begin to regain their healthy pink color. But with gum disease, the battle may be over but not necessarily the war. If we don’t […]
Eat the Right Kind of Carbs to Protect Yourself from Gum Disease
In the quest for the ideal diet, people often stress over one particular food group: carbohydrates. And for good reason—some carbohydrates have been linked to chronic inflammation, a contributing factor in many diseases. One such condition in particular, periodontal (gum) disease, could permanently damage your dental health. But before you throw all the carbs out […]
Before we Extract That Problem Tooth, Let’s Consider Saving it
Even though an implant is now as close to life-like as modern dentistry can produce, it won’t surpass the function of your own natural tooth. That’s not to say implants are an inferior choice—in fact, it’s often the best one if a tooth is beyond reasonable repair. But first, let’s consider saving your existing tooth. […]
Researchers Looking for Links between TMJD and Other Health Conditions
It’s estimated that between 10 and 40 million adults in the U.S. suffer from chronic jaw pain and disability. Healthcare providers refer to it as temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJD), a group of conditions characterized by pain and limited function with the jaw joints, as well as related muscles and tissues. People with TMJD often experience […]
Treating Dry Mouth is Important for Maintaining Good Oral Health
Saliva is a true workhorse among bodily fluids — it breaks down food for digestion, keeps harmful bacteria in check and neutralizes acid that is destructive to tooth surfaces. So when saliva flow is chronically diminished, it’s more serious than the uncomfortable feeling of “dry mouth” — it can have a detrimental effect on your […]
How to Reduce Tooth White Spots While Wearing Braces
When your braces finally come off, you’ll hopefully be astounded by what you see –once-crooked teeth replaced by a more attractive smile. But you might also see something you didn’t expect: noticeable white spots on some of your teeth. These spots called white spot lesions (WSLs) appear lighter than the surrounding tooth enamel due to mineral loss […]
You May Need to Postpone an Upcoming Dental Visit if You Have Shingles
Chicken pox is a common viral infection that usually occurs during childhood. Although the disease symptoms only last a short time, the virus that caused it may remain, lying dormant for years within the body’s nervous system. Decades later it may reappear with a vengeance in a form known as herpes zoster, what most people know […]
What to Do For Mouth Injuries Your Child Might Encounter
Famed educator Maria Montessori once said, “Play is the work of the child”—and most kids take their “work” very seriously. But their avid enthusiasm might also raise the risk of blunt force injuries, particularly to the mouth. While you should certainly take steps to protect their mouth (like a custom-made guard for contact sports), you […]